Unit 2a AP Psychology Flashcards
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Questions and Answers

What is biological psychology?

A branch of psychology concerned with the links between biology and behavior.

What is a neuron?

A nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system.

What are dendrites?

A neuron's bushy, branching extensions that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body.

What is an axon?

<p>The extension of a neuron through which messages pass to other neurons or to muscles or glands.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is myelin sheath?

<p>A layer of fatty tissue segmentally encasing the fibers of many neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed of neural impulses.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is action potential?

<p>A neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a threshold in neuroscience?

<p>The level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a synapse?

<p>The junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are neurotransmitters?

<p>Chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of acetylcholine (ACh)?

<p>Enables muscle action, learning, and memory.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are endorphins?

<p>&quot;Morphine within&quot;—natural, opiatelike neurotransmitters linked to pain control and pleasure.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the nervous system?

<p>The body's speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the central nervous system consist of?

<p>The brain and spinal cord.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the peripheral nervous system?

<p>The sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are nerves?

<p>Bundled axons that form neural &quot;cables&quot; connecting the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are sensory neurons?

<p>Neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are interneurons?

<p>Neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between sensory inputs and motor outputs.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are motor neurons?

<p>Neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the somatic nervous system?

<p>The division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the autonomic nervous system?

<p>The part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the sympathetic nervous system?

<p>The division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the parasympathetic nervous system?

<p>The division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a reflex?

<p>A simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are neural networks?

<p>Any group of neurons that conduct impulses in a coordinated manner.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the endocrine system?

<p>The body's &quot;slow&quot; chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are hormones?

<p>Chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are adrenal glands?

<p>A pair of endocrine glands that sit just above the kidneys and secrete hormones that help arouse the body in times of stress.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the pituitary gland?

<p>The endocrine system's most influential gland, regulating growth and controlling other endocrine glands.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a lesion?

<p>Tissue destruction; a brain lesion can be naturally or experimentally caused.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is an electroencephalogram (EEG)?

<p>An amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain's surface.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a PET scan?

<p>A visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is MRI?

<p>A technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images of soft tissue.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is fMRI?

<p>A technique for revealing blood flow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the brainstem?

<p>The oldest part and central core of the brain, responsible for automatic survival functions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the medulla?

<p>The base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the reticular formation?

<p>A nerve network in the brainstem that plays a role in controlling arousal.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the limbic system?

<p>A neural system located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the amygdala?

<p>Two lima bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the thalamus?

<p>The brain's sensory switchboard, directing messages to sensory receiving areas.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the cerebellum?

<p>The &quot;little brain&quot; at the rear of the brainstem; involved in processing sensory input and coordinating movement.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the hypothalamus?

<p>A neural structure lying below the thalamus; governs maintenance activities and is linked to emotion and reward.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the cerebral cortex?

<p>The intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are glial cells?

<p>Cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the frontal lobe?

<p>Portion of the cerebral cortex involved in speaking, muscle movements, and making plans and judgments.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the parietal lobe?

<p>Portion of the cerebral cortex that receives sensory input for touch and body position.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the occipital lobe?

<p>Portion of the cerebral cortex that includes areas receiving information from visual fields.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the temporal lobe?

<p>Portion of the cerebral cortex that includes the auditory areas.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the motor cortex?

<p>An area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the sensory cortex?

<p>Area at the front of the parietal lobes that processes body touch and movement sensations.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are association areas?

<p>Areas of the cerebral cortex involved in higher mental functions such as learning and thinking.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is plasticity in psychology?

<p>The brain's ability to change, especially during childhood.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is neurogenesis?

<p>The formation of new neurons.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the corpus callosum?

<p>The large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is split brain?

<p>A condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain's two hemispheres.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is social psychology?

<p>The scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is attribution theory?

<p>The theory that we explain someone's behavior by crediting either the situation or the person's disposition.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the fundamental attribution error?

<p>The tendency for observers to underestimate the impact of the situation and overestimate personal disposition.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is attitude in psychology?

<p>Feelings, often based on beliefs, that predispose us to respond in a particular way.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the foot-in-the-door phenomenon?

<p>The tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is cognitive dissonance theory?

<p>The theory that we act to reduce the discomfort we feel when two of our thoughts are inconsistent.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is conformity?

<p>Adjusting one's behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is normative social influence?

<p>Influence resulting from a person's desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is informational social influence?

<p>Influence resulting from one's willingness to accept others' opinions about reality.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is social facilitation?

<p>Stronger responses on simple or well-learned tasks in the presence of others.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is social loafing?

<p>The tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling efforts toward a common goal.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is deindividuation?

<p>The loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is groupthink?

<p>The mode of thinking when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is group polarization?

<p>The enhancement of a group's prevailing inclinations through discussion.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a self-fulfilling prophecy?

<p>When a person unknowingly causes a prediction to come true, due to expecting it.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a stereotype?

<p>A generalized belief about a group of people.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is prejudice?

<p>An unjustifiable attitude toward a group.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is an ingroup?

<p>&quot;Us&quot; - people with whom one shares a common identity.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is an outgroup?

<p>&quot;Them&quot; - those perceived as different or apart from our ingroup.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is ingroup bias?

<p>The tendency to favor our own group.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is scapegoat theory?

<p>The theory that prejudice offers an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the just-world phenomenon?

<p>The tendency to believe the world is just and that people get what they deserve.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is aggression?

<p>Any physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroy.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the frustration-aggression principle?

<p>The principle that frustration creates anger which can generate aggression.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is conflict?

<p>A perceived incompatibility of actions, goals, or ideas.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a social trap?

<p>A situation in which conflicting parties pursue self-interest, becoming caught in mutually destructive behavior.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the mere exposure effect?

<p>The phenomenon that repeated exposure to novel stimuli increases liking of them.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is passionate love?

<p>An aroused state of intense positive absorption in another.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is compassionate love?

<p>The deep affectionate attachment we feel for those with whom our lives are intertwined.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is equity in relationships?

<p>A condition in which people receive from a relationship in proportion to what they give.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is self-disclosure?

<p>Revealing intimate aspects of oneself to others.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is altruism?

<p>Unselfish regard for the welfare of others.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the bystander effect?

<p>The tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is social exchange theory?

<p>The theory that our social behavior is an exchange process, aiming to maximize benefits and minimize costs.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are superordinate goals?

<p>Shared goals that override differences among people and require their cooperation.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are chromosomes?

<p>Threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is DNA?

<p>A complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are genes?

<p>The biochemical units of heredity that make up the chromosomes.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a genome?

<p>The complete instructions for making an organism, consisting of all the genetic material.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is natural selection?

<p>The principle that inherited trait variations contributing to reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are mutations?

<p>A random error in gene replication that leads to a change.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is evolutionary psychology?

<p>The study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is gender in psychology?

<p>The biologically and socially influenced characteristics by which people define male and female.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is behavior genetics?

<p>The study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the term environment refer to in psychology?

<p>Every nongenetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and things around us.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are identical twins?

<p>Twins who develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Biological Psychology

The study of how biological processes influence behavior.

Neuron

A nerve cell; the basic unit of the nervous system.

Dendrite

Part of a neuron that receives messages.

Axon

Part of a neuron that transmits messages.

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Myelin Sheath

Fatty layer around axon that speeds up neural impulses.

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Action Potential

Brief electrical charge traveling down an axon.

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Threshold

Minimum stimulation needed for a neural impulse.

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Synapse

Junction between two neurons.

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Neurotransmitter

Chemical messenger across synapses.

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Acetylcholine (ACh)

Neurotransmitter for muscle action, learning, memory.

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Endorphins

Natural neurotransmitters linked to pain relief and pleasure.

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Nervous System

Body's communication network.

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Central Nervous System (CNS)

Brain and spinal cord.

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Peripheral Nervous System

Connects CNS to the rest of the body.

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Nerves

Bundles of axons forming cables linking CNS.

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Sensory Neuron

Carries information from sensory receptors to CNS.

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Interneuron

Connects sensory and motor neurons within CNS.

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Motor Neuron

Carries information from CNS to muscles and glands.

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Autonomic Nervous System

Regulates involuntary actions.

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Somatic Nervous System

Controls voluntary muscle actions.

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Brain Stem

Connects brain to spinal cord, basic functions.

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Medulla

Controls heartbeat and breathing.

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Hypothalamus

Regulates endocrine and bodily functions.

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Cerebral Cortex

Outer layer of the brain, responsible for higher functions.

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Association Areas

Integrate and process information for higher cognitive functions.

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Neuroplasticity

Brain's ability to reorganize itself.

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Study Notes

Biological Psychology and Neurons

  • Biological psychology explores the connection between biological processes and behavior.
  • Neurons are the fundamental building blocks of the nervous system.
  • Dendrites receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body, while axons transmit messages to other neurons or muscles.
  • The myelin sheath is a fatty layer that increases the speed of neural impulses by allowing the signal to hop between nodes.

Neural Activity

  • Action potential refers to a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon.
  • The threshold is the minimum level of stimulation needed to trigger a neural impulse.
  • Synapses are the junctions where neurotransmitters are released from one neuron to influence another.

Neurotransmitters and Hormones

  • Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that cross synapses, influencing neural communication.
  • Acetylcholine (ACh) is essential for muscle action, learning, and memory.
  • Endorphins are natural neurotransmitters linked to pain relief and pleasure.

Nervous System Structure

  • The nervous system is the body’s network for fast communication, comprising the central and peripheral systems.
  • The central nervous system (CNS) consists of the brain and spinal cord, while the peripheral nervous system connects the CNS to the body.
  • Nerves are bundles of axons forming cables linking the CNS to muscles and glands.

Neural Types and Functions

  • Sensory neurons bring information from sensory receptors to the CNS.
  • Interneurons, located within the CNS, relay messages between sensory and motor neurons.
  • Motor neurons transmit information from the CNS to muscles and glands.

Autonomic Nervous System

  • The autonomic nervous system regulates involuntary bodily functions and has two divisions: sympathetic (arouses the body) and parasympathetic (calms the body).
  • The somatic nervous system controls voluntary muscle movements.

Brain and Its Structures

  • The brainstem is crucial for automatic survival functions and connects the brain to the spinal cord.
  • The medulla controls basic life functions like heartbeat and breathing.
  • The hypothalamus regulates essential bodily functions and the endocrine system.

Brain Regions and Their Functions

  • The cerebral cortex is involved in complex functions such as decision-making and sensory processing, divided into lobes: frontal (planning, movement), parietal (touch, body position), occipital (vision), and temporal (auditory).
  • Association areas of the brain integrate and process information for higher cognitive functions.

Neural Plasticity

  • Neuroplasticity refers to the brain's ability to reorganize itself, particularly during childhood, responding to damage or experience.
  • Neurogenesis is the formation of new neurons, contributing to brain adaptability.

Special Brain Conditions

  • The corpus callosum connects the brain's hemispheres, allowing communication.
  • Split-brain syndrome occurs when this connection is severed, affecting coordination between hemispheres.

Social Psychology Concepts

  • Attribution theory studies how we explain others' behaviors, distinguishing between situational and dispositional factors.
  • Fundamental attribution error is the tendency to overemphasize personality factors while underestimating situational influences.

Group Behavior & Social Influence

  • Conformity refers to changes in behavior to align with group norms.
  • Groupthink can lead to poor decisions due to the desire for group harmony.
  • Social loafing describes reduced effort in groups compared to individual work.

Attitudes and Stereotypes

  • Attitudes encompass our feelings and predispositions towards people and events.
  • Stereotypes are overgeneralized beliefs about groups, often leading to prejudice—a negative attitude toward a group based on stereotypes.

Intergroup Dynamics

  • Ingroup refers to groups we identify with, while outgroup refers to those we perceive as different.
  • Ingroup bias is the preference for one’s own group, often fostering prejudice against outgroups.

Relationship Psychology

  • Passionate love describes intense emotional attachment, while compassionate love involves deeper, affectionate bonds.
  • Equity in relationships suggests fair exchange between partners maximizes satisfaction.

Genetic Psychology

  • Chromosomes contain genes, the basic units of heredity, with DNA providing genetic instructions.
  • Natural selection influences the passing of advantageous traits across generations.

Behavioral Genetics

  • Behavioral genetics examines the interplay between genetic and environmental factors in shaping behavior.
  • The environment encompasses all non-genetic influences affecting individuals, highlighting nature-nurture interactions.

Twin Studies

  • Identical twins originate from a single fertilized egg, sharing genetic material entirely and serving as a critical tool in studying the influence of genetics on behavior.

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Test your knowledge with these flashcards covering key terms from Unit 2a of AP Psychology. This quiz focuses on the biological aspects of psychology, including neurons, dendrites, and more. Perfect for students preparing for exams or wanting to strengthen their understanding of psychological concepts.

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