AP Psychology - Unit 1 Vocabulary - Chapter 1 Vocabulary #3

9/30/24 quiz

Cerebral cortex

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

Frontal lobe

the portion of the cerebral cortex lying behind the forehead. They enable linguistic processing, muscle movements, higher-order thinking, and executive functioning (such as making plans and judgments)

Parietal lobe

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

Occipital lobe

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

Temporal lobe

the portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; it includes the auditory areas, each of which receives information primarily from the opposite ear. They also enable language processing

Motor cortex

a cerebral cortex area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements

Somatosensory cortex

a cerebral 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

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 subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment

Cognitive neuroscience

the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition

Dual processing

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

Blindsight

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

Parallel processing

processing multiple aspects of a stimulus or problem simultaneously

Sequential processing

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

Sleep

a periodic, natural loss of consciousness — as distinct from unconsciousness resulting from a coma, general anesthesia, or hibernation

Circadian rhythm

our biological clock; regular body rhythms (for example, of temperature and wakefulness) that occur on a 24 hour cycle

REM sleep

rapid eye movement sleep; a recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occur. Also known as paradoxial sleep, because the muscles are relaxed (except for minor twitches) but other body systems are active (sometimes called R. sleep)

Alpha waves

the relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state

NREM sleep

non-rapid eye movement sleep; encompasses all sleep stages except for REM sleep

Hallucinations

false sensory experiences, such as seeing something in the absence of an external visual stimulus

Hypnagogic sensations

bizarre experiences, such as jerking or a feeling of falling or floating weightlessly, while transitioning to sleep (aka hypnic sensations)

Delta waves

the large, slow brain waves associated with deep sleep

Suprachiasmatic nucleus

a pair of cell clusters in the hypothalamus that controls circadian rhythm. In response to light, the SCN adjusts melatonin production, thus modifying feelings of sleepiness

Insomnia

recurring problems in falling and staying asleep

Narcolepsy

a sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks. the affected person may lapse directly into REM sleep, often at inopportune times

Sleep apnea

a sleep disorder characterized by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and repeated momentary awakenings

REM sleep behavior disorder

a sleep disorder in which normal REM paralysis does not occur; instead, twitching, talking, or even kicking or punching may occur, often acting out one’s dream

Dream

a sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person’s mind