Psychology Exam Review: Core Concepts

Practice vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from your lecture notes on neural structure, brain regions, genetics, consciousness, sleep, and psychoactive drugs.

Neural plasticity

The brain's ability to change by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience.

Neurons

The basic building block of the nervous system, a nerve cell.

Action potentials

Brief electrical charge that travels down the axon: a neural impulse.

Synapse

Junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron.

Neurotransmitters

Chemical messengers that traverse the synaptic gaps between neurons.

Agonists

Increase neurotransmitter action or mimic its effect.

Antagonists

Decrease neurotransmitter action.

Autonomic Nervous System

Regulates the functions of our internal organs such as the heart, stomach, lung, and intestines.

Sympathetic nervous system

Involved in stress-related activities and functions, prepares us for fight or flight.

Parasympathetic nervous system

Associated with routine day-to-day operation of the body under relaxed conditions; also known as rest and restore response or rest and digest.

Endocrine System

Glands and organs that help regulate things like metabolism, growth, tissue production, sexual activity, functioning, sleep, and mood by producing hormones.

Pituitary gland

The most influential endocrine gland.

Left hemisphere

Associated with math, science, and facts.

Right hemisphere

Associated with creative art and intuition.

Corpus callosum

Connects the right and left sides of the brain, allowing them to communicate.

Split brain patients

Individuals who have undergone surgery to cut the corpus callosum to stop seizures.

Medulla

Controls automated processes like breathing, blood pressure, and heart rate.

Pons

Connects the brain and the spinal cord, involved in regulating brain activity during sleep.

Cerebellum

Controls our balance, coordination, movement, and motor skills, and is thought to be important in processing some types of memory.

Reticular formation

Important in regulating the sleep/wake cycle.

Midbrain

Sits at the topmost part of the brainstem and connects the hindbrain with the forebrain.

Thalamus

Serves as the relay center for the brain where most senses (excluding smell) are routed before being directed to other areas of the brain for processing.

Amygdala

Involved in our experience of emotion, tying emotional meaning to our memories, and processing fear.

Hippocampus

A structure associated with learning and memory.

Hypothalamus

Regulates homeostatic processes including body temperature and blood pressure.

Cerebral cortex

Surface of the brain that is associated with our highest mental capabilities such as consciousness and thought.

Occipital lobes

Associated with visual processing.

Temporal lobe

Includes auditory areas, associated with hearing and some aspects of language.

Frontal lobe

Associated with executive function.

EEG (electroencephalogram)

An amplified reading of waves of electrical activity of the brain’s surface, measured by placing electrodes on the scalp.

MEG

Measures magnetic fields from the brain's natural electrical activity.

PET

Detects brain activity by showing where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task.

MRI

Uses magnetic fields and radio waves to make computer-generated images of soft tissue, showing brain anatomy.

fMRI

Shows blood flow by comparing MRI scans, displaying both brain function and structure.

Behavioral Genetics

The study of the effects of genetics and environmental influences on behavior, investigating differences across people.

Chromosomes

Threadlike structures made up of DNA molecules.

DNA

A helix-shaped molecule containing genetic information that makes up our chromosomes.

Genes

A sequence of DNA that controls or partially controls our characteristics, a small segment of DNA capable of synthesizing proteins.

Genome

The complete instructions for making an organism, consisting of all the genetic material in that organism’s chromosomes.

Nature

Refers to biological and genetic influences on development.

Nurture

Refers to environmental and cultural influences on development.

Identical twins (Monozygotic)

Twins that develop from a single fertilized egg that splits.

Fraternal twins (Dizygotic)

Twins that develop from separate fertilized eggs.

Epigenetics

The study of how our environment can make certain genes expressed and some not.

Evolutionary psychology

The study of the evolution of behavior and the mind.

Consciousness

Our subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment.

Cognitive neuroscience

The interdisciplinary study of brain activity linked with our mental process.

Selective attention

Focusing conscious awareness on a particular stimuli.

Circadian rhythm

Biological clock: regular bodily rhythms that occur on a 24-hour cycle.

NREM Stage 1

Light sleep characterized by alpha waves.

NREM Stage 2

Light sleep where brain waves become more erratic.

NREM Stage 3

Deep sleep characterized by delta waves.

REM sleep

About 9 hours into sleep, brain waves are similar to those seen during wakefulness, accompanied by paralysis of voluntary muscles.

Insomnia

Ongoing difficulty falling or staying asleep.

Narcolepsy

Sudden attacks of overwhelming sleepiness.

Night terrors

Occur early in the night, usually in the first three stages of NREM sleep.

Nightmares

Occur towards morning during REM sleep.

Sleep apnea

Occurs when individuals stop breathing during their sleep, usually for 10-20 seconds or longer.

Sleepwalking and talking

Doing normal waking activities while asleep.

Freud's dream theory

Dreams provide psychic safety and allow us to discharge unacceptable feelings.

Manifest content

The actual content of the dream, the symbolic remembered storyline of the dream.

Latent content

The hidden, underlying meaning of the dream.

Information processing theory (of dreams)

Dreams help us process and store memories.

Substance use disorder

A compulsive pattern of drug use despite negative consequences.

Tolerance

Needing more and more of a drug to achieve effects previously experienced at lower doses.

Addiction

Compulsive substance use with negative consequences.

Withdrawal

Negative symptoms experienced when drug use is discontinued.

Depressants

Drugs that reduce neural activity and slow body functions, causing decreased heart rate and blood pressure.

Alcohol use disorder

Marked by tolerance, withdrawal, and drive to continue problematic use, leading to slower neural processing, memory disruption, and reduced self-awareness.

Stimulants

Drugs that excite neural activity and speed up body functions, causing increased heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature.

Hallucinogens

Psychedelic ('mind-manifesting') drugs that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input.

Salvia

An herb from the mint family, whose leaves are usually dried and smoked or fresh leaves are placed under the tongue for effects.

GHB

A substance usually swallowed orally that can cause feelings of drowsiness and lowered inhibitions.

Betel Nut

A seed from the fruit of the areca palm that is usually chewed, which can cause feelings of alertness, high blood pressure, and a fast heart rate.