AP Psychology Unit 1

Natural Selection

The principal that inherited traits enabling an organism to survive and reproduce in a particular environment will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations

Eugenics

Belief in improving, the genetic quality of the human population by high selectively breeding for desirable traits in discouraging reproduction among those traits considered undesirable

Epigenetics

How the environment and people’s behavior affect a person’s genes and how they work

Somatic Nervous System

Voluntary movement

Autonomic Nervous System

Regulates involuntary functions(heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, etc)

Sympathetic Nervous System

Fight of Flight mode, increase of heart rate, respiration, secretion of stress hormones, decrease of salvia production and digestion

Parasympathetic Nervous System

Rest and Digest, calms body down after fight or flight mode

Neurons

Basic functional unit of nervous system; uses electrical and chemical signals to communicate

Glial Cells

Provide structure, insulation and communication waste transport. Building blocks and most abundant in the nervous system, guide connections

Reflex Arc

Information from skin receptors via sensory neurons – then to the spinal cord – then neurons – then use motor neurons to go back to muscles

Motor Neurons

Travel from CNS to muscles, efferent

Sensory Neurons

Respond to non-chemical signals, travel to CNS, afferent

Neural Transmission

Neurons communicate through the dendrites – synapse – axon – Mylin sheath – terminal branches

What type of communication is used within the neuron

Electrical charge using action potential

Resting Potential/Polarized

Inside the neuron -70 millivolts while outside is positive

Action Potential

Neuron fires and sends an impulse down axon(cell membrane is positive while outside is negative)

Depolarization

When outside stimulus is strong enough to meet threshold that causes depolarization to occur

Refractory Period

Neuron can’t respond to stimulus, can’t fire wait till repolarization

Reuptake

Process by which neurotransmitters are reabsorbed by the presynaptic neuron after transmitting a nerve impulse across a synapse. This process helps regulate neurotransmitter levels in the synaptic cleft and is crucial for proper neural communication.

Excitatory Neurons

Increases likelihood that a neuron will fire (accelerates)

Inhibitory Neurons

Hyper-polarization(Inside neuron becomes more negative) brakes

Glutamate

Most excitatory, enhances learning and memory be strengthing synaptic connections

GABA

Most inhibitory, associated with anxiety related disorders

Dopamine

Neurotransmitter, movement, learning, attention, emotions, anticipation of pleasurable or rewarding activities, Lack: Parkinson’s disease, Excess: schizophrenia

Serotonin

Neurotransmitter, mood, appetite, sleep, dreams, low levels = depression

Norepinephrine

Arousal, alertness, sleep cycle, increase blood pressure, low levels = depression

Substance P

Transmitting pain signals from sensory to CNS

AcH

Enables muscle action, learning, memory, all movement involves this

Adrenaline (Hormone)

Fight or Flight, can lead to anxiety or heart disease, expands air passages, redistributes blood to muscles, high emotions

Leptin

Inhibits hunger

Ghrelin

Signals hunger + growth hormones

Melatonin

Regulates sleep and wake cycle(circadian rhythms) in pineal gland to promote sleep

Oxytocin

Regulates bonding, attachment, and calms down after stress, hypothalamus —> pituitary gland

Psychoactive Drugs

Alter perception, consciousness, mood

Agonists

Increase effectiveness of neurotransmitter does this by mimicking neurotransmitter or blocking reuptake

Antagonist

Decrease effectiveness of neurotransmitter by blocking receptor site or stopping production

Stimulants

Increases activity, excite neural activity, energy, reduce appetite, become irritable. Caffeine, Coffee, Nicotine

Depressants

Reduce neural activity, drowsiness, muscle relaxation, lowered breathing, alcohol

Hallucinogens

Distorted perceptions, reduce motivation, lead to panic, marijuana, peyote, LSD

Opioids

Pain relieve, heroin, morphine, oxycodone

Plasticity

The brain’s ability to change, modify, and repair itself

EEG

Uses electrodes that are placed on an individual scalp. Allows researchers to record electrical signals from neurons firing.

FMRI

Show metabolic functions, can help with better understanding brain activity

Split-brain research

Cuts the corpus callosum, which is what connects the left and right hemisphere of the brain

Left Hemisphere

Language, processing, step-by-step, problem-solving, logical analysis, words, letters, interpreting language

Right Hemisphere

Special in visual navigation, object, recognition, emotional processing, spatial concepts, facial recognition

Medulla

Autonomic functions and reflexes

Pons

Bridge - connects brain stem and cerebellum, movements and sleep/dreams

Reticular activating system

Run through medulla and pons, network of nerve fibers involved in attention, arousal, and alertness

Cerebellum

Balance, coordinated sequences, implicit memory

Thalamus

Directly in the center, relay station, receives and sorts sensory information and sends it to cortex for further interpretation

Hypothalamus

Right below thalamus, fight or flight, feeding, fornication

Amygdala

Anger, aggression, fear responses, helps entrain highly emotional memories

Hippocampus

Connects with amygdala, converts short term memory to long term memory, involved in processing memories.

Frontal Lobe/Prefrontal cortex

Highest cognitive functions, thinking, planning

Motor Cortex

In frontal lobe, voluntary movement, contralateral control

Parietal Lobe/Somatosensory cortex

Sensory(sense of touch)

Occipital Lobe

Primary visual cortex, visual processing

Temporal Lobe

Primary auditory cortex, auditory association cortex,

Broca’s Area

In left frontal lobe, expressive speech

Wernicke’s Area

Left parietal lobe, comprehending speech

Consciousness

Awareness of ourselves and our environment

Sleep

Lower level of awareness, brains are still active and can process some information

Wakefulness

When we are awake(aware of surroundings) can think , feel, react,

Circadian Rhythm

Biological clock 24-hour cycle involves changing your blood pressure, internal temp, hormones, regulating sleep-wake cycle

Jet Lag

Causes an individual to feel tired, disoriented, and sluggish

NREM 1

Lasts about 5-10 minutes, body will start to relax and mind starts to slow, alpha waves

Hypnogogic sensations

NREM 1; experiences sensation that you imagine are real, there sensations happen when in light sleep

NREM 2

Transitional stage, lasts 10-20 minutes, K-complex and sleep spindles which are bursts of neural activity, theta waves

NREM 3

Deepest stage of sleep, 30 minutes, growth hormones are produced and an individual may experience sleepwalking or sleep talking, delta waves

REM Sleep

Rapid eye movement, external muscles —> paralyzed, internal muscles = active, beta waves, 10 minutes, dreams and nightmares(periods of REM sleep become longer)

REM Rebound

Next time person sleeps they will enter REM sleep quicker(periods of REM sleep become longer)

Paradoxical sleep

Brain waves during this stage are similar to wakefulness, but the body is at its most relaxed

Restoration Sleep Theory

Believes that we sleep because we get tired from daily activities and we sleep to restore our energy and resources

Insomnia

Sleep disorder when an individual will have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep(stress, pain, medication)

Narcolepsy

Individuals will struggle to sleep at night and will uncontrollably fall asleep during the day

Sleep apnea

An individual has a hard time falling asleep or staying asleep because they are struggling to breath(can’t go into REM)

Somnambulism

Sleep walking, persons gets up and walks around while still sleeping(Stage 3 Sleep)

REM Sleep behavior disorders

Person acts out their dreams during REM sleep, paralysis is absent or possibly incomplete

Dreams

Reflection of the brains effect process and integrate new information

Activation Synthesis Theory

Takes the perspectives that dreams are the brain’s way of making sense of random neural activity during sleep

Consolidation Theory

Takes the perspective that dreams help process and strengthen our memories and experiences