AP Psychology Unit 1: Biological Bases of Behavior Practice Questions

Vocabulary flashcards generated from AP Psychology Unit 1 review practice questions covering biological bases of behavior, nervous system structures, neurotransmitters, brain lobes, sleep phenomena, and sensation/perception.

Natural Selection

The evolutionary process through which traits and behavioral tendencies are shaped over time to aid survival and reproduction.

Nature vs. Nurture

The debate comparing the influence of genetic factors and heredity (nature) against environmental factors (nurture) on behavior.

Epigenetics

The study of gene-environment interactions, focusing on how environmental context causes genes to react rather than acting as static blueprints.

Fraternal Twins

Twins who are typically raised in similar environments but do not share the exact same genetic code.

Adoption Studies

Research methods used to evaluate whether adopted children more closely resemble their adoptive parents or their biological parents to reveal genetic influences on personality.

Peripheral Nervous System

The division of the nervous system that connects the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body.

Central Nervous System

The division of the nervous system composed of the brain and the spinal cord.

Myelin Sheath

A layer of fatty tissue segmentally encasing axons to speed up the transmission of information within a neuron.

Reflex Arc

A neural pathway that triggers a rapid automatic response (such as jerking a hand away from a candle flame) before the brain receives and processes pain signals.

Action Potential

A brief electrical charge or impulse that travels down an axon.

Dopamine

A neurotransmitter whose abnormal levels or hyperactivity contribute to schizophrenia.

Ecstasy

A drug acting as both a stimulant and hallucinogen that can cause dangerous short-term dehydration and long-term disruption of serotonin.

Alcohol

A central nervous system depressant that produces slowed reactions, slurred speech, and decreased skill performance.

Tolerance

A state in which larger doses of a substance are required to experience the same effect previously achieved at lower doses.

Endorphins

Natural neurotransmitters linked to pain control and pleasure, which opioid drugs mimic in the brain.

MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

A brain imaging technique used to accurately determine the size and structure of particular brain regions.

Reticular Formation

A nerve network in the brainstem that plays a significant role in controlling alertness and arousal.

Hippocampus

A neural structure in the temporal lobe that plays a critical role in creating new memories.

Somatosensory Cortex

A region at the front of the parietal lobes that processes body touch sensations; surgical stimulation can cause false tactile sensations like tickling.

Right Hemisphere

The cerebral hemisphere most active during spatial visual tasks, such as imagining what a dress would look like on a friend.

Amygdala

A brain structure involved in processing emotion and aggression; surgically lesioning it causes a reduction in aggressive behavior.

Neuroplasticity

The brain's ability to modify itself and adapt by enabling tissue to take on new functions.

Frontal Lobe

The portion of the cerebral cortex involved in speaking, muscle movements, and higher-level cognitive tasks like making plans about the future.

Sleep Spindles

Bursts of rapid, rhythmic brain-wave activity that specifically characterize Stage 2 sleep.

REM Rebound

The tendency for REM (paradoxical) sleep to increase following periods of sleep deprivation.

Narcolepsy

A sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks, causing a person to suddenly fall asleep during active situations.

Sleep Hygiene

Practices such as relaxing before bedtime in dimmer light that foster quality nighttime sleep.

Iris

A ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye around the pupil, whose primary function is to allow light into the eye.

Signal Detection Theory

A theory predicting how and when we detect faint stimuli, asserting that detection depends on a variety of psychological and situational factors.

Frequency Theory

The pitch perception theory asserting that the rate of nerve impulses traveling up the auditory nerve matches the frequency of a tone.

Absolute Threshold

The minimum stimulation needed to detect a stimulus, such as just barely tasting a small amount of salt added to soup.

Hammer, Anvil, and Stirrup

The three small bones (ossicles) of the middle ear involved in transmitting sound waves to the cochlea.

Vestibular Sense

The sense of body movement and position, including balance; disruptions to this system lead to dizziness and loss of balance.

Cochlea

A coiled, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear susceptible to damage from repeated daily exposure to loud noise.

Sensory Interaction

The principle that one sense may influence another, such as noticing a light flicker when a sound accompanies it.

Opponent-Process Theory

The theory that opposing retinal processes enable color vision, explaining why staring at a yellow, black, and green flag produces a red, white, and blue afterimage.