USAFA BehSci 110 GR #1

Empirical Approach

an evidence-based method that draws on observation and experimentation

scientific attitude

curiosity, skepticism, humility

Psychology

the science of behavior and mental processes

biological influences

genetic predispositions, genetic mutations, natural selection of adaptive physiology and behaviors, genes responding to the environment

psychological influences

learned fears and other learned expectations, emotional responses, cognitive processing and perceptual interpretations

social-cultural influences

-presence of others
-cultural, societal, and family expectations
-peer and other group influences
-compelling models (such as in the media)

Theory

an explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes observations and predicts behaviors or events

Hypothesis

A testable prediction, often implied by a theory

case study

a descriptive technique in which one individual or group is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles

naturalistic observation

a descriptive technique of observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation

Positive Correlation

if two sets of scores tend to rise or fall together

negative correlation

as one variable increases, the other decreases

independent variable

The experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied.

dependent variable

The outcome factor; the variable that may change in response to manipulations of the independent variable.

random assignment

assigning participants to experimental and control conditions by chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between those assigned to the different groups

confounding variable

a factor other than the factor being studied that might influence a study's results

standard deviation

a computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean score

Dendrites

a neuron's bushy, branching extensions that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body

cell body

the part of a neuron that contains the nucleus

Synapses

the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron

Axon

the neuron extension that passes messages through its branches to other neurons or to muscles or glands

Neurotransmitter

chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons

myelin sheath

a fatty tissue layer segmentally encasing the axons of some neurons

Acetylcholine

enables muscle action, learning, and memory

Dopamine

influences movement, learning, attention, and emotion

Serotonin

Affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal

Norepinephrine

helps control alertness and arousal

GABA

a major inhibitory neurotransmitter

Glutamate

A major excitatory neurotransmitter; involved in memory

Endorphins

neurotransmitters that influence the perception of pain or pleasure

nervous system

the body's speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems

peripheral

the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body

autonomic

the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs.

sympathetic

the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy

parasympathetic

the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy

somatic

The division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles

endocrine sytem

the body's "slow" chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream

hormones

chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissues

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

reticular formation

a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal

thalamus

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

Cerebellum

the "little brain" at the rear of the brainstem; functions include processing sensory input and coordinating movement output and balance

Amygdala

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

Hypothalamus

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

Hippocampus

a neural center located in the limbic system; helps process explicit memories

frontal lobes

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

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

somatosensory cortex

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

occipital lobe

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

temporal lobes

The portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas

cognitive neuroscience

the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition

selective attention

the focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus

dual processing

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

Awake

alpha waves

NREM-1

slowed breathing and irregular brain waves

NREM-2

sleep spindles

NREM-3

Deep sleep

REM

rapid eye movement (paradoxical sleep)

Heritablility

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

Epigentics

"above" or "in addition to" (epi) genetics; the study of environmental influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change

Sensation

the process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment

Perception

the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events

Transduction

conversion of one form of energy into another

Top-Down Processing

info processing guided by higher-level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations

bottom-up processing

analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain's integration of sensory information

Perceptual Set

a mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another

Cornea

light enters through the cornea (bends light)

Iris

controls the size of the pupil

Pupil

small adjustable opening

lens

transparent

retina

the light-sensitive inner surface of the eye, containing the receptor rods and cones plus layers of neurons that begin the processing of visual information

Fovea

the central focal point in the retina, around which the eye's cones cluster

Rods

retinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray and are sensitive to movement

Cones

retinal receptor cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or in well-lit conditions.

optic nerve

the nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain

Cochlea

a coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear through which sound waves trigger nerve impulses

sensory interaction

the principle that one sense may influence another, as when the smell of food influences its taste

Auditory Canal

the area that sound waves pass through to reach the eardrum (outer ear)

ear drum

a tightly stretched membrane at the end of the ear canal that vibrates when hit by sound waves

hammer, anvil, stirrup

the three small bones in the middle ear that relay vibrations of the eardrum to the inner ear (middle ear)

oval window

cochlea's membrane-covered opening

basilar membrane

membrane supporting the organ of Corti and hair cells in the cochlea

auditory nerve

the nerve that carries impulses from the inner ear to the brain, resulting in the perception of sound

Medulla

the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing