AP Psychology Unit 1A, Part 2 Vocab

brainstem

brainstem

the oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; the brainstem is responsible for automatic survival functions

medulla

the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing

thalamus

the brains sensory control center, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla

Reticular formation

a nerve network that travels through the brainstem and thalamus and plays an important role in controlling arousal

cerebellum

the "little brain" at the
rear of the brainstem; functions include processing sensory input, coordinating movement output and
balance, and enabling nonverbal learning and memory.

limbic system

neural system (including the hippocampus,
amygdala, and hypothalamus) located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives

amygdala

two lima-bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion.

hypothalamus

a neural structure lying below (hypo) the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature), helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotions and reward

hippocampus

A neural center located in the limbic system; helps process for storage explicit (conscious) memories of facts and events

cerebral cortex

the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres; the body's ultimate control and information-processing center

frontal lobes

portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgements

parietal lobes

portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position

occipital lobes

portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes areas that receive information from the visual fields

temporal lobes

portion of the cerebral lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each receiving information primarily from the opposite ear.

motor cortex

an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements

somatosensory cortex

area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations

association areas

areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions; rather, they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking.

plasticity

the brains ability to change, especially during childhood, by recording after damage or by building new pathways based on experience

neurogenesis

the formation of new neurons

corpus callosum

the large band of
neural fibers connecting the two
brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them.

split brain

a condition resulting
from surgery that isolates the brain's
two hemispheres by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them.

consciousness

our awareness of ourselves and our environment

cognitive neuroscience

the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language)

blindsight

A condition in which a person can respond to a visual stimulus without consciously experiencing it

dual processing

the principle
that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks.

parallel processing

Processing many aspects of a problem simultaneously; generally used to process well-learned information or to solve easy problems

sequential processing

Processing one aspect of a problem at a time; generally used to process new information or to solve difficult problems

behavior genetics

the study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior

heredity

The genetic transfer of characteristics from parents to offspring

environment

every external
influence, from prenatal nutrition to
the people and things around us.

chromosomes

threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)

a complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes

genes

the biochemical units of heredity that make up the chromosomes; segments of DNA capable of synthesizing proteins

genome

the complete instructions for making an organism, consisting of all the genetic material in that organisms chromosomes

identical monozygotic twins

twins who develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two, creating two genetically identical organisms.

fraternal dizygotic twins

twins who develop from separate
fertilized eggs. They are genetically no closer than brothers and sisters, but they share a fetal environment.

Heritability

the proportion of variation among individuals that we can attribute to genes. The heritability of a trait may vary, depending on the range of population and environments studied

interaction

the interplay that occurs when the effect of one factor (such as environment) depends on another factor (such as heredity).

molecular genetics

The subfield of biology that studies the molecular structure and function of genes

molecular behavior genetics

The study of how the structure and function of genes interact with our environment to influence behavior

epigenetics

the study of environmental influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change

evolutionary psychology

he study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection

natural selection

the principle that, among the range of inherited trait variations, those contributing to reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations

mutation

a random error in gene replication that leads to a change

social script

culturally modeled guide for how to act in various situations