AP Psych unit 1

Heredity / Nature

Passing of traits via genes.

Nurture

Environmental influence on behavior.

Natural Selection

Survival of the fittest traits.

Twin/Adoption Studies

Comparing DNA vs. Environment.

CNS

Brain and Spinal Cord.

PNS

Nerves connecting CNS to body.

Somatic NS

Controls skeletal muscles.

Autonomic NS

Controls glands/internal organs.

Sympathetic NS

Arouses the body (Fight/Flight).

Parasympathetic NS

Calms the body (Rest/Digest).

Sensory (Afferent)

Carries info to the brain.

Motor (Efferent)

Carries info from the brain.

Interneurons

Neurons within CNS.

Glial Cells

Support/nourish/protect neurons.

Action Potential

Brief electrical charge down axon.

All-or-None Response

Neuron fires at 100% or 0%.

Resting Potential

Neuron is "charged" and ready.

Refractory Period

"Reset" time after firing.

Reuptake

Sending neuron reabsorbs NTs.

Agonists

Mimics or increases NT effect.

Antagonists

Blocks or inhibits NT effect.

Acetylcholine (ACh)

Muscle action, memory.

Dopamine

Reward, movement, attention.

Serotonin

Mood, sleep, hunger.

Norepinephrine

Alertness and arousal.

GABA

Primary Inhibitory (Brakes).

Glutamate

Primary Excitatory (Gas).

Endorphins

Pain control and pleasure.

Hormones

Chemical messengers in blood.

Pituitary Gland

"Master Gland" in the brain.

Tolerance

Need more drug for same effect.

Withdrawal

Distress after stopping drug.

Depressants

Reduce neural activity (Alcohol).

Stimulants

Excite neural activity (Cocaine).

EEG

Records electrical brain waves.

fMRI

Shows blood flow/brain activity.

Lesioning

Destroying brain tissue.

Medulla

Heartbeat and breathing.

Reticular Formation

Arousal and attention.

Cerebellum

Balance and coordination.

Thalamus

Sensory relay station.

Hypothalamus

Maintenance (Hunger, Sex).

Hippocampus

Formation of new memories.

Amygdala

Emotion (Fear and Rage).

Frontal Lobe

Judgment, planning, movement.

Parietal Lobe

Touch and body position.

Occipital Lobe

Visual processing.

Temporal Lobe

Auditory processing.

Broca’s Area

Language production.

Wernicke’s Area

Language comprehension.

Corpus Callosum

Connects the two halves.

Plasticity

Brain's ability to rewire.

Circadian Rhythm

24-hour internal clock.

REM Sleep

Rapid eye movement; Dreaming.

Sleep Apnea

Stop breathing during sleep.

Transduction

Converting energy to impulses.

Absolute Threshold

50% detection rate.

Sensory Adaptation

Constant stimulus is ignored.

Rods vs. Cones

Rods = Light; Cones = Color.

Opponent-Process

Colors come in pairs (R/G, B/Y).

Cochlea

Snail-shaped tube in inner ear.

Conduction Deafness

Damage to mechanical system.

Sensorineural Deafness

Damage to hair cells/nerve.

Vestibular Sense

Balance and head position.

Kinesthetic Sense

Position of individual body parts.

Gate Control Theory

Spinal "gate" blocks/allows pain.

Bottom-Up

Starts with sensory receptors.

Top-Down

Starts with expectations/experience.