AP Psych Unit 1 Flashcards

Neuron

A nerve cell that receives and sends information in the nervous system.

Dendrites

Branches of a neuron that receive information from other neurons.

Axon

The long part of a neuron that carries the message away from the cell body.

Cell body

The main part of a neuron that contains the cell's basic machinery and processes information.

Myelin sheath

A fatty covering around some axons that insulates them and speeds up neural messages.

Glial cells

Cells that support, protect, nourish, and insulate neurons.

Action potential

A brief electrical impulse that travels down the axon when a neuron fires.

Resting potential

The neuron's normal resting state when the inside is more negatively charged than the outside.

Depolarization

The process in which positively charged ions enter the neuron, making it less negative and causing it to fire.

Threshold

The minimum level of stimulation needed for a neuron to fire.

Refractory period

A short period after a neuron fires when it cannot fire again until it resets.

All-or-none response

The principle that a neuron either fires completely or does not fire at all.

Excitatory

A signal that increases the chance that a neuron will fire.

Inhibitory

A signal that decreases the chance that a neuron will fire.

Synapse

The meeting point where two neurons communicate.

Synaptic gap

The tiny space between two neurons that neurotransmitters cross.

Neurotransmitters

Chemical messengers that travel across the synapse and affect another neuron.

Receptor sites

Places on a receiving neuron where specific neurotransmitters attach.

Reuptake

The process in which the sending neuron reabsorbs extra neurotransmitters.

Acetylcholine (ACh)

A neurotransmitter involved in muscle action, learning, and memory.

Dopamine

A neurotransmitter involved in movement, learning, attention, and emotion.

Serotonin

A neurotransmitter that affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal.

Norepinephrine

A neurotransmitter that helps control alertness and arousal.

GABA

A major inhibitory neurotransmitter that reduces neural activity.

Glutamate

A major excitatory neurotransmitter involved in learning and memory.

Endorphins

Natural chemicals produced by the body that reduce pain and increase feelings of pleasure.

Substance P

A neurotransmitter involved in pain perception and the immune response.

Agonist

A substance that increases or mimics the action of a neurotransmitter.

Antagonist

A substance that blocks or decreases the action of a neurotransmitter.

Endocrine system

A communication system that uses hormones released into the bloodstream to send messages throughout the body.

Hormones

Chemical messengers released by glands into the bloodstream.

Pituitary gland

A small gland in the brain that controls or influences many other endocrine glands.

Hypothalamus

A brain area that controls the pituitary gland and helps regulate the endocrine system.

Epinephrine (adrenaline)

A hormone that increases heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar during an emergency.

Cortisol

A stress hormone that helps increase blood sugar during stressful situations.

Operational definition

A precise explanation of how a variable is measured in a study.

Psychoactive drugs

Chemicals that change the brain and affect a person's perceptions, mood, or behavior.

Substance use disorder

A condition in which someone continues using a substance even though it causes serious problems in their life.

Tolerance

When a person needs more of a substance to get the same effect they used to get from a smaller amount.

Withdrawal

Unpleasant physical or mental reactions that happen when someone stops or reduces their use of a substance

Craving

A strong desire or urge to use a substance.

Diminished control

Having difficulty controlling how much or how often you use a substance.

Diminished social functioning

When substance use begins to interfere with relationships, school, work, or other activities

Hazardous use

Using a substance in situations where it creates danger or continues despite physical or psychological problems.

Depressants

Drugs that slow down neural activity and body functions.

Stimulants

Drugs that increase neural activity and speed up body functions.

Hallucinogens

Drugs that distort perception and can cause people to experience sensory images that are not actually present

Alcohol

A depressant that slows brain activity and can lower judgment and inhibitions.

Disinhibitor

Something that lowers a person's normal inhibitions, making them more likely to act on urges they would normally control.

Barbiturates

Depressant drugs that slow nervous system activity and can be used to induce sleep or reduce anxiety.

Opioids

Drugs that reduce pain and slow neural and body functions.

Blackout

A period when a person is unable to remember things that happened while they were intoxicated.

Expectancy effects

The way a person's expectations about a substance can influence how they behave or feel after taking it.

Nicotine

A highly addictive stimulant found in tobacco products that increases alertness and affects the brain's neurotransmitters.

Cocaine

A powerful and highly addictive stimulant that quickly increases activity in the brain's reward system.Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine

A highly addictive stimulant that strongly increases dopamine activity and can greatly increase energy and alertness

Ecstasy (MDMA)

A drug that acts as both a stimulant and a mild hallucinogen and increases the release of serotonin and dopamine.

Placebo

An inactive substance or condition that a person believes is an active treatment or drug.

LSD

A powerful hallucinogen that causes major changes in perception and can produce visual hallucinations.

Marijuana

A psychoactive drug containing THC that can change perception, mood, coordination, attention, and memory.

THC

The main psychoactive chemical in marijuana that produces its mind-altering effects.

Meta-analysis

A method that combines the results of many studies to reach an overall conclusion.

Near-death experience

An altered state of consciousness sometimes reported by people who have been close to death or revived after cardiac arrest.

Survey

A non-experimental method of collecting people's reported attitudes or behaviors.

Generalize

To apply the results of a study to a larger group of people than those who participated in the study.

Biological psychology

The study of how biological processes, such as the brain, genes, and hormones, affect behavior and mental processes.

Biopsychosocial approach

An approach that explains behavior by looking at biological, psychological, and social-cultural factors together.

Neuroplasticity

The brain's ability to change and create new neural pathways as a result of experiences and learning.

Lesion

Damage to or destruction of a specific area of the brain.

EEG (electroencephalogram)

A method that records the brain's electrical activity using electrodes placed on the scalp.

MEG (magnetoencephalography)

A method that measures the magnetic fields produced by the brain's electrical activity.

CT scan (computed tomography)

A brain scan that uses X-rays to create images that can show brain damage.

PET scan (positron emission tomography)

A brain scan that tracks radioactive glucose to show which areas of the brain are active.

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)

A scan that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to create detailed images of the brain's structure.

fMRI (functional MRI)

A type of MRI that shows brain activity by measuring changes in blood flow.