AP Psychology 2025 Unit 1 - Biological Bases of Behavior

Natural Selection (1.1)

The principle that traits that best enable an organism to survive and reproduce will likely be passed to succeeding generations

Evolutionary Psychology (1.1)

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

Behavior genetics (1.1)

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

Mutation (1.1)

A random error in gene replication that leads to a change

The Central Nervous System (1.2)

consists of the brain and spinal cord and coordinates all of the body's activities

The Peripheral Nervous System (1.2)

Relays messages to and from the central nervous system

The Autonomic Nervous System (1.2)

Controls involuntary movements and functions

The Somatic Nervous System 1.2)

Controls voluntary movements

Motor Neurons (1.3)

Controls movement

Interneurons (1.3)

CNS neurons that internally communicate and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs

Sensory Neurons (1.3)

Neurons that receive and are activated by sensory inputs

action potential (1.3)

a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon

Depolarisation (1.3)

The change from a resting potential to an action potential

Repolarisation (1.3)

The change from a positive action potential back to a negative resting potential (caused by opening of potassium channels)

Hyperpolarisation (1.3)

When the inside of the axon is more negative (relative to the outside) than the usual

Resting state (1.3)

when a neuron is not being stimulated

Neurotransmitters (1.3)

Chemical signals that impact a neuron's excitability

Psychoactive drugs (1.3)

Substances that interfere with neural transmission

The brain stem (1.4)

controls basic functioning such as breathing and the heart

The cerebellum (1.4)

Controls balance

limbic system (1.4)

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

corpus callosum (1.4)

in the cerebral cortex, communicates between both hemispheres

occipital lobe (1.4)

vision

frontal lobe (1.4)

executive function, abstract thinking, personality

pariental lobe (1.4)

processes information about touch and sensory

temporal lobe (1.4)

auditory and linguistic processing

The amygdala (1.4)

Responsible for anxiety, emotion and fear.

Thalamus (1.4)

the brain's 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

Hypothalamus (1.4)

Regulates endocrine and award system

Sleep cycles (1.5)

4-6 complete ones, each about 90 minutes, early in the night most time in stage 3 and 4, 2 and REM sleep predominate later

Circadian rhythm (1.5)

24 hour cycle, regulates body temperature and alertness

REM (1.5)

Most relaxed stage in sleep yet has the most brain activity

REM Rebound (1.5)

the tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation (created by repeated awakenings during REM sleep)

Sensation (1.6)

Sensation is the process in which information is detected and sent via neurochemical messages to the brain for processing (perception)

Weber's law (1.6)

The degree in which a stimuli needs to be different in order to be detected

Absolute threshold (1.6)

The bare minimum required for a stimulus to be detected

Sensory interaction (1.6)

Sensory systems working together

The retina (1.6)

The photosensitive surface in the back of the eye

Accommodation (1.6)

The process in which visual stimuli are focused onto the retina. When the process is altered nearsightedness or farsightedness can occur

Color vision (1.6)

Integration of information from red, green, and blue cones (color blindness caused by irregularities with the cones)

Rods (1.6)

Cells that detect movement and shapes (not color)

Prosopagnosia (face blindness) (1.6)

Inability to recognize faces, result of damage to the temporal lobe

Sound localization (1.6)

How we identify location of sound

olfactory bulb (1.6)

a forebrain structure that sends information either directly to the smell processing areas in the cortex or indirectly to the cortex by way of the thalamus

Gustation (1.6)

Sense of taste (sweet, sour, bitter, salty, umami)

Touch sensation (1.6)

the sensation produced when pressure and temperature receptors in the skin send signals to the brain which transduce touch stimuli

Pain sensation (1.6)

Produced both in the body and brain (emotional and physical)