Intro to Pysch Exam 2 Vocab

Culture and Emotion- By Jeanne Tsai(10/26 Reading) Functions of Emotions- By Hyisung Hwang and David Matsumoto(10/26 Reading) Conditioning and Learning- By Mark E. Bouton( 10/24 Reading) Intellectual Abilities, Interests, and Mastery- By David Lubinski (10/19 Reading) Creativity- By Dean Keith Simonton(10/19 Reading) Memory - By Kathleen B. McDermott and Henry L. Roediger III (10/17 Reading) Attention- By Frances Friedrich (10/12 Reading) Sensation and Perception- By Adam John Privitera (10/12 Reading) The Brain and Nervous System- By Robert Biswas-Diener (10/10 Reading) Evolutionary Theories in Psychology- By David M. Buss (10/3 Reading)

Adaptations

Evolved solutions to problems that historically contributed to reproductive success.

Error management theory (EMT)

A theory of selection under conditions of uncertainty in which recurrent cost asymmetries of judgment or inference favor the evolution of adaptive cognitive biases that function to minimize the more costly errors.

Evolution

Change over time. Is the definition changing?

Gene Selection Theory

The modern theory of evolution by selection by which differential gene replication is the defining process of evolutionary change.

Intersexual selection

A process of sexual selection by which evolution (change) occurs as a consequence of the mate preferences of one sex exerting selection pressure on members of the opposite sex.

Intrasexual competition

A process of sexual selection by which members of one sex compete with each other, and the victors gain preferential mating access to members of the opposite sex.

Natural selectionDifferential reproductive success as a consequence of differences in heritable attributes.

Psychological adaptations

Mechanisms of the mind that evolved to solve specific problems of survival or reproduction; conceptualized as information processing devices.

Sexual strategies theory

A comprehensive evolutionary theory of human mating that defines the menu of mating strategies humans pursue (e.g., short-term casual sex, long-term committed mating), the adaptive problems women and men face when pursuing these strategies, and the evolved solutions to these mating problems.

Adoption study

A behavior genetic research method that involves the comparison of adopted children to their adoptive and biological parents.

Behavioral genetics

The empirical science of how genes and environments combine to generate behavior.

Heritability coefficient

An easily misinterpreted statistical construct that purports to measure the role of genetics in the explanation of differences among individuals.

Quantitative genetics

Scientific and mathematical methods for inferring genetic and environmental processes based on the degree of genetic and environmental similarity among organisms.

Twin studies

A behavior genetic research method that involves comparison of the similarity of identical (monozygotic; MZ) and fraternal (dizygotic; DZ) twins.

Action Potential

Axon

Part of the neuron that extends off the soma, splitting several times to connect with other neurons; main output of the neuron.

Brain Stem

The “trunk” of the brain comprised of the medulla, pons, midbrain, and diencephalon.

Broca’s Area

An area in the frontal lobe of the left hemisphere. Implicated in language production.

Central Nervous System

Cerebellum

The distinctive structure at the back of the brain, Latin for “small brain.”

Cerebrum

Usually refers to the cerebral cortex and associated white matter, but in some texts includes the subcortical structures.

Contralateral

Literally “opposite side”; used to refer to the fact that the two hemispheres of the brain process sensory information and motor commands for the opposite side of the body (e.g., the left hemisphere controls the right side of the body).

Corpus Callosum

The thick bundle of nerve cells that connect the two hemispheres of the brain and allow them to communicate.

Dendrites

Part of a neuron that extends away from the cell body and is the main input to the neuron.

Diffuse Optical Imaging​ (DOI)

A neuroimaging technique that infers brain activity by measuring changes in light as it is passed through the skull and surface of the brain.

Electroencephalography (EEG)

A neuroimaging technique that measures electrical brain activity via multiple electrodes on the scalp.

Frontal Lobe

The front most (anterior) part of the cerebrum; anterior to the central sulcus and responsible for motor output and planning, language, judgment, and decision-making.

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI): A neuroimaging technique that infers brain activity by measuring changes in oxygen levels in the blood.

Limbic System

Includes the subcortical structures of the amygdala and hippocampal formation as well as some cortical structures; responsible for aversion and gratification.

Myelin Sheath

Fatty tissue, that insulates the axons of the neurons; myelin is necessary for normal conduction of electrical impulses among neurons.

Nervous System

The body’s network for electrochemical communication. This system includes all the nerves cells in the body.

Neurons

Individual brain cells

Neurotransmitters

Chemical substance released by the presynaptic terminal button that acts on the postsynaptic cell.

Occipital Lobe

The back most (posterior) part of the cerebrum; involved in vision.

Parietal Lobe

The part of the cerebrum between the frontal and occipital lobes; involved in bodily sensations, visual attention, and integrating the senses.

Peripheral Nervous System

All of the nerve cells that connect the central nervous system to all the other parts of the body.

Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

A neuroimaging technique that measures brain activity by detecting the presence of a radioactive substance in the brain that is initially injected into the bloodstream and then pulled in by active brain tissue.

Soma

Cell body of a neuron that contains the nucleus and genetic information, and directs protein synthesis.

Spatial Resolution

A term that refers to how small the elements of an image are; high spatial resolution means the device or technique can resolve very small elements; in neuroscience it describes how small of a structure in the brain can be imaged.

Split-brain Patient

A patient who has had most or all of his or her corpus callosum severed.

Synapses

Junction between the presynaptic terminal button of one neuron and the dendrite, axon, or soma of another postsynaptic neuron.

Synaptic Gap

Also known as the synaptic cleft; the small space between the presynaptic terminal button and the postsynaptic dendritic spine, axon, or soma.

Temporal Lobe

The part of the cerebrum in front of (anterior to) the occipital lobe and below the lateral fissure; involved in vision, auditory processing, memory, and integrating vision and audition.

Temporal Resolution

A term that refers to how small a unit of time can be measured; high temporal resolution means capable of resolving very small units of time; in neuroscience it describes how precisely in time a process can be measured in the brain.

Absolute threshold

The smallest amount of stimulation needed for detection by a sense.

Agnosia

Loss of the ability to perceive stimuli.

Anosmia

Loss of the ability to smell.

Audition

Ability to process auditory stimuli. Also called hearing.

Auditory canal

Tube running from the outer ear to the middle ear.

Auditory hair cells

Receptors in the cochlea that transduce sound into electrical potentials.

Binocular disparity

Difference is images processed by the left and right eyes.

Binocular vision

Our ability to perceive 3D and depth because of the difference between the images on each of our retinas.

Bottom-up processing

Building up to perceptual experience from individual pieces.

Chemical senses

Our ability to process the environmental stimuli of smell and taste.

Cochlea

Spiral bone structure in the inner ear containing auditory hair cells.

Cones

Photoreceptors of the retina sensitive to color. Located primarily in the fovea.

Dark adaptation

Adjustment of eye to low levels of light.

Differential threshold (or difference threshold)

The smallest difference needed in order to differentiate two stimuli. (See Just Noticeable Difference (JND))

Dorsal pathway

Pathway of visual processing. The “where” pathway.

Flavor

The combination of smell and taste.

Gustation

Ability to process gustatory stimuli. Also called taste.

Just noticeable difference (JND)

Light adaptation

Adjustment of eye to high levels of light.

Mechanoreceptors

Mechanical sensory receptors in the skin that response to tactile stimulation.

Multimodal perception

The effects that concurrent stimulation in more than one sensory modality has on the perception of events and objects in the world.

Nociception

Our ability to sense pain.

Odorants

Chemicals transduced by olfactory receptors.

Olfaction

Ability to process olfactory stimuli. Also called smell.

Olfactory epithelium

Organ containing olfactory receptors.

Opponent-process theory

Theory proposing color vision as influenced by cells responsive to pairs of colors.

Ossicles

A collection of three small bones in the middle ear that vibrate against the tympanic membrane.

Perception

The psychological process of interpreting sensory information.

Phantom limb

The perception that a missing limb still exists.

Phantom limb pain

Pain in a limb that no longer exists.

Pinna

Outermost portion of the ear.

Primary auditory cortex

Area of the cortex involved in processing auditory stimuli.

Primary somatosensory cortex

Area of the cortex involved in processing somatosensory stimuli.

Primary visual cortex

Area of the cortex involved in processing visual stimuli.

Principle of inverse effectiveness

The finding that, in general, for a multimodal stimulus, if the response to each unimodal component (on its own) is weak, then the opportunity for multisensory enhancement is very large. However, if one component—by itself—is sufficient to evoke a strong response, then the effect on the response gained by simultaneously processing the other components of the stimulus will be relatively small.

Retina

Cell layer in the back of the eye containing photoreceptors.

Rods

Photoreceptors of the retina sensitive to low levels of light. Located around the fovea.

Sensation

The physical processing of environmental stimuli by the sense organs.

Sensory adaptation

Decrease in sensitivity of a receptor to a stimulus after constant stimulation.

Shape theory of olfaction

Theory proposing that odorants of different size and shape correspond to different smells.

Signal detection

Somatosensation

Ability to sense touch, pain and temperature.

Somatotopic map

Organization of the primary somatosensory cortex maintaining a representation of the arrangement of the body.

Sound waves

Changes in air pressure. The physical stimulus for audition.

Superadditive effect of multisensory integration

The finding that responses to multimodal stimuli are typically greater than the sum of the independent responses to each unimodal component if it were presented on its own.

Tastants

Chemicals transduced by taste receptor cells.

Taste receptor cells

Receptors that transduce gustatory information.

Top-down processing

Experience influencing the perception of stimuli.

Transduction

The conversion of one form of energy into another.

Trichromatic theory

Theory proposing color vision as influenced by three different cones responding preferentially to red, green and blue.

Tympanic membrane

Thin, stretched membrane in the middle ear that vibrates in response to sound. Also called the eardrum.

Ventral pathway

Vestibular system

Parts of the inner ear are involved in balance.

Weber’s law

States that just noticeable difference is proportional to the magnitude of the initial stimulus.

Dichotic listening

An experimental task in which two messages are presented to different ears.

Divided attention

The ability to flexibly allocate attentional resources between two or more concurrent tasks.