AP Psychology Key Terms 1.1-1.2

Test 9/26

Psychology

The scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

Nature-Nurture Issue

The debate over how much behavior is influenced by genetics versus environment

Natural Selection

The evolutionary principle that traits aiding survival and reproduction are more likely to be passed on.

Evolutionary Psychology

uses the study of natural selection to study how people think, feel and behave

Behavior Genetics

The study of how genetics and environment influence actions.

Mutation

a random genetic change

Environment

Every external influence

Heredity

The genetic transfer of traits from parents to offspring.

Genes

Units of heredity that make up chromosomes and code for proteins.

Genome

The complete set of genetic instructions for an organism.

Identical (monozygotic) twins

Twins that develop from a single fertilized egg and share nearly 100% of their genes.

Fraternal (dizygotic) twins

Twins that develop from two separate fertilized eggs and are genetically no more similar than siblings.

Interaction

The way that genes and environment work together to influence traits.

Epigenetics

The study of how environmental factors can switch genes on or off without changing DNA.

Nervous System

The body’s electrochemical communication network consisting of all nerve cells.

CNS (Central Nervous System)

The brain and spinal cord

PNS (Peripheral Nervous System)

Connects the CNS to the rest of the body.

Nerves

bundles of neurons

Sensory (afferent) Neurons

Neurons that carry information from environment to the CNS.

Motor (efferent) Neurons

Neurons that carry instructions from the CNS to rest of body

Interneurons

• in the CNS

• processes info between sensory input and motor output

Somatic Nervous System

controls voluntary movements of muscles.

Autonomic Nervous System

Controls involuntary functions of glands and internal organs.

Sympathetic Nervous System

arouses or wakes you up

Parasympathetic Nervous System

Calms the body and conserves energy.

Reflex

Involuntary response to a stimulus