PSY1101A Lecture 3: Methods and Neuroscience Part 1

Flashcards covering research ethics, deception, vulnerable populations, and the fundamental structures and functions of neurons and glial cells based on Lecture 3.

Facebook Emotional Contagion Experiment

A 2012 study where researchers manipulated the positive or negative news feeds of $689,000$ users for one week to see how it affected the sentiment of their subsequent posts.

Deception

A research method involving the use of actors or misleading information (e.g., in eye-witness testimony reliability studies) which requires ethical consultation with the IRB.

Confederates

Actors or researchers who participate in an experiment by posing as subjects or bystanders to manipulate the environment, such as the "learner" in the Milgram experiment.

Stanley Milgram

A Yale University psychologist who researched obedience and "crimes against humanity" by tasking participants with delivering perceived electric shocks to others.

Milgram Experiment Results

A study where every participant delivered shocks up to $300\,v$ and two thirds carried on to the end of the experiment ($450\,v$) despite apparent learner distress.

Maleficence

The occurrence of ethical harm or injury to research participants, noted in the Milgram study as guilt and trauma experienced after the experiment.

Internal Review Board (IRB)

A committee responsible for ensuring research creates minimal risk, does not affect participant rights, uses deception only when necessary, and mandates debriefing.

Debrief

An ethical requirement following a study where researchers explain the experiment's true nature and answer participant questions to ensure they leave in the same mental state they arrived.

Situational Vulnerability

A type of vulnerability where individuals, such as prisoners, military personnel, or poor people, may be compromised by their specific environment.

Decisional Impairment

A condition in special populations, like children or people with cognitive disabilities, where they cannot make legal decisions or fully understand research instructions.

Assent

The agreement to participate in a study obtained from a potential participant (e.g., a child) in addition to the informed consent from a parent or guardian.

Central Nervous System (CNS)

The primary division of the nervous system consisting of the brain and the spinal cord.

Neurons

The specialized building blocks and functional computational units of the nervous system that communicate by releasing neurotransmitters.

Glia (glial cells)

Support cells in the nervous system that outnumber neurons $10:1$ and provide nutrients, remove waste, and form myelin.

Dendrites

Branch-like extensions attached to the soma that receive messages and neurotransmitters from other neurons.

Soma

Also known as the cell body, it contains the nucleus and organelles, integrating electro-chemical signals received at the dendrites.

Axon

A long extension from the soma that transmits an electrical signal (action potential) to be sent to the next neuron.

Action Potential

The electrical signal initiated at the axon hillock that travels down the axon to release neurotransmitters from the terminal buttons.

Myelin Sheath

A layer of fatty tissue covering the axon that provides insulation and speeds up the transmission of electrical signals.

Terminal Buttons

Protrusions at the end of the axon terminal containing vesicles where neurotransmitters are released toward another neuron.

Vesicles

Small structures in the terminal buttons that contain neurotransmitters and bind to the cell membrane to release them upon the arrival of an electrical signal.

Nodes of Ranvier

Gaps in the myelin sheath that allow charged particles into the cell, enabling the electrical signal to "jump" and travel faster.

Synapse

The small gap or cleft between the presynaptic (sending) neuron and the postsynaptic (receiving) neuron.

Astrocytes

A type of glial cell that provides structural support and nutrients to neurons and helps form the brain's immune system.

Microglia

Glial cells that act as the immune system of the brain to fight infections and remove waste.

Oligodendrocytes

Cells that form the myelin sheath around axons within the Central Nervous System (CNS).

Schwann Cells

Cells that form the myelin sheath around nerves within the peripheral nervous system.