AP Psychology Unit 1 Vocab

Lesioning

Tissue destruction in the brain. Can be natural or surgical.

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

Amplified recording of brain waves. Measured by electrodes placed on scalp.

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imagine (fMRI)

Reading of brain where it can reveal how the brain is functioning and its structure.

Consciousness

State of being aware and able to perceive thoughts, feelings, sensations and surroundings.

Circadian Rhythm (Sleep/Wake Cycle)

Natural internal process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. (Repeats every 24 hours)

Jet Lag

Temporary disruption in Circadian Rhythm due to time zone changes.

Shift Work

When people work hours that mess with circadian rhythm. (Doctors, Firefighters)

REM Sleep

State of sleep with vivid dreams and muscle paralysis. (Most important Sleep stage)

REM Rebound

Amount of times you’ll go through REM after REM deprivation.

Activation-synthesis (Dreams)

Dreams are a result of random neural activity in the brainstem.

NREM Stage 1

First stage of sleep where you often drift in and out of sleep.

Hypnagogic Sensations

Experiences like jerking or falling as you are falling asleep.

NREM Stage 2

Second stage of sleep where you are in light sleep. (Lasts about 20 min)

NREM Stage 3

Deepest stage of sleep characterized by presence of predominantly delta waves.

Consolidation Theory (Dreams)

Dreams play a big role in processing memories.

Insomnia

Sleep disorder that causes difficulty falling asleep, and staying asleep.

Wernicke’s Area

Brain area involved in language comprehension and expression.

Narcolepsy

Sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks. (can fall right into REM sleep randomly)

Memory Consolidation

Neural storage of long-term memory. (Happens during REM)

Wernicke’s Aphasia

Language disorder that affects your ability to make sense when speaking.

Restoration of Resources

Replenishing depleted recourses weather its psychological, physiological or social.

Sleep Apnea

A sleep disorder characterized by temporary stops in breathing during sleep.

Stimulants

Drugs that excite neural activity and speed up body functions. (caffeine, nicotine, cocaine, meth and ecstasy)

Reuptake Inhibitors

Drugs that block the reuptake neurotransmitters reabsorption. (used to treat depression)

Antagonists

A molecules that inhibits or blocks a neurotransmitters action.

Agonists

A molecule that increases a neurotransmitters action,

Psychoactive Drugs

Chemical Substance that alters perceptions and moods. (LSD and Shrooms)

Somnambulism (Sleep walking)

When people walk or do other activities while asleep.

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

When people don’t go into muscle paralysis and act out dreams. (born with it)

Alcohol

A drug that impairs judgement coordination and cognitive functions.

Absolute Threshold

Minimum stimulus energy needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time.

Lens

Transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on retina.

Depressants

Drugs that slow down neural activity and bodily functions, induce melatonin, sedation and lowers inhibitors.

Withdrawal

When someone stops using a psychoactive substance after a prolonged use.

Perception

The process of organizing and interpreting sensory information enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events.

Cocaine

Powerful Stimulant from coca plant, increases human activity, euphoria, increased energy and alertness. (HIGHLY ADICTIVE)

Addiction

Brain Disorder characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences.

Transduction

Conversion of one form of energy into another.

Blind Spot

The point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye. (no receptor cells are located there)

Caffeine

Natural stimulant found in coffee, tea and sodas.

Tolerance

Increasing amounts of a Psychoactive substance are needed for same effects. (Tolerance leads to addiction)

Heroin

Highly addictive opioid drug derived from Morphine. Is the cheap alternative to opioids.

Opioids

Psychoactive drugs that act on opioid receptors in the brain and body.

Marijuana

Derived from cannabis plant. Alters mood, perception and cognition.

Hallucinogens

Alters perception, mood, and cognitive process. Causes hallucinations or changes in consciousness.

Sensation

The process by which out sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus.

Retina

The light- sensitive inner surface of the eye, containing receptor red and cones.

Accommodation

Sensation and perception by lens in eyes

Sensory Adaptation

Diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation.

Weber’s Law

TO be perceived as different. Two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage.

Visual Nerve

Bundle or nerve fibers that carries visual information from retina to brain.

Just-noticeable Difference

Minimum change in a stimulus that allows it to be correctly judged as different from a reference stimulus.

Nearsightedness

You can not see objects that are far away clearly.

Farsightedness

You can not see objects close to you clearly.

Photoreceptors

Specialized light-sensitive neurons in the retina that convert light into neural impulses.

Cerebellum

The “little brain” at the rear of the brain stem. (processes sensory input, balance, etc)

Split Brain Research

A condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brains two hemispheres by cutting fibers.

Limbic System

Neural system located below the cerebral hemispheres. (associated with emotions and drives)

Synesthesia

Neuropsychological condition in which the stimulation of ones sense triggers the involuntary trigger of another sense.

Plasticity

The brains ability to change, by reorganizing after damage or building new pathways based on experience.

Hippocampus

Neural center located in the limbic System. (processes explicit memories, facts and events)

Hypothalamus

A neural structure lying below the Thalamus. (linked to emotion)

Pituitary Gland

The endocrine systems most influential gland. (regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands)

Broca’s Area

Helps control language expression. (directs muscle movement involved in speech)

Thalamus

The brain’s sensory control center, located on top of brain stem.

Linguistic Processing

The cognitive activities involved in understanding and producing language.

Broca’s Aphasia

An aphasia where a person has difficulty speaking. They still can understand speech.

Hemispheric Specialization

Division of work between left and right hemispheres.

Norepinephrine

Chemical released from the sympathetic nervous system in response to stress.

Reticular Activating System

Responsible for sensation, consciousness, attention and sleep-wake cycle.

Contralateral Hemispheric Organization

Left Hemisphere controls Right side of body and the Right Hemisphere controls the Left side of the body

Reward Center

A complex network of neural circuits that help regulate motivation, reinforcement, and pleasure responses.

Hormones

Chemical messengers that are manufactured by endocrine glands.

Neurotransmitters

Chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons.

Endorphins

Natural, opiate- like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and pleasure.

Adrenaline

Also known as Epinephrine. Produced in high stress or exiting situations.

Serotonin

Feelings of well-being and happiness. (Mood)

Oxytocin

Regulates social interaction and sexual reproduction. (The LOVE hormone)

Dopamine

Pleasure Chemical of the brain. (Reward)

Melatonin

Regulates the sleep-wake cycle and circadian rhythms in the body.

Ghrelin

Hormone produced by stomach that stimulates hunger. (Promotes fat storage and increases food intake)

Inhibitory Neurotransmitters

Sends signals to calm the brain down and create balance.

Glutamate

Main excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. (Important for learning and memory)

Acetylcholine

A neurotransmitter involved in learning, memory and muscle contraction.

Excitatory Neurotransmitters

Neurotransmitter that causes a postsynaptic neuron to propagate more action potentials.

Substance P

Naturally-occurring tachykinin peptide isolated from brain tissues and gastrointestinal tract.

Leptin

Signals the hypothalamus that the body had enough fat. (The higher the Leptin levels are the more full you feel and the lower the levels are the hungrier you feel)

Gamma Amino Butyric Acid (GABA)

Primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the nervous system.

Peripheral Nervous System

The part of your nervous system that lies outside your brain and spinal cord.

Sensory Neurons

The nerves responsible for sensing a stimulus. Also known as Afferent Neurons.

Refractory Period

The recovery time that a neuron needs between action. No other neurotransmitters can be fired in this time. (re factory= re building the factory)

Central Nervous System

Consists of brain and spinal cord. Responsible for processing information from body.

Motor Neurons

Nerves responsible for carrying signals away from the central nervous system in order to initiate an action.

Interneurons

Connects sensory neurons to motor neurons. (Inter neurons = inside neurons)

Reuptake

Process by which the presynaptic neuron reabsorbs its released neurotransmitter after binding to postsynaptic neuron.

Sympathetic Nervous system

Network of nerves that helps your body activate “Fight or Flight” response.

Neural Transmission

Occurs when a neuron is activated or fired.(Sends out an electrical impulse)

Myasthenia Gravis

Chronic neuromuscular disease that causes weakness in the voluntary muscles.

Somatic Nervous System

Division of peripheral nervous system that processes incoming sensory information and controls voluntary movements.

Neurons

A nerve cell that is the basic building block of the nervous system.