Cogsci 115 Midterm Study Cards

Made entirely by me. WIP

Programs to develop growth mindset are most beneficial in students with…

low socioeconomic status or who are academically at risk

Low income students are less likely to hold a growth mindset than…

their wealthier peers

However, ___ income students who exhibit a growth mindset show academic performance as high as that of fixed mindset students from ___ income brackets

low; high

The greatest predictor of happiness in college students during periods of high stress is…

social support

Every time you manage to choose the positive thoughts, rather than simply allowing the negative thoughts to play out, you’re rewiring your brain, increasing the likelihood…

that more positive responses will occur in the future (SELF-DIRECTED NEUROPLASTICITY)

What is “A”

Cell body (or soma)

What is “B”

Dendrites

What is “C”

Axon

What is “D”

Myelin Sheath

What is “E”

Terminal branches

Define the soma/cell body

The cell body of a neuron, which contains the nucleus

Define the dendrites

The branched, treelike extensions attached to the soma of a neuron; receives information from neurotransmitters released from terminal button of other neurons

Define the axon

The extension of a neuron, ending in branching terminal fibers, through which messages are sent to other neurons or to muscles or glands

Define the terminal buttons

The buds at the end of a branch of an axon; forms synapses with other neurons; sends information to those neurons via neurotransmitters

Define neurotransmitters

A chemical that is released by a terminal button; has an excitatory or inhibitory effect on other neurons

What is the myelin sheath composed of?

glial cells

Recent study published in JAMA Pediatrics (Hutton, Dudley, Horowitz-Kraus et al., 2020) found that after controlling for age, gender and income, 3-5 year old children with higher use of screen-based media had…

lower measures of structural integrity and myelination

and scored lower on cognitive tests

Just read it

.

Define a synapse

Junction between terminal button of one neuron and membrane – usually the somatic or dendritic membrane – of another

Communication across the synaptic gap happens by/with…

• Terminal buttons contain synaptic vesicles

• When an action potential reaches a terminal button, the vesicles fuse with the presynaptic membrane of the terminal button, break open, and release their neurotransmitter into the synaptic cleft

Ligands that bind to the postsynaptic membrane at binding sites can be…

• A chemical naturally produced by the body like a neurotransmitter or

• A chemical from the outside like a medication or a poison

Define the process of reuptake

transporters located in the pre-synaptic membrane transport the molecules of neurotransmitter back into the cytoplasm – most common method

Define enzymatic deactivation

destruction of a neurotransmitter by an enzyme after its release (e.g., destruction of acetylcholine by acetylcholinesterase)

Neurogenesis (in the ADULT brain) occurs in…

The adult brain contains stem cells (similar to founder cells) that can divide and produce new neurons, primarily in the hippocampus, olfactory bulb, amygdala, and perhaps in the cerebellum

An action potential is an ___ or ___ phenomenon

All or none

The central nervous system (CNS) consists of…

The brain and spinal cord

The peripheral nervous system (PNS) consists of…

sensory and motor neurons

What does the sympathetic nervous system control?

functions that accompany arousal and expenditure of energy

What does the parasympathetic nervous system control?

functions that occur during a relaxed state

What does the adrenal medulla secrete?

epinephrine and norepinephrine

Anterior

near or toward the front

Posterier

near or toward the back

Ventral

toward the front of the body (front surface; face, belly, bottom of skull)

Dorsal

toward the back of the body (ass, back, top of head)

Lateral

toward the side

Medial

toward the middle

Coronal (or frontal) section

a slice through brain parallel to forehead (chop)

Sagittal (or lateral) section

perpendicular to ground and parallel to temporal lobes (slice, divide left and right lobes)

Tranverse (or axial) section

parallel to ground (flat)

Cerebral cortex has ___ billion neurons

26

Cerebral cortex consists mainly of ___ and ____, which give it its grayish-brown appearance

glia; cell bodies

The neocortex and limbic cortex are part of the…

cerebral cortex

A

frontal lobe

B

Primary motor area

C

Primary somatosensory area

D

Parietal lobe

E

occipital lobe

F

primary visual area

G

primary auditory area

H

temporal lobe

The left cerebral hemisphere specializes in:

• Analysis

• Language

• Mathematical computation

• Logic

The right cerebral hemisphere specializes in:

• Synthesis

• Pattern recognition

• Identification of emotional expression

Are people more likely to say “yes” to a minor request (e.g., for a cigarette) if that request that is made in their right or left ear?

Right (x2 as likely)

Limbic system contains the…

amygdala, hippocampus, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)

Amygdala

linked to emotion: fear and aggression

Liberals tend to have a larger ____ (associated with greater ability to cope with conflicting information) while conservatives have larger ____ (associated with greater ability to recognize a threat)

anterior cingulate cortex; amygdala

Hippocampus

• important for memory

• anterior hippocampus regulates behavioral inhibition

• abnormal activity may be linked to PTSD

• sensitivity to context

Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC)

• Integrates cognitive and affective information

• Awareness and processing of conflicting information

• Selective attention

• Pain perception

• Impulse control

Insular Cortex

• Body awareness

• Sense of self

• Emotional experience

• Empathy and compassion

• Addiction

Basal Ganglia

• action selection

• motor sequencing

• motor inhibition

Nucleus Accumbens

• Reward learning

• Parkinson’s disease is characterized by loss of dopaminergic neurons in this area

A

hypothalamus

B

thalamus

C

cerebral cortex

D

corpus callosum

E

cerebellum

F

midbrain

G

pons

H

medulla

I

spinal cord

A

amygdala

Amygdala

linked to emotion: fear and aggression

B

hippocampus

Hippocampus

linked to memory and sensitivity to context

C

corpus callosum

Corpus callosum

axon fibers connecting two cerebral hemispheres

D

thalamus

Thalamus

relays messages between lower brain centers and cerebral cortex

E

hypothalamus

Hypothalamus

controls maintenance functions such as eating

governs endocrine system

linked to emotions and reward

F

pituitary gland

Pituitary gland

controls other endocrine glands, secretes oxytocin (social bonding) and vasopressin (pair bonding)

G

reticular formation

Reticular formation

sleep, arousal, attention, and reflexes

H

medulla

Medulla

vital functions, such as heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure

I

spinal cord

Spinal cord

pathway for neural fibers travelling to and from brain; controls simple reflexes

J

cerebellum

Cerebellum

coordinates voluntary movement and balance

K

cerebral cortex

Cerebral cortex

ultimate control and information-processing center

Pons

sleep and arousal, as well as sensory analysis and movement

Brain stem

automatic survival functions

A

judgement

B

movement

C

sensation

D

vision

E

reward

F

memory