AP Psych ALL Units

Flashcards for vocabulary review based on lecture notes.

Heredity

The passing of traits from parents to offspring through genes.

Nature

The influence of genetics on behavior and traits.

Nurture

The influence of environment and experience on behavior.

Genetic predisposition

An increased likelihood of developing a trait or disorder due to inherited genes.

Evolutionary perspective

Views behavior as a result of natural selection and adaptation.

Natural selection

Traits that aid survival are more likely to be passed on.

Eugenics

A controversial movement aiming to improve the genetic quality of humans.

Twin studies

Examine identical vs. fraternal twins to understand genetic influence.

Family studies

Look at trait patterns among relatives to assess heritability.

Adoption studies

Compare adopted children to biological and adoptive families to separate nature and nurture.

Central nervous system (CNS)

Brain and spinal cord.

Peripheral nervous system (PNS)

Nerves outside the CNS.

Autonomic nervous system

Controls involuntary functions (e.g., heart rate).

Sympathetic nervous system

Arouses body ('fight or flight').

Parasympathetic nervous system

Calms body ('rest and digest').

Somatic nervous system

Controls voluntary muscle movements.

Neurons

Nerve cells that transmit information.

Glial cells

Support and protect neurons.

Reflex arc

Automatic response involving sensory and motor neurons.

Sensory neurons

Carry information to CNS.

Motor neurons

Carry commands from CNS to muscles.

Interneurons

Connect sensory and motor neurons in the CNS.

Neural transmission

The process of sending signals through neurons.

Action potential

Electrical charge that travels down a neuron.

All-or-nothing principle

Neurons fire fully or not at all.

Depolarization

Positive ions enter neuron, triggering action potential.

Refractory period

Time after firing when neuron can't fire again.

Resting potential

Neuron's stable negative charge when inactive.

Reuptake

Reabsorption of neurotransmitters by the sending neuron.

Threshold

Minimum stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse.

Multiple sclerosis

Immune system attacks myelin, slowing neural signals.

Myasthenia gravis

Autoimmune disorder affecting voluntary muscles.

Excitatory neurotransmitters

Increase chance of a neuron firing.

Inhibitory neurotransmitters

Decrease chance of firing.

Dopamine

Involved in reward, movement, and addiction.

Serotonin

Affects mood, appetite, sleep.

Norepinephrine

Involved in alertness and arousal.

Glutamate

Major excitatory neurotransmitter, involved in learning.

GABA

Major inhibitory neurotransmitter, reduces anxiety.

Endorphins

Natural painkillers and mood enhancers.

Substance P

Transmits pain signals.

Acetylcholine (ACh)

Involved in movement and memory.

Endocrine system

Glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream.

Hormones

Chemical messengers from glands.

Pituitary gland

Master gland; controls other glands.

Adrenaline

Increases arousal in stress (“fight or flight”).

Leptin

Regulates hunger and energy balance.

Ghrelin

Stimulates hunger.

Melatonin

Regulates sleep cycles.

Oxytocin

Involved in bonding and trust.

Withdrawal

Symptoms from stopping drug use.

Addiction

Compulsive drug craving and use.

Tolerance

Needing more of a drug to get the same effect.

Stimulants

Increase nervous system activity (e.g., caffeine, cocaine).

Depressants

Slow nervous system (e.g., alcohol).

Hallucinogens

Distort perceptions (e.g., LSD).

Opioids

Pain relievers that can be addictive (e.g., heroin).

Agonistic molecules

Mimic neurotransmitters.

Antagonistic molecules

Block neurotransmitters.

Brainstem

Controls basic life functions.

Medulla

Regulates heartbeat and breathing.

Reticular activating system

Controls arousal and consciousness.

Reward center

Brain regions involved in pleasure.

Cerebellum

Coordinates movement and balance.

Cerebral cortex

Outer brain layer for higher-level processing.

Limbic system

Controls emotions and memory.

Thalamus

Relays sensory info to the cortex.

Hypothalamus

Regulates hunger, thirst, body temp, sex drive.

Hippocampus

Memory formation.

Amygdala

Processes emotions, especially fear.

Corpus callosum

Connects left and right brain hemispheres.

Occipital lobes

Vision processing.

Temporal lobes

Auditory processing and memory.

Parietal lobes

Touch and spatial awareness.

Frontal lobes

Decision-making, personality, planning.

Association areas

Areas of the brain involved in complex tasks.

Somatosensory cortex

Processes body touch sensations.

Motor cortex

Controls voluntary movement.

Prefrontal cortex

Executive functions like planning and impulse control.

Linguistic processing

Understanding and producing language.

Higher-order thinking

Complex thought like reasoning and planning.

Executive functioning

Self-control, working memory, flexible thinking.

Split brain research

Studies of patients with severed corpus callosum.

Epilepsy

Brain disorder causing seizures.

Hemispheric specialization

Left = language, logic; Right = creativity, spatial.

Broca’s area

Speech production.

Wernicke’s area

Language comprehension.

Aphasia

Loss of language ability (Broca’s = speech; Wernicke’s = comprehension).

Contralateral hemispheric organization

Left brain controls right body and vice versa.

Plasticity

Brain's ability to adapt and reorganize.

EEG

Measures brain activity via electrical signals.

fMRI

Shows brain activity by tracking blood flow.

Lesioning

Destroying brain tissue to study function.

Consciousness

Awareness of yourself and environment.

Circadian rhythm

24-hour biological clock.

Jet lag

Disruption of circadian rhythms due to travel.

Shift work

Working at night disrupts natural rhythms.

NREM stage 1

Light sleep; hypnagogic sensations may occur.

Hypnagogic sensations

Brief, dreamlike experiences in early sleep.

NREM stage 2

Sleep spindles appear; deeper sleep.