Psych and Soc II (SIMPLE EDITOR) Flashcards
William James
Founder of American psychology
Believed it was important to study how the mind functioned n adapting to the environment
Early functionalist
Functionalism
The study of how mental processes help individuals adapt to their environment
Paul Broca
1st to link functional impairments to specific brain lesions
found Boca’s area - region of brain (on left side) where lesion causes inability to talk
Boca’s area
region of brain on left side; lesion causes inability to talk
Sir Charles Sherrington
1st inferred existence of synapses; mostly correct (but thought it was primarily an electrical process, rather than chemical)
Hermann von Helmutz
first to measure speed of nerve impulse
credited with transition of psych to a natural science
Three kinds of nerve cells in the nervous system
(1) sensory neurons (aka afferent neurons)
(2) interneurons
(3) motor neurons (aka efferent neurons)
Sensory neurons (aka afferent neurons)
transmit sensory info from receptors to spinal cord and brain
Motor neurons (aka efferent neurons)
Transmit info from brain and spinal cord to muscles and glands
Interneurons
between neurons; most prominent type of nerve cell;
-linked to reflexive behavior (reflex arcs)
Reflex arcs
Allow signals from sensory neurons to go to interneurons, where they will go to BOTH the brain AND the muscle (motor neurons), so the muscle can react even before the signal gets to the brain (so signal doesn’t have to travel up to brain and then back to muscle)
Two components of Peripheral nervous system
(1) Somatic Nervous system = sensory and motor neurons in skin, joints, and muscles
(2) Autonomic Nervous System = regulates involuntary muscles associated with many internal organs
Subdivisions of the Autonomic Nervous System
(1) Sympathetic Nervous System = Fight or flight; activated by stress
(2) Parasympathetic Nervous System = Rest and digest; main role is to conserve energy
Neurotransmitter responsible for parasympathetic responses in the body
acetylcholine
Meninges
Thick sheath of connective tissue covering the brain;
Protects brain and keeps it anchored within the skull; reabsorbs cerobospinal fluid
-composed of 3 layers (in-> out): dura mater -> arcchnoid mater -> pia mater
cerebospinal fluid
the aq soln in which the brain and spinal cord rest
What produces cerebospinal fluid?
Specialized cells that line the ventricles (internal cavities) of the brain
What are the 3 subdivisions of the brain (and functions)?
(1) Hindbrain: Balance, motor coordination, digestion, and general arousal
(2) Midbrain: involuntary reflex responses triggered by visual or auditory stimuli; receives sensory and motor info
(3) Forebrain: complex perceptual, cognitive, and behavioral processes
What does the brain develop from?
The Neural Tube - 3 swellings (forebrain, midbrain, hindbrain) that turn into a total of 5 swellings
What is the most primitive part of the brain?
The brainstem - which is made up of the hindbrain and forevbrain
Where is language processing, problem solving, etc. (high order processing) in the brain?
Cerebral cortex
Cerebral cortex
Outer covering of cerebral hemisphere;
language processing, problem solving, etc.
Structure of brain: location of basic survival functions vs. more complex functions
basic survival functions = structures at base
more complex functions = structures higher up
Limbic System: what and where in brain
Associated with emotion and memory; in the forebrain