Psychology Cram

Dendrites

Receive signals from other neurons.

Soma

Processes the information received by dendrites.

Axon

Sends signals away from the neuron.

Synapse

Connection point between neurons.

Neurotransmitters

Chemicals that transmit signals across the synapse.

Dopamine

Controls pleasure and movement.

Serotonin

Affects mood and sleep.

Excitatory Neurotransmitters

Speed up signals in the nervous system.

Inhibitory Neurotransmitters

Slow down signals in the nervous system.

Agonist

Enhances the effect of neurotransmitters.

Antagonist

Blocks the effect of neurotransmitters.

Teratogen

A harmful substance that affects prenatal development.

Frontal Lobe

Responsible for thinking, movement, and decision making.

Temporal Lobe

Involved in hearing, memory, and language.

Parietal Lobe

Processes touch and spatial awareness.

Occipital Lobe

Handles vision and object recognition.

Thalamus

Relays sensory information to the brain.

Hypothalamus

Regulates hunger, thirst, and body temperature.

Amygdala

Processes emotions, particularly fear.

Hippocampus

Helps form and store memories.

Corpus Callosum

Connects and coordinates both brain hemispheres.

Split Brain Research

Showed the left brain handles language, the right brain processes visuals.

CNS

Central Nervous System, consisting of the brain and spinal cord.

PNS

Peripheral Nervous System, which includes all other neural elements.

Lesion

Study of brain damage.

EEG

Tracks brain waves.

fMRI

Maps blood flow in the brain.

Genotype

The genetic makeup of an individual.

Phenotype

The observable traits of an individual.

Heritability

The extent to which genetic factors influence a trait.

Gene-Environment Interactions

How genes and environments work together to influence behavior.

Cooper & Zubek’s Rat Study

Showed that both genetics and the environment impact learning.

Stress-Diathesis Model

Suggests mental illness is triggered by a combination of genes and stress.

Sensation

The raw input received from the environment.

Perception

The interpretation of sensory input.

Absolute Threshold

The smallest detectable stimulus.

Just Noticeable Difference

The smallest noticeable change in a stimulus.

Top-Down Processing

Uses prior knowledge to interpret information.

Bottom-Up Processing

Uses raw data to build understanding.

Selective Attention

Focusing on one stimulus while ignoring others.

Light Path Through Eye

The route light takes through the eye to form images.

Rods

Photoreceptors that function in low light.

Cones

Photoreceptors responsible for color vision.

Binocular Depth Cues

Use both eyes to perceive depth.

Monocular Depth Cues

Use one eye to perceive depth.

Gestalt Principles

Rules for how we perceive objects and patterns.

Sound Path Through Ear

The route sound travels through the ear until reaching the brain.

Binaural Cues

Locating sound using timing and intensity differences between ears.

Attention

The focusing of mental resources.

Memory Types

Different categories of memory, including sensory, short-term, working, and long-term.

Echoic Memory

A type of memory for sounds.

Iconic Memory

A type of memory for visual images.

Explicit Memory

Memory that requires conscious recall.

Implicit Memory

Memory that does not require conscious thought.

Schema

Mental structures that help organize knowledge.

Long-Term Potentiation

Strengthening of neuron connections to enhance memory.

Spreading Activation

The brain's way of connecting related thoughts.

Serial Position Effect

The tendency to remember the first and last items in a list.

Same-Location Test Advantage

The benefit of recalling information in the same environment where it was learned.

Schachter’s 7 Sins of Memory

Types of memory errors including forgetting and distortion.

Anterograde Amnesia

Inability to form new memories.

Retrograde Amnesia

Inability to recall old memories.