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AP psychology > Unit 1 > Flashcards

Unit 1 Flashcards

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1
Q

What is Nature?

A

Nature refers to our genetics or predisposed characteristics that influence physical, behavorial and mental traits.

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2
Q

What is Nurture?

A

External factors that one experiences, such as family interactions or even education.

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3
Q

What is genetic predisposition? star

A

Environments can trigger gene activity, and genetically influenced traits can evoke responses from others.

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4
Q

What is evolutionary perspective?

A

Proposes that our personalities and individual differences have evolved, in part, to provide us with some form of adaptive advantage in the context of survival and reproduction.

Ex; newborn babies crying-> filling their lungs with air…
Toddlers rejecting vegetables due to not knowing the difference between good and bad plants (survival instincts passed down)

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5
Q

What are some examples of evolutionary perspective?

A
  • Avoiding toxic foods
  • Mate selection
  • Social competition
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6
Q

What is Eugenics?

A

Eugenics is the pseudoscientific view that the genetic makeup of the population can be improved by selective breeding and by preventing reproduction by people with various disabilities.

Ex, Natzis when creating the “Aerial race”

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7
Q

3 types of research regarding hereditary and environement?

A
  1. Twin studies
  2. Family studies
  3. Adoption studies
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8
Q

What is twin studies? star

A

Using twins to identify whether its genetics or environment that controls characteristics. ( Reared apart twins allows us to see )

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9
Q

What is family studies?

A

Siblings, parents or children to see genetic links, often related to health and disease.
-similar responses to health promotion intervention like diet, excercises or medication.

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10
Q

What is adoption studies

A

How similar are adopted children to their adoptive parents, are they as similar as non adopted kids & parents? If yes, this indicates nurture

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11
Q

What are the two things the nervous system is composed of?

A
  1. Central (brain and spinal cord)
  2. Peripheral (All other nerves)
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12
Q

What are the two peripheral nervous systems?

A
  1. Somatic
  2. Autonomic
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13
Q

What are the two autonomic nervous systems?

A
  1. Sympathetic
  2. Parasympathetic
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14
Q

Things about the sympathetic nervous system?

A

Sympathetic stimulation results in responses that help the body deal with stressful events.
-Fight or flight
-Speeds things up

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15
Q

Things about parasympathetic nervous system?

A

Parasympathetic stimulation results in maintenance of homeostasis, digestive processes, and calming.
-Rest and digest
-Pumps the breaks

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16
Q

Bodily results of sympathetic?

A

-dilation of pupils
-dilation of bronchi
-acceleration of heart rate
-acceleration of breathing rate
-release of glucose from liver
-inhibition of digestive functions
-secretion of adrenalin from adrenal glands
-inhibition of secretion of tear glands

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17
Q

Bodily results of parasympathetic?

A

-constriction of pupil size
-normal bladder contractions
-return to normal breathing rate
-stimulation of tear glands
-return to normal heart rate
-stimulation of digestive functions (salivation, peristalsis, enzyme secretion)

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18
Q

What are the two neural cells?

A
  1. neurons
  2. glial cells
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19
Q

What do neurons do?

A

recieve and transmit information.

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20
Q

What do glial cells do?

A

provide structure insulation, communication, and waste transport.

ex, Schwann cells-> produce the myelin sheath which insulates and speeds up the communication along the axon.

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21
Q

What do neurons and glial cells shape?

A

Behavior and actions.

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22
Q

What is a reflex arc?

A

In the spinal cord, the reflex arc demonstrates how neurons within the central and peripheral nervous systems work together to respond to
stimuli.

ex, hand taken away without even thinking about it if we were to touch a hot surface.

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23
Q

What are the three neurons that work together in the spinal cord to create a reflex arc?

A
  1. sensory neurons
  2. interneurons
  3. motor neurons
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24
Q

What are motor neurons?

A

Cells in the brain and spinal cord that allow us to move, speak, swallow and breathe by sending commands from the brain to the muscles that carry out these functions.

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25
What are sensory neurons?
Nerve cells that are activated by sensory input from the environment.
26
What are interneurons?
Connect spinal motor and sensory neurons.
27
What is neural transmission?
Transfer of inormation neurons
28
What is resting potential?
Resting nueron -A resting neuron is more negative inside the cell membrane than outside. The resting neural membrane potential is about -70mV (on average).
29
What is threshold?
Minimum intensity needed to fire a stimulus
30
What is action potential?
-Neural impulse -Electrical charge that travels down the axon -When the axon is myelinated, conduction speed is increased.
31
What is depolarization?
-Between threshold and action potential -Polarity reverses, travels down the axon, relaying the signal. -Depolarizations occur only at the nodes of Ranvier, and, therefore, the action potential jumps from one node to the next.
32
What is the all or nothing principle?
Idea that if a neuron passes the threshold, it will fire regardless of its magnitude although amount firing can differ.
33
What is the refractory period?
The time period in which the neuron cannot fire again until the ions have returned to the resting potential state.
34
What is reuptake?
When brain chemicals are taken back into the neuron that released them. It helps control how much of those chemicals are available to send messages between brain cells.
35
What are two disrputions to neural transmission?
1. Multiple sclerosis 2. Myathenia gravis
36
What is multiple sclerosis?
Caused by damage to the protective myelin sheath nerves. Affects: -vision -movement -cognition
37
What are some early symtopms of Multiple sclerosis?
Early symptoms: -blurred or double vision, -red–green color distortion, -blindness in one eye.
38
What are some later symptoms of multiple sclerosis
-fatigue -weakness in the hands and feet -numbness -stiffness or muscular spasms -muscle and back pain -difficulties with coordination and balance -loss of bladder or bowel control -depression Some individuals also experience cognitive impairments
39
What is myasthenia gravis?
Autoimmune disorder where the body produces antibodies against acetylcholine receptors, causing faulty transmission of nerve impulses at neuromuscular junctions. Affects: -muscles -speech
40
What is acetylchloline?
Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that plays a role in memory, learning, attention, arousal and involuntary muscle movement.
41
What are some symptoms of myasthenia gravis?
-Affected muscles are easily fatigued and may become paralyzed temporarily (e.g., muscles involved in eating may fail to function normally toward the end of a meal, speech may become slurred after a period of talking). -The disease is progressive, eventually affecting muscles throughout the body.
42
What are neurotransmitters?
Neurotransmitters generally communicate either excitatory or inhibitory messages.
43
What are excitatory transmitters?
More likely to fire, resting potential has been raised.
44
What are inhibatory transmitters?
lowers resting potential of a neuron. Takes more energy to meet the threshold, takes more energy to fire.
45
Comparison between neurotransmitters and hormones?
neurotransmitters vs hormones 1. internal 1. internal 2. nervous system 2. endocrine system 3. quick acting 3. long lasting
46
What are 5 hormones?
1. Adrenaline 2. Leptin 3. Ghrelin 4. Melatonin 5. Oxytocin
47
What is adrenaline?
Correlated with stress, fight or flight response. Aroused, hyper prepared.
48
What is Leptin?
Hunger suppressant.
49
What is Ghrelin?
Hunger stimulator.
50
What is melatonin?
Sleep- involved in the regulation of circadian rhythms.
51
What is Oxytocin?
Helps facilitate relationships between people. -labor -lactation -love (mammals, bond between parent and young)
52
What are eight neurotransmitters?
1. acetylcholine 2. Dopamine 3. Seratonin 4. Norepinephrine 5. GABA 6. Endorphins 7. Substance P 8. Glutamate
53
What is dopamine?
Influences movement, learning, attanetion and emotion. (can become addicted to things that give off dopamine, ex drugs, sex, videogames etc.)
54
Effects of deficit and surplus of dopamine?
-oversupply linked to schizophrenia -undersupply linked to tremors and decreased mobility in Parkinsons disease.
55
What is Seratonin?
plays a role in the regulation of mood; hunger, sleep and arousal.
56
What is the neurotransmitter doctors would increase to relive depression?
Seratonin, increase activity at serotonergic synapses.
57
What is norepinephrine?
A major inhibitory neurotransmitter -undersupply can depress mood
58
What is GABA?
A major excitatory neurotransmitter; involved in memory -undersupply linked to seizures, tremors and insomnia
59
What are endorphins?
Neurotransmitters that influence the perception of pain or pleasure -oversupply with opioids drugs can suppress the body’s natural endorphin supply
60
What is substance P?
Involved in pain perception and immune response -oversupply can lead to chronic pain
61
What is glutamate
A major excitatory neurotransmitter; involved in memory -oversupply can overstimulate the brain, producing migraines or seizures
62
What are psychoactive drugs?
Drugs that affect brain processes and result in altered states of consciousness, mood and perception
63
What is an agonist?
Drugs that’s mimic or facilitate the activity of a given neurotransmitter system
64
What is an antagonist?
Drugs that blocks or impede the activity of a given neurotransmitter system
65
What is an antagonist?
Drugs that blocks or impede the activity of a given neurotransmitter system
66
What is a reuptake inhibitor
Prevents the process of reuptake, thus changing the effects of the neurotransmitter
67
What is the brainstem?
Survival functions. Basic functions to keep you alive. Damage to this area of the brain would pose the biggest threat to your life (die) breathing, heart rate. (Things happening unconsciously.
68
What does the reticular activating system and the brains reward center do?
Keeps us conscious, aware and alert and controls some voluntary movement, eye movement, and some types of learning cognition & emotion
69
What is the cerebellum?
Balance and equilibrium -coordinated sequences of movement -implicit memory (when u get good at a sport or driving)
70
What is the thalamus?
Like air traffic control or a receptionist. Receives signals and sends them to the right (cerebral cortex) place so it can be processed.
71
What is the Hypothalamus?
Bridge between nervous system (neutrons firing neutrons) and endocrine system. Main role is to keep body regulated. It fight or flight, hunger, appropriate body temp and encourages sexual response cycle. Fight, flight, feeding, Fahrenheit, fornication (5F’s)
72
What is the Pituitary gland?
Size of a pea, controls and directs hormones. Affects physiological processes.
73
What is the hippocampus?
Crucial for learning, memory and converting short term to long term memories. They aren’t stored here but need to be processed here to recall then for a long term>facts & events pass here.
74
What is the Amygdala?
Responsible for fear and aggression. When we are in threat, signals will be sent here, where it will then send it to the hypothalamus to trigger a fight or flight response on both sides.
75
What is the corpus callosum?
Band of neutral fibers that connects the two hemispheres of the brain. This enables the communication to go from one to the other, allowing the hemispheres to work together.
76
What is the occipital lobes ?
Generally control visual information processing and are located in the rear of the brain. Right side of the brain controls left side of the body.
77
What are temporal lobes?
Auditory and linguistic processes. Comprehending and communicating in languages. Right temporal lobe contains an association area which helps us recognize faces.
78
What are Parietal lobes
Processes and organizes information and processes touch sensitivity. -Located in the back crown of the brain
79
what is the somatosensory cortex?
Touch sensitivity. More sensitive area of the body is where more area is dedicated to it on the somatosensory cortex. (never endings in delicate areas)
80
What is the wernicke's area?
Only on left of hemisphere. responsible for speech comprehension. Damage to this can lead to wernickes aphasia> individuals have difficulties with spoken language from others or themselves.
81
What are frontal lobes?
Located just behind the forhead, generally control linguistic processing, higher order thinking, and executive, especially in the prefontal cortex.
82
What is the motor cortex?
Controls most types of skeleton movement. Purposeful and voluntary movements are courtesy of this part of the brain. The more a part of the body is used in purposeful movement the more space is dedicated on the motor cortex.
83
What is brocas area?
Only left of hemisphere, brocas area is responsible for speech production. Damage to this part of the brain can lead to brocas aphasia.
84
What is bio psychology?
A field of study that examines how our brains and biology affect our thoughts and behaviours.
85
What is plasticity?
Brains ability to change and adapt as a result of experience. Ex: suffering a stroke, you can come back from it
86
What is lesioning?
Dirsputuon of or damage. Due to injury, disease, surgery, drugs, stimulation.
87
Left hemisphere
Organized, engineer, sciences. Controls right side, speech production, logical.
88
Right hemisphere?
Artistic, creativity. Controls left side of the body, special reasoning, emotions, art, music, recognizes faces.
89
What is consciousness?
Level at which a person is aware of mental events at a given moment. Sleep and wakefulness are two types of consciousness. Subjective awareness of ourselves and environment.
90
What is sleep?
A state of consciousness characterized by lower levels of physical activity And sensory awareness.
91
What is wakefulness?
State of consciousness characterized by high levels of awareness, behaviour, and thought.
92
What is the circadian rhythm?
Natural sleep g me. Sleep patterns have changed over time ( wake up with the sun, go to sleep at night )
93
What happens when your exposed to light in sleep cycle?
Melatonin stops creating in order to keep you awake. When light stops, body thinks it’s nighttime and starts producing melatonin again.
94
What are 2 disruptions to our sleep/wakefulness cycle?
1. Jet lag 2. Shift work
95
What is insomnia?
Ongoing difficulty falling or staying asleep
96
What is narcolepsy?
Sudden attacks of overwhelming sleepiness. -risk of falling asleep at random moments which can be dangerous (ex, driving)
97
What is sleep apnea?
Stop of breathing repeatedly while sleeping.
98
What is somnambulism?
Repeated episodes of complex motor behaviour, such as walking while asleep
99
What is REM sleep behaviour disorder?
Acting out the content of dreams while asleep, including vocalizing or motor behaviours such as kicking or punching.
100
What is activating synthesis?
Dream story results from the brains trying to interpret meaningless, periodic, random neural firings occurring during REM.
101
What is consolidation theory?
Sorting out days events to consolidate our memories for long term storage
102
What is transduction?
Process of converting energy of a stimulus into neural activity. Ex, What’s stopping your brain from tasting Tuesday?
103
What is sensory adaptation ?
When sensory receptor cells are constantly stimulated, they undergo a loss of sensitivity to stimuli Ex, clothes you’re wearing
104
What is webers law?
Relationship between actual and perceived differences in stimulus intensity. Brightness: 1.7%, pitch: 0.3%, weight: 2%, odour: 5%, saltiness of taste: 20%
105
What is sensory interaction?
Process by which our five senses work and influence eachother Ex, taste and smell
106
What is a wavelength?
Refers to how the wave vibrates or the # of cycles per second. Wavelengths determine the pitch of a sound.
107
What is amplitude?
Refers to the height of the wave from the centre line. It tells the loudness of the sound.
108
What is the volley theory?
Neural cells work together, alternating when they fire.
109
What is the frequency theory?
Hear different pitches because different sound waves ride neural impulses to the brain at same rate as the sound wave.
110
What is conduction deafness?
Damage to the mechanical system that transmits sound waves to the cochlea, most often the bones of the middle ear.
111
What is sensorineural deafness?
Damage to the cochlea’s hair cells or the auditory nerve. It results in some sounds being head more softly or not at all. -hereditary -non-reversible
112
What is olfaction ?
Sense of smell, can bring back memories and emotions related to strong scents. -Routed in the limbic system

AP psychology (8 decks)

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