AP Psych - November Review Test

Experiment

A research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factors to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process

Experimental Group

the group in an experiment that receives the variable being tested

Control Groups

Groups of participants in a research experiment who do not receive the experimental treatment or intervention.

Operational Definition

a carefully worded statement of the exact procedures used in a research study

Replicability

research that can be repeated, and thus verified, by other researchers later

Independent Variable

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

Dependent Variables

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

Confounding Variable

an outside factor (not the independent factor) that might have an effect on the experiment's results.

Population

all individuals that belong to a particular group that you want to draw conclusions about.

Sample

A relatively small proportion of people who are chosen in a survey so as to be representative of the whole.

Representative Sample

a sample that accurately reflects the characteristics of the population as a whole

Random Sample / Random Selection

each person in the large population has an equal chance of being chosen for the study

Random Assignment

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

Experimenter Bias

occurs when a researcher's expectations or preferences about the outcome of a study influence the results obtained

Single-Blind Study

study in which the subjects do not know if they are in the experimental or the control group

Double-Blind Study

An experiment in which neither the participant nor the researcher knows whether the participant has received the treatment or the placebo

Placebo

something which has a positive mental effect, but no physical effect

(a pill, medicine, or procedure that is prescribed in an experiment that does not have any real physical effect)

Placebo Effect

the phenomenon in which the expectations of the participants in a study can influence their behavior

Institutional Review Board

a group of scholars within a university who review research proposal for ethical violations and/or procedural errors

Informed Consent

giving potential participants enough information about a study to enable them to choose whether they wish to participate

Confidentiality

the assurance that messages and information are available only to those who are authorized to view them (keeping secrets or personal information private)

Deception

misleading participants about the true purpose of a study or the events that will actually transpire

Debriefing

the post-experimental (after the experiment) explanation of a study, including its purpose and any deceptions, to its participants

Central Nervous System

Brain and spinal cord

Peripheral Nervous System

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

Autonomic Nervous System

The part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the automatic actions of the glands and the muscles of the internal organs such as breathing or digestion

Somatic Nervous System

The division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles and enables voluntary actions

Sympathetic Nervous System

Part of the autonomic nervous system that prepares the body for action in challenging or threatening situations

Parasympathetic Nervous System

Part of the autonomic nervous system helps the body return to a normal resting state

(Tip: a para-chute after falling)

Glial Cells

Cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons

Neurons

Nerve cells in the nervous system that receive, integrate, and transmit information

Soma

Cell body of a neuron

Dendrites

Parts of a neuron that branch out from the cell to receive info from other cells.

(Tip: Hair)

Axon

Extension of the neuron that connects the body of the cell to the axon terminals.

(Tip: Arm)

Myelin Sheath

Covers the axon of neurons and helps speed neural impulses.

(Tip: sheath means to cover and myel is pronounced like "mile" which you can relate to speed)

Axon Terminals

Branches at the end of the axon that send out messages

(Tip: Fingers)

Resting Potential

The state of the neuron when not firing a neural impulse

(Tip: Toilet not flushing)

Action Potential

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

(Tip: Toilet flushing)

Threshold of Excitation

The level of input it takes to cause a neuron to fire

Reuptake

Process in which the neuron re-absorbs the neurotransmitter that was released. When this is happening, the neuron can not fire.

(Tip: Toilet refilling after flushing)

All-or-Nothing Principle

A neuron either fires or it doesn't, there can't be any partial firing or continuous firing

Motor Neurons (Efferent Neurons)

Neurons that transport information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands

Sensory Neurons (Afferent Neurons)

A neuron that picks up impulses from sensory receptors and transmits them toward the central nervous system

Relay Neurons (Interneurons)

Neurons that transmit messages from the sensory neurons to the motor neurons. (it is sometimes called the connector)

Reflex Arc

A neural pathway between a sensory neuron and a motor neuron that allows an extremely rapid response to a stimulus, often without conscious brain involvement. (causes a reflex)

Synapse / Synaptic Gap

The small fluid-filled space between the end of the axon terminals of one cell and the dendrites/surface of another cell. This is where the neurotransmitters do their work.

Neurotransmitters

Chemicals messengers that send info from one cell to another in the synapse

Acetylcholine

Neurotransmitter that enables muscle action, learning, and memory

Dopamine

Neurotransmitter that influences movement, learning, attention, and emotion

GABA

Inhibitory neurotransmitter; it lowers the ability to receive messages sent by other neurotransmitters

Norepinephrine

Neurotransmitter that helps control alertness and arousal; undersupply can cause depression

Serotonin

Neurotransmitter that affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal

Agonists

Drugs that mimic normal neurotransmitters and connect to receptors to produce the results that the normal neurotransmitter would produce

Antagonists

Drugs that block the function of a neurotransmitter

Excitatory

Something that accelerates neuron's firing speed

Inhibitory

Something that slows neuron's firing speed

Endocrine System

The system of glands that control many of the body's activities by producing hormones.

Gland

An organ or tissue that produces/releases hormones

Hormones

Chemicals produced by your glands that regulate the activities of different body cells

Pituitary Gland

The endocrine system's master gland that regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands.

Thyroid Gland

Produces hormones that regulate metabolism, body heat, and bone growth

Pineal Gland

Produces melatonin

Melatonin

Sleep-inducing hormone

Adrenal Glands

Glands located above the kidneys that secrete hormones that controls the response to stress

(Tip: adre-naline = adre-nal)

Pancreas

Secretes insulin and glucagon which regulates the level of sugar in the blood

Insulin

A protein hormone synthesized in the pancreas that regulates blood sugar levels by controlling the uptake of glucose into tissues.

Ovaries

The female gonads, which secrete the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone and produce mature egg cells

Estrogen

Female sex hormone

Testes

The male gonads, which produce sperm and secrete male sex hormones.

Testosterone

Male sex hormone

Brain Stem

Connects the brain and spinal cord; includes the controls for basic life functions like breathing and heartbeat

Pons

Part of the brain that controls sleep and relaxation

(Tip: Relaxing next to a pond)

Reticular Formation

Part of the brain that controls arousal and alertness

(Tip: Tickle)

Medulla

Part of the brain that controls your heartbeat and breathing

(Tip: Medals over the heart and lungs)

Cerebellum

A large structure of the hindbrain that controls fine motor skills; responsible for maintaining balance & coordination

Limbic System

Located in the center of the brain, it controls major drives and emotions; includes the Hypothalamus, Amygdala, Thalamus, Hippocampus

Thalamus

Brain's sensory control center; relays messages between lower brain centers and cerebral cortex

(Tip: Hal and Amos the traffic cops)

Hypothalamus

Part of the limbic system; controls the pituitary gland; directs eating, drinking, body temperature, sex drive

(Tips: Hypo the llamas, Four Fs)

Hippocampus

Part of the limbic system; responsible for turning short-term memory into long-term memory

(Tip: A hippo on campus would be memorable)

Amygdala

Part of the limbic system; involved in memory and emotion, particularly fear and aggression.

(Tip: The Scary Wig Dala)

Cerebral Cortex

Outer layer of the brain that controls our most complex thinking; split into two hemispheres with four lobes each

Hemisphere

One half of the cerebral cortex (right/left)

Frontal Cortex / Frontal Lobe / Prefrontal Cortex

The front portion of your cerebral cortex that makes plans, regulates emotions and is the source of your personality

(Tip: Foolish Mothers Smoke POT)

Motor Cortex

Part of the cerebral cortex located directly behind the frontal lobes; controls voluntary movement

(Tip: Foolish Mothers Smoke POT)

Sensory Cortex / Somatosensory Cortex

Part of the cerebral cortex just behind the motor cortex, front of the parietal lobe. Registers and processes sensations (touch and movement)

(Tip: Foolish Mothers Smoke POT)

Parietal Cortex / Parietal Lobe

Part of the cerebral cortex behind the somatosensory cortex

(Tip: Foolish Mothers Smoke POT)

Occipital Cortex / Occipital Lobe

Part of the cerebral cortex located at the back of the brain, responsible for vision

(Tip: Foolish Mothers Smoke POT)

Temporal Cortex / Temporal Lobe

Part of the cerebral cortex located on the sides of your brain (near your ears); responsible for auditory perception and language

(Tip: Foolish Mothers Smoke POT)

Corpus Collosum

The large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them

(Top: PLUS-SUM or Call-Some-One)

Gyrus and Sulcus

Ridges and grooves of the cerebral cortex

Broca's Area

Small area of the brain that controls language expression by directing the muscle movements involved in speech.

(Tip: Blah, Blah, Blah)

Broca's Aphasia

Condition resulting from damage to Broca's area, causing the affected person to be unable to speak fluently, to mispronounce words, and to speak haltingly

Wernike's Area

Small area of the brain that helps you language

(Tip: What????)

Wernike's Aphasia

Condition resulting from damages to Wernike's area, causing the affected person to be unable to understand or produce meaningful language.

CT Scan

A series of x-ray photographs taken from different angles and combined by computer into a composite picture. It is inexpensive and does not show a lot of detail.

(Tip: Remember those X whiskers... meow!)

MRI

A scan that uses magnets to produce detailed images of slices of the brain.

fMRI

A form of magnetic resonance imaging of the brain that registers blood flow to functioning areas of the brain.

PET Scan

A visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task.

(Tip: The active colorful fish)

EEG

A recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain's surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp.

Minimum Threshold (Absolute Threshold)

The smallest level of a stimulus that can be detected

(Ex: The smallest amount of light you can see or the quietest sound you can hear)