Ap Psychology Unit 1 Exam study (Pacifica High School 2026-2027)

evolutionary psychology

how psychological traits & behaviors evolved over time to enhance survival & reproductive success

natural selection

passing on those advantageous traits to future generations; evolved over time in response to environmental pressures

nature

inherent biological & genetic factors that influence individuals

nurture

environmental influences & experiences that shape individuals

twin studies

similarities & differences between identical & fraternal twins

adoption studies

similarities between adopted children & their biological & adoptive families

family studies

similarities & differences among family members (parents & siblings)

heredity

transmission of genetic info from biological parents to offspring

heritability

figures out how much of traits are from our genes & environment

genetic predisposition

inherited likelihood of developing specific traits or conditions due to genetic factors from biological parents

eugenics

improving genetic quality of human population by controlling reproduction (increase desirable traits, decrease undesirable)

medulla

regulates autonomic functions (heartbeat, breathing, blood pressure)

reticular activating system

regulates arousal, attention, & consciousness

cerebellum

coordinates movement, balance, posture

limbic system

includes hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamus

hippocampus

forms & consolidates new memories

amygdala

processes emotion (fear & aggression)

hypothalamus

regulates various essential bodily functions (hunger, thirst, body temp, sleep-wake cycle)

pituitary gland

"master gland" due to role in regulating hormone production & secretion throughout body

corpus callosum

connects left & right hemispheres of brain; facilitates communication & info between the 2

cerebrum (cerebral cortex)

responsible for higher-level cognitive functions (thinking, perceiving, decision-making)

frontal lobe

involved in higher-level cognitive functions (decision-making, problem-solving, personality expression)

prefrontal lobe

responsible for higher-level cognitive functions (plan, organize, strategize, focus attention, etc) (in frontal lobe)

motor cortex

responsible for planning, executing, & controlling voluntary movements of body (in frontal lobe)

parietal lobe

processes sensory info from body (touch, temp., spatial awareness)

somatosensory cortex

processes sensations from skin, muscles, joints

occipital lobe

processes visual info received from eyes

temporal lobe

involved in processing auditory info, language comprehension, memory formation

thalamus

processes & relays sensory info (sight, sound, touch, taste, but NOT smell) to cerebral cortex

nervous system

body's communication network

central nervous system

command center of body; processes info, coordinates responses, regulates bodily functions

peripheral nervous system

transmit sensory info from body to central nervous system

autonomic system

regulates involuntary bodily functions; operates automatically (without conscious control)

sympathetic nervous system

activates body's "fight or flight" response in times of stress or danger (increases heart rate)

parasympathetic nervous system

promotes relaxation & restoring body to calm state after experiencing stress or danger (slows heart rate)

somatic nervous system

controls voluntary movements & relays sensory info from body to central nervous system

neurons

building block; transmits electrical & chemical signals throughout body

parts of a neuron

dendrites, soma (cell body), axon, myelin sheath, terminal branches, terminal buttons

glial cells

"support cells"; provide structural support, insulation, nourishment to neurons

reflex arc

controls reflex actions (automatic responses to sensory stimuli without conscious thought)

motor neurons

transmits signals from central nervous system to muscles, glands, organs (controls voluntary & involuntary movements)

sensory neurons

transmit info from sensory receptors to central nervous system (detect stimuli)

interneurons

relaying signals between sensory neurons & motor neurons

neural transmission

neurons communicate with each other through electrical & chemical signals

threshold

a certain limit (will fire & send electrical signal down axon)

action potential

sends electrical signal to next neuron (fires)

all-or-nothing principle

no half-way; either fires or doesn't

depolarization

triggers neuron to fire action potential (inside of neuron is less negative than outside)

refractory period

when another action potential is not possible; returning neuron to resting potential

resting potential

not actively sending signals (negative electrical charge exists across cell membrane of neuron)

reuptake

left-overs taken back into sending neuron to be used again

multiple sclerosis "MS"

affects central nervous system (immune system mistakenly attacks myelin sheath - inflammation & damage)

myasthenia gravis

affects neuromuscular junction (immune system produces antibodies that block or destroy receptors for acetylcholine)

neurotransmitters

transmit signal between neurons

excitatory neurotransmitters

increase likelihood of action potential

glutamate

learning, memory, & neural plasticity

inhibitory neurotransmitters

decrease likelihood of action potential

GABA

promotes relaxation

dopamine

regulates reward, motivation, pleasure, focus & movement; more about anticipation than the pleasure itself

serotonin

regulates mood, sleep, appetite, stress (crucial for mental health)

endorphins

natural pain relievers & mood enhancers

substance p

transmit pain signals in nervous system

acetylcholine

involved in muscle contraction, memory, learning

hormones

travels through bloodstream to target cells or organs; regulate various physiological processes & behaviors

ghrelin

stimulates appetite & promotes hunger

leptin

regulate energy balance & appetite

melatonin

regulates sleep-wake cycle

oxytocin

key role in social bonding; involvement in forming emotional connections, trust, intimacy

adrenaline

body's stress response (fight or flight)

norepinephrine

both hormone & neurotransmitter; "fight or flight" response; regulates arousal, attention, stress

Plasticity

Brain’s ability to reorganize and adapt throughout life

Split Brain Research

Study of people who went under brain surgery. Left and ride side of the brain split up.

Contralateral Hemispheric organization

Each hemispheres of the brain controls the opposite sides of the brain.

Hemispheric Specialization

Each hemisphere of the brain has its own specialization and special abilities. Left is for language, logic, controls movement of right. Right is spatial awareness, creativity, and controls the movements of the left.

Linguistic Processing

Understanding and producing languages

Broca’s Area

Left hemisphere of the brain located on the frontal lobe. Responsible for speech and language processing.

Broca’s Aphasia

Understands the language, but cannot produce the speech. Caused due to a stroke or brain injury.

Wernicke’s Area

Located on the Temporal Lobe, on the left side of the Brain. Responsible for the comprehension, understanding spoken and written language.

Wernicke’s Aphasia

Can’t understand, no comprehension, written or spoken. Can talk fluently but it doesn’t make sense.

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

Device used to record the electrical activity of the brain

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)

Measures brain activity by detecting oxygen level and blood flow changes.

Lesioning

Research technique by intentionally damaging specific areas of the brain on animals.

Consciousness

A state of being awake

Circadian Rhythm

A 24 hour clock system in the brain, sleep wake cycle

Jet lag

Time changed, feeling tired, time zones changed

Shift work

People who work over night, that disrupts their body’s circadian Rhythm

NREM Stage 1

Heartbeat and breathing slows down, relaxation only lasts around 1-7 mins.

NREM Stage 2

Heartbeat and breathing slow down further, no eye movement, body temp fall, lasts around 25 minutes

NREM Stage 3

Deepest sleep state, heartbeat and breathing at the lowest, lowest body temp, and growth hormones released, lasts around 20-40 minutes.

REM

Rapid eye movement, vivid dreams, muscles are paralyzed, heartbeats faster

REM Rebound

Body increases the time spend in REM sleep after period of REM deprivation, Skips NREM 1&2, for more deep sleep

Activation synthesis (dreams)

Dreams are random neurons firing, no meaning

Consolidation Theory (Dreams)

Sorting and processing memories, and has meanings.

Insomia

Difficulty falling asleep

Narcolepsy

Excessive daytime sleepiness

Sleep Apnea

Pauses breathing or shallow breathing during sleep

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

Acting our during REM state

Somnambulism

Sleep walking, non REM sleep stage, the body is active while the brain is sleeping

Psychoactive Drugs

Alter the brain function, changes perception, mood consciousness etc, also be depressant

Agonists

Mimics the effect and enhance neural activity