AP Psychology Unit 2 ALL

Freud

studied the unconscious - Along with other psychoanalysis, he theorized that the unconscious level is an invisible force deep within our minds

Circadian Rhythm

the biological clock; regular bodily rhythms

suprachiasmatic nucleus

each of a pair of small nuclei in the hypothalamus of the brain, above the optic chiasma, thought to be concerned with the regulation of physiological circadian rhythms.

Beta

awake, alert, anxious - quick, rapid

Alpha

relaxed, ready for sleep (may see hallucinations just before falling asleep)

Theta

stages 1 and 2 of NREM sleep

Delta

deep sleep; stage 3 of NREM -- At some point we shift from being awake to sleep, but we do not perceive that moment

Sleep Pattern

Roughly 90-minute segments and you have about 4-6 cycles per night

NREM 1

½ awake / ½ asleep

NREM 2

light sleep - associated with sleep talking

Sleep Spindles

K-complexes - large, high-voltage waves that often appear in response to such outside stimuli as sounds

NREM 3

Deep Sleep

REM Sleep

a recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occur

REM

rapid eye movement

Sleep Deprivation

occurs when an individual fails to get enough sleep. Can cause memory loss, weak immune system, weight gain, reduced energy, etc

Dreams

include all images, events, sounds, and other sensations experienced during sleep

Manifest content

what we recall from the "storyline" of our dreams

Latent content

underlying meaning of the dream

Wishful Fulfillment Theory

Dreams are the key to understanding our inner conflicts.

Information Processing Theory

Dreams act to sort out and understand the memories that you experience that day.

Problem Solving Theory

Dreamers sort through and accept emotions associated with yesterday's misfortunes.

Activation Synthesis Theory

During the night our brain stem releases random neural activity, dreams may be a way to make sense of that activity.

Insomnia

Inability to fall asleep or stay asleep. Treatment include reduction of caffeine, set sleep schedule, etc

Narcolepsy

Sudden & irresistible onsets of sleep during normal waking periods. Treatments include medication, changing sleep patterns, and introduction of naps during the day

Sleep Apnea

a sleep disorder characterized by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and repeated momentary awakenings. Treatments include respiration machine

Night Terrors

a sleep disorder characterized by high arousal and an appearance of being terrified, occurs during NREM-3 sleep, within 2-3 hours of falling asleep, and are seldom remembered

Endocrine System

the collection of glands that produce hormones that regulate metabolism, growth and development, tissue function, sexual function, reproduction, sleep, and mood, etc

Hypothalamus

brain region controlling the pituitary gland

Pituitary Gland

the "master control gland" controls other glands and makes the hormones that trigger growth

Pineal Gland

produces melatonin which affects sleep

Adrenal Glands

produce hormones that help regulate your metabolism, immune system, blood pressure, response to stress and other essential functions (Cortisol, Adrenaline, etc)

Parathyroid gland

help regulate the level of calcium in the blood

Thyroid Gland

affects metabolism

Pancreas

regulates the level of sugar in the blood

Testis

secretes male sex hormones -- linked with aggressive behavior

Ovary

secretes female sex hormones

Nervous System

The body's electrochemical communications network.

Central Nervous System

The brain & spinal cord, which distribute & process messages.

Spinal Cord

nerves that form the connections between the brain and the peripheral nervous system and are encased in the spine

Peripheral Nervous System

A branch of the human nervous system that includes all components except the brain and spinal cord

Somatic Nervous System

The part of the peripheral nervous system that controls voluntary movements

Autonomic Nervous System

A part of the peripheral nervous system that regulates bodily processes such as breathing, heart rate, and digestion

Sympathetic nervous System

branch of the autonomic nervous system that excites body by preparing it for action (increased heartbeat, pupils dilate, lungs increase oxygen, relax bladder, etc) FIGHT OR FLIGHT

Parasympathetic Nervous System

branch of the autonomic nervous system that restore the body's energy sources once they have been depleted (pupils constrict, heart beat slows, constrict airways, stomach contraterm-37ct, etc), REST AND DIGEST

Sensory or afferent neurons

neurons that take information from the senses to the brain

Motor or efferent neurons

neurons that take information from the brain to the rest of the body

Interneurons

in the brain or spinal cord, neurons that take messages and send them elsewhere in the brain or spinal cord

Mirror Neurons

neuron that play role in action understanding, imitation learning, and language processing. Enables use to recreate and embody intentions of others.

Neurons

individual nerve cells that make up our entire nervous system

Dendrites

receive neural messages

Cell body (Soma)

contains the nucleus and other parts of the cell needed to sustain its life

Axon

wirelike structure ending in the terminal buttons that extends from the cell body -- passes the messages along

Myelin Sheath

a fatty covering around the axon of some neurons that speeds neural impulses (lack of it can cause Multiple Sclerosis)

Terminal Buttons (Axon Terminals)

branched end of the axon that contains neurotransmitters

Synapse

space between the terminal buttons of one neuron and the dendrites of the next neuron

Glial cells

provide nutrition and protection for the neurons

Schwann Cells

Supporting cells of the peripheral nervous system responsible for the formation of myelin.

Node of Ranvier

Tiny gaps within the myelin sheath covering a nerve cell; may help speed impulses

Excitatory neurotransmitters

send signals that stimulate the brain

Inhibitory neurotransmitters

send signals to calm the brain down and create balance.

Reuptake inhibitors

drugs that prevent the axon terminals from engaging in the reuptake of neurotransmitters.

Brainstem

the oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; this part is responsible for automatic survival functions

Medulla

controls heartbeat, blood circulation, breathing, muscle maintenance, regulation of reflexes like sneezing/coughing.

Reticular Formation

plays an important role in controlling arousal (waking)

Pons

plays a role with sleep and dreaming

Cerebellum

the "little brain" at the rear of the brainstem; functions include processing sensory input, coordinating movement output and balance, and enabling nonverbal learning and memory

Thalamus

the brain's sensory control center, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla

Limbic System

neural system (includes the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus) located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives

Hippocampus

vital to our memory system

Amygdala

the center of emotion and is responsible for fear and aggressive responses

Hypothamalus

regulates the autonomic nervous system (flight or fight), temperature, hunger, and sex.

Cerebrum

the largest part of the brain. Made up of 2 cerebral hemispheres (the left and the right hemispheres), separated by a large groove; the medial longitudinal fissure. Control muscle functions, speech, thought, emotions, reading, writing, and learning.

Left Hemisphere

specializes in language, speech, handwriting, calculation, sense of time and rhythm. controls the right side of the body

Right Hemisphere

specializes in processing involving perception, visualization, recognition of faces & emotions

Hemisphere

the brain has two, the left and the right. The left controls the right side of the body and the right controls the left side of the body.

Corpus Callosum

the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them

Cerebral Cortex

the outer layer of tissue of the hemispheres, and smaller subcortical structure

Frontal Lobe

portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgments

Prefrontal cortex

located at the very front of the frontal lobe, controls executive functions or a set of abilities that are needed to control cognitive behaviors. These behaviors include attention, inhibition, working memory, problem-solving and planning.

Parietal Lobe

portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position

Occipital Lobe

portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes areas that receive information from the visual fields, contains the visual cortex

Temporal Lobe

portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas and helps with hearing and meaningful speech, contains the primary auditory cortex

Motor Cortex

an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements

Sensory Cortex

area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations

Auditory Cortex

the part of the temporal lobe that processes auditory information in humans and many other vertebrates.

Visual Cortex

the primary cortical region of the brain that receives, integrates, and processes visual information relayed from the retinas

Association Areas

areas in the cerebral cortex involved in higher mental function.

Basal ganglia

group of nuclei that function as a unit. plays a role in the goal-directed control of voluntary movements and routine behaviors.

Broca's area

located in the left hemisphere in the frontal lobe. This area is responsible for speech production and language comprehension. Damage to this area can result in Broca's aphasia.

Wernicke's area

located in the back of the temporal lobe near the occipital lobe of the left cerebral hemisphere and is involved in understanding written and spoken language. Damage to this area is called Wernicke's Aphasia.

Behavioral genetics

focuses on discovering how genes and experiences interact and lead to specific behaviors and mental abilities

Molecular Genetics

The study of chromosomes and gene expression of an organism can give insight into heredity, genetic variation, and mutations

DNA

a complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes

Genes

segments of DNA that contain instructions to make proteins - building blocks of life

Heritability

a measure of how well differences in people's genes account for differences in their traits

Dominant Alleles

show their effect even if the individual only has 1 copy of the allele

Recessive Alleles

only show their effect if the individual has 2 copies of the allele

Genome

the entirety of that individual's hereditary information

Genotype

the collection of genes responsible for the various genetic traits of a given organism

Phenotype

the visible or observable expression of the results of genes, combined with the environmental influence on an organism's appearance or behavior (blue eyes)