ap psych unit 1

Absentmindedness

lapses in memory caused by breaks in attention or our focus being somewhere else

acoustic encoding

encoding of sounds, words in particular

Amnesia

the loss of long term memory, occurs as result of disease, physically trauma, or psychological trauma

anterograde amnesia

cannot remember new info, remember stuff before, usually brain trauma

arousal theory

strong emotions trigger the formation of strong memories and weaker emotional experiences for weaker memories

Atkinson-Shiffrin model

memory model that states we process information through 3 systems: sensory memory, short-term memory, long-term memory

automatic processing

non conscious encoding of incidental information, such as space, time, and frequency, and of well-learned information, such as word meanings

Bias

feelings and views of world can distort memories, stereotypical, egocentric, hindsight

Blocking

can't access stored information

Chunking

organizing items into familiar, manageable units; often occurs automatically

Construction

formulation of new memories

declarative memory

type of long term memory of facts and events we personally experience

effortful processing

information that you out effort and attention into learning

elaborative rehearsal

technique in which you think about the meaning of new information and its relation to knowledge already stored in your memory

Encoding

how we get information into our brains, input of information into the memory system

Engram

group of neurons that serve as the "physical representation of memory"

episodic memory

long term, tied to specific episodes of people's life, info about events we have personally experienced

equipotentiality hypothesis

if part if one area of the brain involved in memory is damaged, another part of the same area can take over that memory function

explicit memory

memory of facts and experiences that one can consciously know and "declare", trying to remember, recall, and report, episodic and semantic

false memory syndrome

recall of false autobiographical memories

flashbulb memory

an exceptionally clear recollection of an important event

Forgetting

the loss of info from long term memory

implicit memory

retention independent of conscious recollection, long terms memories, not part of consciousness

levels of processing

shallow processing (basic, auditory/visual), deep processing (semantically, actual meaning associated with word)

long-term memory (LTM)

continuous storage of information, capacity believed to be unlimited, info organized into semantic networks, explicit and implicit

Memory

chain that connects pass to the present, learning that has persisted over time, information that has been stored, and can be recalled

memory-enhancing strategy

help information go from short term memory to long term memory

Misattribution

happens when you confuse the source of your information

misinformation effect paradigm

after exposure to additional and possibly inaccurate information, a person may misremember the original event

mnemonic device

memory aids, especially those techniques that use vivid imagery and organizational devices

Persistence

involuntarily recall unwanted memories, particularly unpleasant ones

proactive interference

when old information hinders the recall of newly learned information

procedural memory

how people remember to do things, ways to do things

Recall

a measure of memory in which a person must retrieve information learned earlier, access info without cues

Recognition

a measure of memory in which a person need only identify ite

Reconstruction

process of bringing up old memories

Rehearsal

moves info from short term memory to long term memory, repeat info to be remembered, link new info to existing info

Relearning

a measure of memory that assesses the amount of time saved when learning material again, learning info previously learned

Retrieval

get info out of memory storage and back into conscious awareness, tend to alter and modify memories

retroactive interference

when information learned more recently hinders the recall of older information

retrograde amnesia

loss of memory for events that occur prior to the trauma

self-reference effect

the tendency for an individual to have better memory for information that relates to oneself

semantic encoding

encoding of words and their meaning

semantic memory

knowledge about words, concepts, and language based knowledge and facts

sensory memory

memories that are immediately recorded, under 30 seconds, storage of brief sensory events

short-term memory (STM)

temporary storage system that processes incoming sensory memory, component of working memory, 15 to 30 seconds

Storage

the creation of a permanent record of information

Suggestibility

effects of misinformation from external sources that leads to the creation of false memories

Transience

memories can fade over time

visual encoding

encoding of images

action potential

electrical signal that typically moves from the cell body down the axon to the axon terminals, jump in leapfrog fashion between nodes of ranvier, no turning off once sent, recreated at every point along axon

adrenal gland

hormones involved in stress response, epinephrine and norepinephrine

Agonist

chemicals that mimic neurotransmitters at the receptor site

All-or-none

incoming signal from another neuron is either sufficient or insufficient to reach threshold of excitation, no inbetween

Allele

a specific version of a gene

Amygdala

involved in experience of emotions, tying emotional meaning to memories, part if limbic system

Antagonist

blocks or impedes normal activity of a neurotransmitter at the receptor

auditory cortex

main area for processing auditory information, in temporal lobe

autonomic nervous system

control internal organs/glands, not voluntary, sympathetic and parasympathetic

Axon

major extension from soma, transport signals, ends at multiple terminal buttons

Biological perspective

focus on physiological causes of behavior, psychological disorders like depression and schizophrenia associated with imbalance of one or more neural system

Broca's area

essential for language production, in frontal lobe

central nervous system (CNS)

brain and spinal cord

Cerebellum

receive messages from muscles, tendons, joints, structures in ear for balance, coordination, movement, motor skills, process some memories (procedural/learning and remembering new how to do stuff)

cerebral cortex

surface of the brain, uneven with folds and bumps and grooves

Chromosome

long stips of genetic material, DNA

computerized tomography (CT) scan

take x-rays of sections of brain, x-rays pass through tissues of different densities at different rates, allow computer to construct overall image of area being scanned, determine tumor or brain atrophy

corpus callosum

thick beams of neural fibers that connect the 2 hemispheres, allows them to communicate

false memory syndrome

recall of false autobiographical memories

Dendrite

branching extensions of soma, input sites, where signals received

deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

helix shaped molecule made up of nucleotide base pairs

Diabetes

not enough insulin, take medication to replace insulin production

dominant allele

allele whose phenotypes will be expressed in an individual that possesses that allele

electroencephalography (EEG)

overall activity of brain, measure brain's electrical activity, electrodes placed on head

endocrine system

series of glands that produce hormones

Epigenetics

studies how the same genotype can lead to very different phenotypes

fight or flight response

allows body to access energy reserves and heightened senses so that it can fight or run away, not needed as much anymore, activates when unnecessary, increase heart disease and impaired function to immune system

Forebrain

contains 2 hemispheres of cerebral cortex, largest part of brain, includes structures under cortex, ex thalamus, hypothalamus

fraternal twins

genetic material varies, result from 2 different eggs and different sperm

frontal lobe

forward part of brain, ends at central sulcus, reasoning, motor control, emotion, language contains motor cortex, prefrontal cortex, broca's area

functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

shows changes in brain activity over time, track blood flow and oxygen levels, more detailed image, used to compare healthy brains and brains diagnosed with psychological disorders

Gene

sequences of DNA, in chromosome, control a number of physical characteristics - traits

genetic environmental correlation

genes influence environment, environment influencee expression of genes, influence bidirectionally

Genotype

genetic makeup of an individual

glial cell

play substantive to neuron cells, physically and metabolically, scaffolding for neurons, help them line up, insulation, transport nutrients and waste products, mediate immune response, 1:1 glial:neuron

Gonad

sexual hormones, in reproduction, mediate sexual motivation and behavior, ovaries and testes

Gyrus

folds or bumps on brain surface, help separate brain into functional centers

Hemisphere

2 halves if brain, left and right

Hindbrain

back part of head, looks like extension of spinal cord, medulla pons, cerebellum

Hippocampus

essential for learning and memory, part of limbic system

Homeostasis

state of equilibrium/balance where biological conditions are maintained at optimal level

Homozygous

having 2 copies of the same allele

Hormone

chemical messengers that must bind to a receptor to send signal, secreted into bloodstream and travel throughout body affect any cells with their receptors, widespread affect, longer lasting, regulate bodily functions, controlled through interactions between hypothalamus and pituitary gland

Hypothalamus

regulates a number of homeostatic processes, body temp, appetite, blood pressure, interface between nervous system and endocrine system, regulate sexual motivation and behavior, part of limbic system

identical twins

same genetic info, fertilized from single egg, incredible amount of variation, environmental factors

Lateralization

specialization of function in each hemisphere, differences in language functions, left hemisphere controls right and vise versa, different hemispheres better at different things, inconsistent results in experiments about this

limbic system

processing emotion and memory, smell projects directly here, why evoke emotional response, made up of hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus

longitudinal fissure

most prominent sulcus, deep groove in brain that separates hemispheres

magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

placed in machine with strong magnetic field, magnets make hydrogen move, when off hydrogen emit electromagnetic signal as return to original posistions

Medulla

in hindbrain, automatic processes of automatic nervous system, breathing, blood pressure, heart rate