Psychology 110- Unit 2

Front 1

Central Nervous System

Back 1

Division of the nervous system that consists of the brain and spinal cord

Front 2

Brain and Spinal Column

Back 2

The oldest part of the brain; begins at the top of the spinal chord and contains brain centers responsible for basic survival activities

Front 3

Peripheral Nervous System

Back 3

Division of the nervous system that consists of the neural fibers lying outside of the brain and spinal chord

Front 4

Somatic Nerves

Back 4

Division of the peripheral nervous system that consists of nerves coming from the receptors to the brain and spinal cord, as well as nerves that go from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles

Front 5

Autonomic Nervous System

Back 5

Division of the peripheral nervous system involved in the control of bodily functioning through organs and glands

Front 6

Sympathetic Branch

Back 6

Subdivision of the autonomic nervous system that is responsible for mobilizing the body in times of stress, preparing of fight or flight

Front 7

Parasympathetic Branch

Back 7

Subdivision of the autonomic nervous system that is responsible for returning the body to a resting ir balanced state

Front 8

Fight of Flight Syndrome

Back 8

"call to arms", the hypothalamus signals the sympathetic nervous system and the pituitary; The combination of the activation of the sympathetic nervous system and an outpouring of stress hormones prepares the body for a brief period of physical action in response to a threat

Front 9

Neurons

Back 9

Basic cells of the nervous system

Front 10

Sensory (Afferent)

Back 10

Nerves that carry information from the receptors to the spinal cord and brain

Front 11

Motor (Efferent) Neurons

Back 11

Nerves that carry information from the brain and spinal cords to the muscles

Front 12

Interneurons

Back 12

Within the central nervous system, interneurons connect neurons to each other

Front 13

The Reflex Arc

Back 13

The neural pathway that mediates a reflex action

Front 14

Cell Body

Back 14

The cell body contains the nucleus and materials for its maintenance and functioning. The cell body controls metabolic activity. It integrates input from other neurons.

Front 15

Axon

Back 15

Long extensions carry information away from cell body to other neurons, muscles, and glands

Front 16

Terminal Branches

Back 16

Component of a neuron located at the ends of the axon where neurotransmitters are stored before being released into the synapse

Front 17

Vesicles

Back 17

Sponge-like pores located on terminal branches that store neurotransmitters

Front 18

Dendrites

Back 18

Short, branchlike structure of a neuron that reveives information from receptors and other neurons

Front 19

Myelin Sheath

Back 19

Whitish, fatty protein substance, composed of glial cells, that covers some axons and increases the speed of neural transmission

Front 20

Synapse

Back 20

Site where two or more neurons interact but do not touch; neurotransmitters are released into the space in order to continue neural impulses

Front 21

Glial Cell

Back 21

Special type of cell found in the nervous system that forms the myelin sheath, which increases the speed of neural conduction by providing insulation of the axons

Front 22

Synaptic Transmission

Back 22

Exchange of neurotransmitters from terminal buttons of one neuron to the dentrites of another

Front 23

Neurotransmitters

Back 23

Chemical substances that are stored in terminal buttons and released into the synapse between two neurons to carry signals from one neuron to the next

Front 24

Absolute Threshold

Back 24

Minimum amount of energy required for conscious detection of a stimulus 50% of the time by participants

Front 25

Differential Threshold

Back 25

Smallest amount of stimulation that must be added to or subtracted from an existing stimulus for a person to be able to detect a change 50% of the time

Front 26

Subliminal Stimuli

Back 26

Stimuli that are below the threshold of consciousness

Front 27

Endorphins

Back 27

Substances produced by the body that block pain; these substances are opium-like chemicals

Front 28

Psychodelic Drugs

Back 28

Also called hallucinogens, drugs that can cause changes in thinking, emotion, self-awareness, and perceptions; these changes are often expressed in hallucinations

Front 29

Reuptake

Back 29

Involves taking the neurotransmitter back into the vesicles of the terminal buttons from which it came

Front 30

Serotonin

Back 30

Acts as an inhibitory or excitatory; located in the brain stem; involved in mood, appetite, sleep, and aggression

Front 31

Agonists

Back 31

Drug that enhances the effects of a particular neurotransmitter

Front 32

Antagonists

Back 32

Drugs that oppose or inhibit the effects of a particular neurotransmitter

Front 33

Sensation

Back 33

Activation of receptors by stimuli in the environment

Front 34

Perception

Back 34

The process of organizing and making sense of sensory information

Front 35

Figure-Ground Relationship

Back 35

Organization of perceptual elements into a figure and a background; (dog and telephone)

Front 36

Gestalt Laws of Perception

Back 36

Approach to psychology most noted for emphasizing that our perception of a whole id different from our perception of the individual stimuli; We are born with the ability to organize the elements of our perceptual world in very predictable ways

Front 37

Similarity

Back 37

Gestalt principle stating that perceptual elements that are similar are seen as a group

Front 38

Closure

Back 38

Gestalt principle stating that organizing perceptions into whole objects is easier than perceiving separate parts independently

Front 39

Proximity

Back 39

Gestalt principle stating that perceptual elements that are close together are seen as a group

Front 40

Continuation

Back 40

Gestalt principle stating that smooth, flowing lines are more readily perceived than choppy, broken lines

Front 41

Depth Perception

Back 41

The ability to perceive our world three-dimensionally

Front 42

Binocular Cues

Back 42

Cues for depth perception that involve the use of both eyes

Front 43

Monocular Cues

Back 43

Cues for depth perception that involve the use of only one eye

Front 44

Accomodation

Back 44

In focusing, action of the ciliary muscles to change the shape of the lens

Front 45

Linear Perspective

Back 45

Parallel lines appear to converge as they recede into the distance

Front 46

Relative Size

Back 46

Brighter objects appear closer than dulling-looking ones

Front 47

Convergence

Back 47

Both eyes moving so that we can tell depth of an object

Front 48

Motion Parallax

Back 48

As we move in our environment, objects closer to us appear to move more relative to their background than do objects further from us

Front 49

Interposition

Back 49

When one objects partially blocks our view of a second object, we assume that the first object is closer to us than the second

Front 50

Texture Gradient

Back 50

The texture of a surface becomes smoother with increasing distance

Front 51

Retinal Disparity (Binocular Disparity)

Back 51

The difference between the images seen by the two eyes

Front 52

Hallucination

Back 52

false or distorted sensory experiences that appear to be real perceptions. These sensory impressions are generated by the mind rather than by any external stimuli, and may be seen, heard, felt, and even smelled or tasted.

Front 53

Illusions

Back 53

Misperceptions or interpretations of stimuli that do not correspond to the sensations received

Front 54

Perceptual Constancies

Back 54

The tendency to perceive the size and shape of an object as constant even though its retinal image changes

Front 55

Shape Constancy

Back 55

The tendency to perceive the shape of an object as constant despite changes in its retinal image

Front 56

Size Constancy

Back 56

The tendency to perceive the size of an object as constant despite changes in its retinal image

Front 57

Stimulants

Back 57

Drugs that increase the activity of the central nervous system

Front 58

Amphetamines

Back 58

Stimulants that are used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy (Ritalin, Caffeine, Cocaine)

Front 59

Analgesia

Back 59

Any member of the diverse group of drugs used to relieve pain

Front 60

Perceptual Set

Back 60

A temporary readiness or predisposition to perceive in a particular way