Psychology Test 2 Fernandes

Front 1

What is the basic building block of the nervous system?

Back 1

the neuron (or nerve cell)

Front 2

What functions to transmit neural impluses from one place to another in the nervous system?

Back 2

the neuron

Front 3

What is another name for cell body?

Back 3

soma

Front 4

What is the function of the dendrites (tree branch like structures)?

Back 4

receive the incoming message from other neurons

Front 5

What is the function of the cell body (or soma)?

Back 5

control maintenance and metabolism of the cell

Front 6

What is the largest part of the neuron that receives messages from other neurons and if destroyed, the nerve cell will die?

Back 6

the cell body (or soma)

Front 7

What is the function of the axon (trunk-like structure)?

Back 7

carries the message away from (i.e., the outgoing) the cell body toward the next nerve cell with which it will communicate

Front 8

What is another name for axon terminals?

Back 8

terminal buttons

Front 9

What does the myelin sheath allow?

Back 9

jumping

Front 10

What is the function of the fatty substance myelin?

Back 10

a) insulate the axon

b) prevent the scrambling of messages

Thus, myelinated fibers are more effective/efficient conductors of nerve impulses.

Front 11

What happens in multiple sclerosis?

Back 11

the immune system attacks and destroys the myelin in a person's body

Front 12

What color are areas of the brain containing mainly neuron cell bodies?

what about myelin?

Back 12

gray; white

Front 13

How does the myelin help nerve impulses move faster?

Back 13

the small gaps in the myelin allow the action potential to leap from gap to gap instead of moving down the entire length of the axon

Front 14

What is the process by which nerve impulses traveling down the axons of neurons coated with myelin jumping from gap to gap in the myelin layer called?

Back 14

saltatory conduction

*saltatory comes from the Latin word saltare meaning "to jump" or "leap"

Front 15

What are the gaps in the myelin sheath covering the nerves called?

Back 15

nodes of Ranvier

Front 16

What is the function of the terminal buttons?

Back 16

to hold the synaptic vesicles which contain the transmitter substances (the neurotransmitters)

Front 17

What does the terminal button look like?

Back 17

Front 18

How is the message from one neuron to the next actually conveyed?

Back 18

by a chemical (neurotransmitter)

Front 19

What is another name for afferent neurons?

Back 19

sensory neurons

Front 20

What is the function of afferent neurons?

Back 20

convey impulses from the sensory receptor cells TO the rest of the central nervous system

Front 21

What conveys the incoming information toward the brain and spinal cord "to get things started?"

Back 21

afferent neurons

Front 22

What is the process by which a sensory receptor translates some physical stimulus (into an electrical form) to give rise to an action potential in another neuron?

Back 22

transduction

We are simply changing one form of energy (physical) into another (electrical).

Front 23

Transduction is performed by a ___ and not by an ___.

Back 23

sensory receptor cell and not by an afferent neuron

Front 24

What conducts messages from the central nervous system to the effectors, that is the organs of action (muscles, glands)?

Back 24

efferent neurons (or motor neurons)

They handle the outgoing message from the brain to the body.

Front 25

What type of neurons represent the vast majority of the nerve cells and are located entirely within the CNS?

Back 25

interneurons (or connector neurons)

Front 26

What is the function of interneurons (or connector neurons)?

Back 26

to both receive and transmit messages

Front 27

What is the basic unit of nerve function?

Back 27

the nerve impulse

Front 28

What refers to the difference in electrical potential maintained between the outside and the inside of a resting cell?

Back 28

the resting potential

*cell membrane is polarized with positive charges outside and and negative charges inside

Front 29

What is the value a stimulus must reach to produce an impulse (response) from within a neuron?

Back 29

threshold

Front 30

What are neuropeptides?

Back 30

brain chemicals (such as enkephalins and endorphins) that regulate the activity of other neurons

*they don't carry messages directly

Front 31

What term refers to our nervous sytstem's ability to change in response to experience?

Synaptic connections may grow stronger and new ones may form.

Every new experience you have is reflected in changes to your brain.

Back 31

neuroplasticity

Front 32

As a result of neuroplasticity, rats in complex environments have ___ synapses and ___ dendrites.

Back 32

more; longer

Front 33

What does the All-or-None Law state?

Back 33

once a stimulus exceeds threshold, further increases do not increase the amplitude of the action potential

*did we meet threshold?

Front 34

What is a mass of interconnected neurons within the spine that conveys impulses to and from the brain and is involved in some reflex behavior?

Back 34

the spinal cord

Front 35

What are two functions of the spinal cord?

Back 35

a) routing commands between the brain and body

b) protecting the body from tissue damage (via reflexes)

Front 36

What is a simple, stereotyped reaction in response to some stimulus?

Back 36

reflex

Front 37

Reflex arcs can be performed without any direct participation from the brain.

What types of nerve cells are part of the reflex arc?

Back 37

all 3 types of nerve cells: sensory neurons, interneurons, and motor neurons

Front 38

What possesses survival value and protects the body?

Back 38

reflex arc

Front 39

What is the function of the medulla?

Back 39

control vital life functions (HR, respirations); receives sensory information

Front 40

What is the function of the cerebellum?

Back 40

responsible for motor control and balance

Front 41

What area of the brain is directly and most noticeably effected by alcohol?

Back 41

cerebellum

Front 42

What part of the midbrain is an information "clearing house?"

Back 42

reticular formation (RF)

*secretary

Front 43

Where is all incoming sensory information routed through?

Back 43

the reticular formation

Front 44

What is the function of the reticular formation?

Back 44

alter, or focus, the attention of the organism

*affects attention and wakefulness

Front 45

What is the function of the Reticular Activating System (RAS)?

*found in the midbrain

Back 45

arouses the brain (by bombarding the cortex with stimulation)

*if destroyed, organism has coma-like sleep

if stimulated, organism awakens from sleep

Front 46

All incoming sensory information goes through the RF to ___ (except smell)

Back 46

the thalamus

*part of the forebrain

Front 47

What are the functions of the thalamus?

Back 47

a) perform preliminary processing of sensory information

b) a final relay station for sending sensory information to the appropriate areas of the cortex

Front 48

What is the function of the hypothalamus?

*located in the forebrain

Back 48

considered the functional "center of the brain"

Front 49

Without this part of the brain, the organism will die.

Back 49

the hypothalamus

*"Godfather"

final path for behaviors leaving the brain

tells pituitary what to do

Front 50

What is a close neighbor of the hypothalamus and a part of the limbic system?

Back 50

the amygdala

Front 51

What does the amygdala play a strong role in?

Back 51

activating the emotions of fear and rage

Front 52

What curious problem does a brain injury that results in spatial neglect cause?

Back 52

patients may pay no attention to one side of the visual space

*patients with right hemisphere damage may not eat food on the left side of the plate and may not draw the left side of a drawing

Front 53

What causes spatial neglect?

Back 53

damage to one hemisphere of the brain

Front 54

What is a massive bundle of nerves that interconnects the two hemispheres called?

Back 54

corpus callosum

Front 55

What is the function of the corpus callosum?

Back 55

allows the pooling of information so that the brain functions as a unit

Front 56

What is the function of the occipital lobes?

Back 56

the primary visual area of the cortex

Front 57

What is the function of the parietal lobes?

Back 57

represent the somatosensory area (bodily senses)

Front 58

What is the function of the temporal lobes?

Back 58

all auditory information is projected here

Front 59

What is the function of the frontal lobes?

Back 59

olfactory* information registers here

*think nose up front

Front 60

Where are the motor functions located?

Back 60

frontal lobes

Front 61

What are mirror neurons?

Back 61

They become active when we perform an action and when we merely observe someone else carrying out the same action.

Front 62

What part of the autonomous nervous system is concerned with the expenditure of energy?

Back 62

sympathetic branch

Front 63

The sympathetic branch serves an ___ function and is also known as ____.

Back 63

activating; "fight-or-flight"

Front 64

What branch of the autonomous nervous system controls the storing of energy?

Back 64

parasympathetic branch

Front 65

When does the parasympathetic branch operate?

Back 65

times of rest or peace; conserves resources

Front 66

What is the function of the pituitary?

Back 66

regulates the other endocrine glands

Front 67

What is the pituitary referred to as?

Back 67

the "Master Gland" of the body

Front 68

Who controls the pituitary?

Back 68

the hypothalamus

Front 69

What represents the major link between the brain (hypothalamus) and the glandular (pituitary)?

Back 69

this pituitary/hypothalamus relationship

Front 70

What does the pineal gland secrete?

Back 70

melatonin

Front 71

What is the function of melatonin?

Back 71

regulation of biological rhythms (sleep and wakefulness)

Front 72

What imagining technique results in a computer generated three-dimensional image of the brain or body, based on its response to a magnetic field?

Back 72

MRI

no known side effects

Front 73

What provides more detailed images than CT scans where the body is placed inside strong magnetic field?

Back 73

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)

Front 74

What imaging technique results in a computer-generated image of brain activity? It creates a moving color video of changes in brain activity.

Back 74

PET (positron emission tomography)

Front 75

What is the PET based on?

Back 75

glucose consumption in the brain

Front 76

What is an internal state that activates, maintains, and directs behavior?

Back 76

motivation

Front 77

What is the term for the equilibrium-pre-serving tendency within an organism?

Back 77

homeostasis

*when we vary from a state of balance, an organic need arises

Front 78

What role does the endocrine system have in homeostasis?

Back 78

governs the release of various hormones

Front 79

What is another name for the pituitary?

Back 79

"Master Gland of the Body"

Front 80

Who controls the pituitary?

Back 80

the hypothalamus

Front 81

Where is the ultimate neural control of the internal environment lodged?

Back 81

in the hypothalamus

Front 82

What is another name for the hypothalamus?

Back 82

functinal center of the brain

Front 83

How does the hypothalamus control virtually all biological motives?

Back 83

by defining an internal need state for the nervous system

Front 84

What states that there are two regions of the hypothalamus which serve as mutually inhibitory centers?

Back 84

The Dual-Center Theory

Front 85

Where is the "on-switch" or hunger center according to the Dual-Center Theory?

Back 85

lateral hypothalamus

Front 86

What does activation of the lateral hypothalamus lead to?

Back 86

food search and eating

Front 87

Where is the "off-switch" or satiety center according to the Dual-Center Theory?

Back 87

ventromedial hypothalamus

Front 88

What does activation of the ventromedial hypothalamus lead to?

Back 88

stopping of eating

Front 89

Which branch of the Autonomic Nervous System serves an activating function and mobilizes the body's resources?

Back 89

The Sympathetic Branch

Front 90

When does the Sympathetic Branch function?

Back 90

at times of emergency; "Fight-or-Flight"

Front 91

Which branch of the Autonomic Nervous System handles vegetative functions, conserves bodily resources and stores up energy?

Back 91

The Parasympathetic Branch

Front 92

When does the Parasympathetic Branch function?

Back 92

at times of rest/peace

Front 93

An antagonistic relationship exists betwen these two branches (PSNS and SNS) What does that mean?

Back 93

They are mutually inhibitory. You can't use and save energy at the same time.

Front 94

What is involved in causing eating to cease?

Back 94

Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1)

Front 95

How does GLP-1 function?

Back 95

GLP-1 is released by the intestines. From there, it travels in the bloodstream to the hypothalamus. When enough GLP-1 arrives your desire to eat ends.

Front 96

What is active self-starvation or a sustained loss of appetite that has psychological origins called?

Back 96

Anorexia Nervosa

*highest mortality rate of all mental illnesses

Front 97

What is excessive eating (gorging) usually followed by self-induced vomiting, taking laxatives, or both called?

Back 97

Bulima Nervosa

Front 98

When the normal inhibition of the sympathetic division is removed, the parasympathetic division "overshoots" its normal field. What is this called?

Back 98

The Parasympathetic Overshoot or the "Rebound Effect"

*SNS speeds us up. PSNS brings us back down. If PSNS brings us back down too fast, heart can stop beating.

Front 99

What states that the nervous system has a tendency to counteract any deviation from motivational normalcy by calling into play the opposite side or emotion?

Back 99

Opponent-Process Theory of Motivation

Front 100

What is an important function of The Opponent-Process Theory of Motivation?

Back 100

minimizes deviation from emotional neutrality

Front 101

What is the primary process of The Opponent-Process Theory of Motivation?

Back 101

quality of the emotional state

Front 102

What is the opponent process of The Opponent-Process Theory of Motivation?

Back 102

opposite emotional state

Front 103

What is an example of The Opponent-Process Theory of Motivation?

Back 103

drug addiction

For example, if you are in pain and the pain ends, you will feel a pleasant sense of relief. If a person feels pleasure, as in the case of drug use, and the pleasure ends, it will be followed by craving or discomfort. This leads to the stimulus being repeated and our response to it habituates or gets weaker. With repetition, the pleasurable after effect gets stronger and the initial "cost" gets weaker.

Front 104

What levels of arousal tend to produce the best performance?

Back 104

moderate levels

Front 105

What model claims that arousal encourages us to make the dominant ("most likely") response?

Back 105

Hebb's Model

Front 106

For simple tasks [like sprinting at a track meet], how does [high] arousal impact performance?

Back 106

it increases performance since the dominant response is the correct one

Front 107

For complex tasks [like competing in a golf tournament], how does [high] arousal impact perormance?

Back 107

it decreases performance since the dominant response is the incorrect one

Front 108

What is test anxiety?

Back 108

high levels of arousal and worry that seriously impair test performance (tends to distract student with a rush of upsetting thoughts and feelings)

*mixture of heightened physiological arousal (sweating, pounding HR, nervousness) and excessive worry

Front 109

What is Achievement Motive (nACH)?

Back 109

need for acheivement: the desire to accomplish difficult tasks and overcome obstacles

Front 110

Achievement Motive (nACH) represents an ___ standard of excellence.

Back 110

internalized

Front 111

How is nACH measured?

Back 111

Thermatic Apperception Test (TAT)

Front 112

What is the Thermatic Apperception Test (TAT)?

Back 112

a projective personality test in which the individual makes up a story about the pictures on a card

Front 113

What are characteristics of achievers high in nACH?

Back 113

*tend to AVOID goals that are too easy or "long shots"

*Rather, they SELECT goals that are challenging but attainable

WHY? They attribute success to their own ability and failure to insufficient effort. Thus, high-nACH students are more likely to renew their efforts when they perform poorly.

Front 114

What are characteristics of achieveers low in nACH?

Back 114

*tend to SELECT either easy or "impossible" tasks

*tend to AVOID challenging but attainable goals

WHY? because there is a risk of personal responsibility for failure

Front 115

What is the need for power?

Back 115

the desire to have social impact and control over others

(want their importance to be visible)

Front 116

What is the Hawthorne Effect?

Back 116

a general imporovement in performance which occurs when persons receive special attention

Front 117

What states that rewarding people to do what they already like doing may lead to their seeing their actions as externally controlled rather than intrinisically appealing?

Back 117

Overjustification Effect

Front 118

Who formulated the Hierarchy off Needs?

Back 118

Abraham Maslow

Front 119

The ___ needs must be satisfied before the ___ needs.

Back 119

lower (basic needs) before higher (growth needs)

Front 120

What states that emotions occur when physical arousal is labeled or interpreted on the basis of experience and situational cues?

Back 120

Schachter's Cognitive Theory

Front 121

What is the mental process of assigning causes to events and deciding which source is leading to the arousal called?

*in Schachter's Cognitive Theory

Back 121

attribution

Front 122

What kind of sleepers tend to be day time worriers?

Back 122

long sleepers

Front 123

What kind of sleepers tend to be non-worriers?

Back 123

short sleepers

Front 124

What refers to a cycle of waking and sleeping that regulates our pattern of sleep?

Back 124

Circadian Rhythm

Front 125

What are small, fast waves typical of EEG activity when you are awake and alert called?

Back 125

Beta Waves

Front 126

What are larger, slower waves which occur immediately before sleep and/or when a person is relaxed and thoughts are allowed to drift?

Back 126

Alpha Waves

Front 127

What are very large and slow waves that signal deeper sleep and a further loss of consciousness called?

Back 127

Delta Waves

Front 128

What is a relaxed state of dreamlike awareness between wakefulness and sleep called?

Back 128

Hypnagogic State

Front 129

What may help prevent the sleeping brain from being aroused by external stimuli thus marking the TRUE BOUNDARY of sleep?

Back 129

sleep spindles

Front 130

Sleep spindles help prevent the sleeping brain from being aroused by external stimuli and mark the true boundary of sleep. Why?

Back 130

within a few minutes after sleep spindles appear MOST subjects will report that they were asleep

Front 131

What are indicated by short bursts of distinctive brain-wave activity generated by the thalamus and recorded on the EEG?

Back 131

sleep spindles

Front 132

What is called active sleep and is strongly associated with dreaming?

Back 132

REM (Rapid Eye Movement) Sleep

Front 133

What is a function of REM sleep?

Back 133

keeping the brain in good working order

Front 134

What is muscular immobility associated with REM sleep called? It is caused by the total relaxation of the muscles.

Back 134

atonia

Front 135

What involves a failure of normal muscle paralysis, leading to violent actions during REM sleep?

Back 135

REM Behavior Disorder

Front 136

What kind of sleep is dream-free 90% of the time?

Back 136

NREM (NonRapid Eye Movement) Sleep

Front 137

What is the function of NREM (NonRapid Eye Movement) Sleep?

Back 137

appears to help us recover from fatigue built up during the day

Front 138

What is the name of a view of dreaming offered by Hobson and McClarly?

Back 138

Activation-Synthesis Hypothesis

Front 139

The Activation-Synthesis Hypothesis states that during REM sleep, what happens?

Back 139

brain cells issue commands for movement which are blocked from actually reaching the body

Front 140

In The Activation-Synthesis Hypothesis, brain cells issue commands for movement which are blocked from actually reaching the body.

What does the brain do in an effort to interpret these reports of movement?

Back 140

the brain searches through stored memories and manufactures a dream

Front 141

According to ___, most dreams reflect everyday events.

Back 141

Hall

Front 142

___ are synthetic stimulants. The main legitimate use is to treat childhood hyperactivity and overdoses of depressant drugs.

Back 142

Amphetamines

Front 143

What is a substance capable of altering attention, memory, judgment, time sense, self-control, mood or perception called?

Back 143

psychoactive drug

alter effects of neurotransmitters

Front 144

What is the most frequently used psychoactive drug in North America?

Back 144

caffeine

Front 145

According to Maistro, Galizio & Connors, how does caffeine work?

Back 145

it stimulates the brain by blocking chemicals that normally inhibit or slow nerve activity

Front 146

How does cocaine differ from amphetamines?

The two are very much alike in their effects on the CNS.

Back 146

The main difference is that amphetamine effects typically last longer than those of cocaine, which is more quickly metabolized

Front 147

What are sedative drugs that depress brain activity called? Medically, they are used to calm patients or to induce sleep.

Back 147

barbiturates

Front 148

What is a nightmare?

Back 148

simply a "bad dream" that takes place during REM sleep

Front 149

What are two characteristics of night terrors?

Back 149

1) the attack may last 15-20 minutes

2) most common in children

Front 150

What refers to the sudden, unexplained death of an apparently healthy infant?

Back 150

SIDS

Front 151

What is the shortsighted thinking and perception that occurs during alcohol intoxification called?

Back 151

alcohol myopia

Front 152

What is consuming five or more drinks in a short time (four for women) called?

Back 152

binge drinking

Front 153

What is a lucid dream?

Back 153

a dream in which the dreamer is fully awake and capable of normal thought and action