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51 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
- 3rd side (hint)
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What is action potential?
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a brief change in the electrical voltage within a neuron
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Describe the activation synthesis theory.
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the theory that dreaming results from the cortical synthesis and interpretation of neural signals triggered by activity in the lower part of the brain
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What are adrenal hormones?
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hormones that are involved in emotion and stress; they include cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine
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What is the amygdala
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a brain structure involved in the arousal and regulation of emotion, particularly fear, and the initial emotional response to sensory information
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List the "Big Five" personality traits [robust factors].
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introversion versus extroversion; neuroticism, or negative emotionality; agreeableness; conscientiousness; and openness to experience
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What is biofeedback?
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a method for learning to control bodily functions, including ones usually thought to be involuntary by attending to feedback from an instrument that monitors the function and that signals changes in it
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What is the blood-brain barrier?
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a system of densely-packed capillary and glial cells whose function is to prevent potentially harmful substances from entering the brain
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Related Question: Explain why dopamine injections are not effective treatments for the symptoms of parkinson's disease.
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What is the brain stem?
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the part of the brain at the top of the spinal cord, consisting of the medulla and the pons
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What is the cerebellum?
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a brain structure that regulates movement and balance, and that is involved in the formation of procedural memories (memories for skills or habits)
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What is the cerebral cortex?
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a collection of several thin layers of cells covering the cerebrum; it is largely responsible for higher mental functions
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What is the cerebrum?
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the largest brain structure, consisting of the upper part of the brain; it is in charge of most sensory, motor, and cognitive processes
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What is contact comfort?
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the pleasure of being touched and held
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What is an EEG [electroencephalogram]?
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a recording of neural activity detected by electrodes
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What are endorphins [endogenous opiod peptides]?
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chemical substances in the nervous system that are similar in structure and action to opiates; they are involved in pain reduction, pleasure, and memory
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What are the frontal lobes?
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lobes at the front of the brain’s cerebral cortex; they contain the motor cortex, and Broca’s area (involved in speech production), in addition to areas involved in short-term memory, higher-order thinking, initiative, and social judgment
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Define the hemispheric dominance theory.
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a theory which states that one hemisphere can exert control over the other
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Related Question: Explain how Sperry & Gazzaniga's split-brain studies offered clarification for the hemispheric dominance theory.
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What is the hippocampus?
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a brain structure involved in the storage of new information in memory
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What are hormones?
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chemical substances, secreted into the bloodstream by internal organs called endocrine glands, that affect the functioning of other organs
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What is the hypothalamus?
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a brain structure involved in emotions and drives vital to survival, such as fear, hunger, thirst, and reproduction; it regulates the autonomic nervous system
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What are innate human characteristics?
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abilities, tendencies, and characteristics which are present at birth in all human beings or develop rapidly as a child matures, such as infant reflexes, an attraction to novelty, a desire to explore and manipulate objects, an impulse to play and fool around, and basic mental skills
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What does a person's intelligence quotient [IQ] measure?
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a measure of intelligence originally computed by dividing a person’s mental age by his or her chronological age and multiplying the result by 100; it is now derived from norms provided for standardized intelligence tests
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How do psychologists define "language?"
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a system that combines meaningless elements such as sounds or gestures to form structure utterances that convey meaning
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How would psychologists learn about the brain using the lesion method?
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They would damage and remove sections of brain in animals, then observing the effects.
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Related Question: To what extent do ethical considerations limit the design of experiments in the Biological Level of Analysis?
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What is the limbic system?
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a group of brain areas involved in emotional reactions and motivated behavior
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What are linkage studies?
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studies that look for patterns of inheritance of genetic markers in large families in which a particular condition is common
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What is the localization of function theory?
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a brain theory; specialization of particular brain areas for particular functions
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Related Question: Distinguish between localization of function and its antecedent, phrenology.
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What is long-term potentiation?
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a long-lasting increase in the strength of synaptic responsiveness, thought to be a biological mechanism of declarative memories (long-term memories of facts or events)
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What is an MRI [magnetic resonance imaging?
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a method for studying body and brain tissue, using magnetic fields and special radio receivers
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What is melatonin?
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a hormone, secreted by the pineal gland, that is involved in the regulation of daily biological rhythms
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What is the myelin sheath?
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a fatty insulation that may surround the axon of a neuron.
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Related Question: Explain how myelin sheath deterioration contributes to multiple sclerosis symptoms
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Outline the paradigmatic conflict between nativists and empiricists.
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This is a historiographical conflict between camps of psychologists who either emphasized genes and inborn characteristics [nature], or who focused on learning and experience [nurture].
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Related Question: Describe Ekman's neurocultural theory of emotion.
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What is neurogenesis?
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a process by which immature cells give birth to new neural cells when immersed in a growth-promoting protein in the laboratory
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Related Question Discuss behavioral consequences of this process.
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What are neuromodulators?
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substances which alter the effects of neurotransmitters—for example, by limiting or prolonging those effects
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What is a neuron?
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a cell that conducts electrochemical signals; the basic unit of the nervous system; also called a nerve cell
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What is a neurotransmitter?
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a chemical substance that is released by a transmitting neuron at the synapse and that alters the activity of a receiving neuron
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Related Question: Identify two neurotransmitters and describe how they influence human behavior.
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What are the occipital lobes?
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lobes at the lower back part of the brain’s cerebral cortex; they contain areas that receive visual information; contain the visual cortex (where visual signals are processed)
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What are the parietal lobes?
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lobes at the top of the brain’s cerebral cortex; they contain the somatosensory cortex (area that receives information on pressure, pain, touch, and temperature)
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What is the peripheral nervous system?
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all portions of the nervous system outside the brain and spinal cord; it includes sensory and motor nerves
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What is the pituitary gland?
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a small endocrine gland at the base of the brain, which releases many hormones and regulates other endocrine glands
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What is plasticity?
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the brain’s remarkable flexibility
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What is a PET [positron-emission tomography] scan?
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a method for analyzing biochemical activity in the brain, using injections of a glucoselike substance containing a radioactive element
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What is the prefrontal cortex?
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an area of the cerebral cortex which comprises 29% of the cortex; scientists believe this area may have something to do with personality
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Related Question: Describe the impact damage to the pre-frontal cortex had on Phineas Gage's behavior.
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What is REM [rapid eye movement] sleep?
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sleep periods characterized by quick-eye movements, loss of muscle tone, and dreaming
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What is reductionism?
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the practice of reducing a phenomenon to a single type of explanation or to a limited set of elements of a particular type (for example, biological or cognitive)
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Related Question: Distinguish between reductionism and Occam's razor.
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What is the RAS [reticular activating system]?
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a dense network of neurons found in the core of the brain stem; it arouses the cortex and screens incoming information
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How do psychologists define "sensation?"
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the detection of physical energy emitted or reflected by physical objects; it occurs when energy in the external environment or the body stimulates receptors in the sense organs
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What is the set point theory?
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the genetically influenced weight range for an individual, thought to be maintained by a biological mechanism that regulates food intake, fat reserves, and metabolism
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What are sex hormones [androgens, estrogens, proesterone]?
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hormones that regulate the development and functioning of reproductive organs and that stimulate the development of male and female sexual characteristics; they include androgens, estrogens, and progesterone
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Related Question: Distinguish between sex and gender.
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What is a synapse?
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the site where a nerve impulse is transmitted from one nerve cell to another; it includes the axon terminal, the synaptic cleft, and receptor sites in the membrane of the receiving cell
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What are the temporal lobes?
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lobes at the side of the brain’s cerebral cortex, just above the ears; contains the auditory cortex (which processes sounds), and Wernicke’s area (an area of the left temporal lobe involved in language comprehension)
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What is the thalamus?
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a brain structure that relays motor impulses to the spinal cord and sensory messages to the cerebral cortex
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