AP Psychology 2025 Unit 1 - Biological Bases of Behavior

Vocabulary flashcards for the Biological Bases of Behavior unit in AP Psychology.

Natural Selection

The principle that traits that best enable an organism to survive and reproduce will likely be passed to succeeding generations

Evolutionary Psychology

The study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection

Behavior Genetics

The study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior

Mutation

A random error in gene replication that leads to a change

The Central Nervous System

Consists of the brain and spinal cord and coordinates all of the body's activities

The Peripheral Nervous System

Relays messages to and from the central nervous system

The Autonomic Nervous System

Controls involuntary movements and functions

The Somatic Nervous System

Controls voluntary movements

Motor Neurons

Controls movement

Interneurons

CNS neurons that internally communicate and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs

Sensory Neurons

Neurons that receive and are activated by sensory inputs

Action Potential

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

Depolarisation

The change from a resting potential to an action potential

Repolarisation

The change from a positive action potential back to a negative resting potential (caused by opening of potassium channels)

Hyperpolarisation

When the inside of the axon is more negative (relative to the outside) than the usual

Resting State

When a neuron is not being stimulated

Neurotransmitters

Chemical signals that impact a neuron's excitability

Psychoactive Drugs

Substances that interfere with neural transmission

The Brain Stem

Controls basic functioning such as breathing and the heart

The Cerebellum

Controls balance

Limbic System

Neural system (including the hippocampus, amygdala, pituitary gland, and hypothalamus) located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives.

Corpus Callosum

In the cerebral cortex, communicates between both hemispheres

Occipital Lobe

Vision

Frontal Lobe

Executive function, abstract thinking, personality

Parietal Lobe

Processes information about touch and sensory

Temporal Lobe

Auditory and linguistic processing

The Amygdala

Responsible for anxiety, emotion, and fear

Thalamus

The brain's sensory control center, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla

Hypothalamus

Regulates endocrine and award system

Sleep Cycles

4-6 complete ones, each about 90 minutes, early in the night most time in stage 3 and 4, 2 and REM sleep predominate later

Circadian Rhythm

24 hour cycle, regulates body temperature and alertness

REM

Most relaxed stage in sleep yet has the most brain activity

REM Rebound

The tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation (created by repeated awakenings during REM sleep)

Sensation

The process in which information is detected and sent via neurochemical messages to the brain for processing (perception)

Weber's Law

The degree in which a stimuli needs to be different in order to be detected

Absolute Threshold

The bare minimum required for a stimulus to be detected

Sensory Interaction

Sensory systems working together

The Retina

The photosensitive surface in the back of the eye

Accommodation

The process in which visual stimuli are focused onto the retina. When the process is altered nearsightedness or farsightedness can occur

Color Vision

Integration of information from red, green, and blue cones (color blindness caused by irregularities with the cones)

Rods

Cells that detect movement and shapes (not color)

Prosopagnosia (face blindness)

Inability to recognize faces, result of damage to the temporal lobe

Sound Localization

How we identify the location of sound

Olfactory Bulb

A forebrain structure that sends information either directly to the smell processing areas in the cortex or indirectly to the cortex by way of the thalamus

Gustation

Sense of taste (sweet, sour, bitter, salty, umami)

Touch Sensation

The sensation produced when pressure and temperature receptors in the skin send signals to the brain which transduce touch stimuli

Pain Sensation

Produced both in the body and brain (emotional and physical)