Vocab - Psychology - Chapter 4

Front 1

absolute refractory period

Back 1

The brief time interval following an action potential when a neuron incapable of being stimulated to fire another impulse

Front 2

acetylcholine

Back 2

An excitatory neurotransmitter that operates at synapses with muscles and is also the transmitter in some neural networks involved in memory.

Front 3

action potential

Back 3

A nerve impulse resulting from the depolarization of an axon's cell membrane.

Front 4

adrenal glands

Back 4

Endocrine glands that release stress hormones, including catecholamines and corticosteroids.

Front 5

agonist

Back 5

A drug that increase or mimics the activity of a neurotransmitter

Front 6

all-or-none law

Back 6

States that an action potential is not proportional to the intensity of a stimulation, either the neuron fires with maximum intensity or it does not fire.

Front 7

amygdala

Back 7

A limbic system structure that helps organize emotional response patterns.

Front 8

antagonist

Back 8

A drug that inhibits or decreases the action of a neurotransmitter.

Front 9

aphasia

Back 9

The partial or total loss of ability to understand speech or to produce it.

Front 10

association cortex

Back 10

The areas of the cerebral cortex that do not have sensory or motor functions but are involved in the integration of neural activity that underlies perception of language and other higher order mental processes.

Front 11

autonomic nervous system

Back 11

The branch of the peripheral nervous system that activates the body's involuntary muscles (heart) and internal organs.

Front 12

axon

Back 12

An extension from one side of the neuron cell body that conducts nerve impulses to other neurons, muscles or glands.

Front 13

brain stem

Back 13

The portion of the brain formed by the swelling of the spinal cord as it enters the skull; its structures regulate basic survival function of the body, such as heart rate and respiration.

Front 14

Broca's area

Back 14

A region of the left frontal lobe involved in speech production.

Front 15

central nervous system

Back 15

The portion of the nervous system that includes the brain and the spinal cord.

Front 16

cerebellum

Back 16

A convoluted hind brain structure involved in motor coordination and some aspects of learning and memory.

Front 17

cerebral cortex

Back 17

The gray, convoluted outer covering of the brain that is the seat of higher order sensory, motor, perceptual and mental processes.

Front 18

cerebrum

Back 18

The most advanced portion of the brain, containing the cerebral cortex and underlying structures.

Front 19

computerized axial tomography
(CT or CAT) scan

Back 19

A method of scanning the brain with narrow beams of X rays that are analyzed and combined by a computer to provide pictures of brain structures from many different angles.

Front 20

corpus callosum

Back 20

A broad band of white, myelinated fibers that connects the left and right cerebral hemispheres and allows the two hemispheres to communicate with each other.

Front 21

dendrites

Back 21

Small branching fibers that extend from the soma of a neuron and receive message from adjacent neurons.

Front 22

electroencephalograph (EEG)

Back 22

A device used to record the simultaneous activity of many thousands of neurons through electrodes attached to the scalp.

Front 23

endocrine system

Back 23

The body's system of glands that secrete hormones into the bloods stream and thereby affect many bodily functions.

Front 24

forebrain

Back 24

Brain structures above the midbrain including the thalamus, hypothalamus, the limbic system and the cerebral hemispheres; involved in higher order sensory, motor and cognitive functions.

Front 25

functional MRI

Back 25

A brain-scanning procedure that produces pictures of blood flow in the brain taken less than a second apart.

Front 26

graded potentials

Back 26

A change in the electrical potential of a neuron that is proportional to the intensity of the incoming stimulation but not sufficient to produce an action potential.

Front 27

hindbrain

Back 27

The part of the brain situated immediately above the spinal cord that contains the brain stem and cerebellum.

Front 28

hippocampus

Back 28

A structure of the limbic system that plays a key role in the formation and storage of memories.

Front 29

homeostasis

Back 29

The maintenance of biological equilibrium, or balance, within the body.

Front 30

hormones

Back 30

Chemical substances secreted by the glands of the endocrine system that travel in the bloodstream and affect bodily organs, psychological functions and development.

Front 31

hypothalamus

Back 31

A forebrain structure located below the thalamus and above the pituitary gland that controls autonomic and hormonal processes and plays a major role in many aspects of motivation and emotional behavior.

Front 32

interneurons

Back 32

Neurons that are neither sensory nor motor neurons but that perform associative or integrative functions within the nervous system.

Front 33

lateralization

Back 33

The degree of localization of a function either the right or the left cerebral hemisphere.

Front 34

limbic system

Back 34

A group of subcortical structures, including the hippocampus and amygdala, that are involved in organizing the many goal-directed and emotional behaviors.

Front 35

magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Back 35

A brain scanning procedure that produces a highly detailed image of the living tissue based on the tissue's response to a magnetic field. Can be used to study brain functions as they occur.

Front 36

medulla

Back 36

A brain stem structure that controls vital functions, including heart beat and respiration.

Front 37

midbrain

Back 37

Brain structures above the hindbrain that are involved in sensory and motor functions in attention and states of consciousness.

Front 38

motor cortex

Back 38

The cortical area of the rear portion of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements on the opposite sides of the body.

Front 39

motor neurons

Back 39

Specialized neurons that carry neural message from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands.

Front 40

myelin sheath

Back 40

A fatty insulating substance on the axon of some neurons that increases the speed of neural transmission.

Front 41

neural plasticity

Back 41

The ability of neurons to to modify their structure and function in response to experiential factors or injury

Front 42

neural stem cells

Back 42

Immature "uncomitted" cells that can mature into any type of neuron or glial cell needed by the brain.

Front 43

neurogenesis

Back 43

The production of new neurons in the nervous system, sometimes to replace neurons that have died or been damaged.

Front 44

neuromodulators

Back 44

Neurotransmitter substances that are released by neurons and circulate within the nervous system to affect the sensitivity of the many neurons to their natural transmitter substances.

Front 45

neurons

Back 45

Nerve cells that constitute the basic building blocks of the nervous system.

Front 46

neurotransmitters

Back 46

Chemical substances that are released from the axons of one neuron, travel across the synaptic space, and bind to specially keyed receptors in another neuron where the produce a chemical, either excitatory or inhibitory.

Front 47

parasympathetic nervous system

Back 47

The branch of the autonomic nervous system that slows down bodily processes to conserve energy and reduce arousal.

Front 48

peripheral nervous system

Back 48

All of the neurons that connect the central nervous system with the sensory receptors, the muscles and the glands.

Front 49

pons

Back 49

A brain stem structure having sensory and motor tracts whose functions are involved in sleep and dreaming.

Front 50

positron-emission tomography (PET) scan.

Back 50

A procedure that provides a visual display of the absorption of a radioactive substance by neurons, indicating how actively they are involved as the brain performs a task.

Front 51

prefrontal cortex

Back 51

The area of the frontal lobe just behind the eyes and the forehead that is involved the executive functions of planning, self-awareness and responsibility.

Front 52

psychoactive drugs

Back 52

Chemicals that produce alterations in consciousness, emotion and behavior.

Front 53

receptor sites

Back 53

Protein molecules on neurons dendrites or soma that are specially shaped to accommodate a specific neurotransmitter molecule.

Front 54

resting potential

Back 54

The voltage difference between the inside and outside of a neuron ( about -70 mV) caused by the unequal distribution of ions inside the neuron's membrane and outside in the fluid surround the neuron when the neuron is at rest.

Front 55

reticular formation

Back 55

A structure extending from the hind brain into the lower forebrain that plays a central role in the consciousness, sleep and attention, in part by alerting and activities higher brain center and by selectively blocking some inputs to higher regions in the brain.

Front 56

reuptake

Back 56

The process where by transmitter substances are taken back into the presynaptic neurons so they do not continue to stimulate postsynaptic neurons.

Front 57

sensory neurons

Back 57

Specialized neurons that carry messages from the sense organs to the spinal cord and brain.

Front 58

somatic nervous system

Back 58

The branch of the peripheral nervous system that provides input from the sensory receptors and output to the voluntary muscles of the body.

Front 59

somatic sensory cortex

Back 59

Cortical strips in the front portion of the parietal lobes that receive sensory input from the opposite of the body.

Front 60

sympathetic nervous system

Back 60

The branch of the autonomic nervous system that has an arousal function on the body's internal organs, speeding up bodily processes and mobilizing the body.

Front 61

synaptic space

Back 61

The microscopic space between the axons of one neuron and the dendrites or cell body of another over which the nerve impulse is transmitted.

Front 62

synaptic vesicles

Back 62

Chambers within the axon that contain the neurotransmitter substance.

Front 63

thalamus

Back 63

A major sensory integration and relay center in the forebrain, sometimes referred to as the brain's sensory switchboard.

Front 64

Wernicke's area

Back 64

An area of the left temporal lobe that is involved in speech comprehension.

Front 65

anticipatory nausea and vomiting (ANV)

Back 65

Classically conditioned nausea and vomiting that occur when cancer patients are exposed to stimuli associated with their treatment.

Front 66

applied behavior analysis

Back 66

A process in which operant conditioning is combined with scientific data collection to solve individual and societal problems.

Front 67

aversion therapy

Back 67

A form of therapy in which a conditioned stimulus that currently evokes a positive but maladaptive response is paired with a noxious, unpleasant unconditioned stimulus, in an attempt to condition a repulsion toward the conditioned stimulus.

Front 68

aversive punishment (positive punishment, punishment by application).

Back 68

A type of punishment in which an operant response is weakened by the subsequent presentation of a noxious stimulus.

Front 69

avoidance conditioning

Back 69

A form of learning in which an organism learns a response to avoid an undesirable consequence.

Front 70

chaining

Back 70

An operant conditioning procedure used to develop a sequence of responses by reinforcing each response with the opportunity to perform the next response.

Front 71

classical conditioning

Back 71

A procedure in which a formerly neutral stimulus (the conditioned stimulus) comes to elicit a conditined response by virtue of being paired with an unconditioned stimulus that naturally elicits a similar response (the unconditioned response).

Front 72

cognitive map

Back 72

A mental representation of a spacial layout of an area.

Front 73

conditioned response

Back 73

In classical conditioning, a response to a conditioned stimulus; (salivating after bell)

Front 74

conditioned stimulus

Back 74

A stimulus that comes to evoke a conditioned response after being paired with an unconditioned stimulus. (bell)

Front 75

conditioned taste aversion

Back 75

A learned repulsion to a food that was formerly neutral or desired, by virtue of paring the food with an aversive unconditioned stimulus.

Front 76

continuous reinforcement

Back 76

A reinforcement schedule in which each response of a particular type is followed by a reinforcement.

Front 77

discrimination

Back 77

The occurrence of a conditioned response to one of stimulus but not to another stimulus.

Front 78

discriminative stimulus

Back 78

An antecedent stimulus that signals the likelihood of certain consequences if a response is made.

Front 79

escape conditioning

Back 79

A form of learning in which the organism learns to perform a behavior to terminate an aversive stimulus.

Front 80

exposure therapies

Back 80

Therapeutic techniques designed to extinguish anxiety responses by exposing clients to anxiety arousing stimuli or situations while preventing escape or avoidance.

Front 81

extinction

Back 81

occurs when a conditioned stimulus is presented without the unconditioned stimulus causing the conditioned response to weaken and eventually stop occurring.

Front 82

fixed-interval (FI) schedule

Back 82

A reinforcement schedule in which the first response of a particular type is reinforced after a constant time interval

Front 83

fixed-ratio (FR) schedule

Back 83

A reinforcement schedule in which reinforcement is given after a constant number of responses of a particular type.

Front 84

habituation

Back 84

A decrease in the strength of a response to a repeated stimulus.

Front 85

higher-order conditioning

Back 85

In classical conditioning, a neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus after it is paired with another conditioned stimulus .

Front 86

insight

Back 86

In Gestalt, psychology, the sudden perception of a useful relation or solution to a problem, in psychoanalysis, the conscious awareness of unconscious dynamics that underlie psychological problems.

Front 87

instinctive drift

Back 87

The tendency for instinctive behavior to override a conditioned procedure, thus making it difficult to recreate or maintain a conditioned response.

Front 88

latent learning

Back 88

Learning that occurs in the absence of reinforcement but is not displayed until reinforcement is later introduced into the situation.

Front 89

law of effect

Back 89

Thorndike's concept that a response followed by a satisfying consequence will become more likely to occur, whereas a response followed by unsatisfying consequences will become less likely to occur.

Front 90

learning

Back 90

A relatively enduring change in an organism's behavior or performance capabilities that occurs as a result of experience.

Front 91

negative reinforcement

Back 91

A response is strengthened by the subsequent removal of an aversive stimulus.

Front 92

observational learning

Back 92

Learning through observing the behavior of a model.

Front 93

operant conditioning

Back 93

A type of learning in which behavior is modified by its consequences, such as by reinforcement and punishment.

Front 94

operant discrimination

Back 94

An operant response occurs when a particular antecedent stimulus is present but not when another antecedent stimulus is present.

Front 95

operant extinction

Back 95

Occurs when the absence of reinforcement for a previous reinforced response causes that response

Front 96

operant generalization

Back 96

An operant response occurs to a new antecedent stimulus that is similar to the original antecedent stimulus.

Front 97

partial (intermittent) reinforcement

Back 97

A reinforcement schedule in which only a portion of the responses of a particular type ore followed by a reinforcer.

Front 98

positive reinforcement

Back 98

A response is strengthened by the subsequent presentation of a stimulus.

Front 99

preparedness

Back 99

the notion, that, throughout evolution, animals have become biologically predisposed to learn some new associations more readily than others.

Front 100

primary reinforcers

Back 100

positive reinforcer that satisfies a biological need, like food or water

Front 101

punishment

Back 101

A response is weakened by an outcome that follows it.

Front 102

reinforcement

Back 102

A response is strengthened by an an outcome that follows it.

Front 103

response cost (negative punishment, punishment by removal).

Back 103

A type of punishment in which an operant response is weakened by the subsequent removal of a stimulus that was not the cause of the original response. (Removing TV privileges for a child who is misbehaving to get their attention).

Front 104

secondary (conditioned) reinforcers

Back 104

A stimulus that acquires reinforcing qualities by being associated with a primary reinforcer.

Front 105

self-efficacy

Back 105

The conviction that we can perform the behaviors necessary to produce a desired outcome

Front 106

shaping

Back 106

An operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcement begins with a behavior that the organism can already perform and then is made contingent on behaviors that increasingly approximate the final desired behavior.

Front 107

Skinner box

Back 107

An experimental chamber in which animals learn to perform operant responses, such as pressing a bar or pecking, so that learning processes can be studied.

Front 108

social cognitive theory (social-learning theory)

Back 108

A cognitive behavioral approach to personality that emphasizes the role of social learning, cognitive processes and self-regulation.

Front 109

spontaneous recovery

Back 109

In classical conditioning, the reappearance of previously extinguished continued response after a period of time has passed following extinction.

Front 110

stimulus control

Back 110

The occurrence of an operant behavior in response to a discriminative stimulus.

Front 111

stimulus generalization

Back 111

A conditioned response occurs to stimuli other than the original conditioned stimulus, based on the similarity of these stimuli to the conditioned stimulus.

Front 112

token economy

Back 112

A procedure in which desirable behaviors are reinforced with tokes or points that can be later redeemed for other reinforcers.

Front 113

two-factor theory of avoidance learning

Back 113

Maintains that avoidance learning first involves the classical conditioning of fear, followed by learning operant responses that avoid an anticipated aversive stimulus and thus are reinforced by anxiety reduction.

Front 114

unconditioned response (UCR)

Back 114

A response (usually reflexive or innate) that is elicited by a specific stimulus without prior learning (salivation).

Front 115

unconditioned stimulus

Back 115

A stimulus that elicits a particular reflexive or innate response without prior learning (food).

Front 116

variable-interval (VI) schedule

Back 116

A reinforcement schedule in which reinforcement follows the first response of a particular type that occurs after an average but variable time interval following the last reinforce response.

Front 117

variable-ratio (VR) schedule

Back 117

A reinforcement schedule in which reinforcement is based on average but variable number of responses of a particular type.