General Psychology Exam 1

Introspection

A method of self-observation in which participants report their thoughts and feelings, used in structuralism

Humanistic Psychology

A movement in psychology that focuses on people's unique capacities for choice, responsibility, and growth.

pancreas

large gland behind the stomach that secretes digestive enzymes into the duodenum. secretes insulin and glucagon into blood via the langerhans

frontal lobes

largest of the brain lobes, contains the motor cortex, broca's area, and and the frontal association areas

Hindbrain

lower part of the brainstem: cerebellum, pons, and medulla oblongata

Sympathetic Nervous System

the division of the autonomic nervous system that mobilizes the body's resources during stress and emergencies. prepares the body for action

Functionalism

A school of thought in psychology that was concerned with studying how mental processes help individuals adapt to their environments.

Psychoanalysis

A therapeutic approach that focuses on bringing unconscious material into conscious awareness to better understand psychological disorders. Mental life is compared to an iceberg

Psychology

Scientific study of behavior and mental processes

Forebrain

anterior part of the brain including the cerebral hemispheres, thalamus, and hypothalamus

Neurotransmitter

chemicals that help carryout the transmission of impulses from one neuron to the next

Axon

slender tail like extension of the neuron that transmits signals to other neurons and then to the muscles, glands, and other parts of the body

Spinal Cord

transmits messages between the brain and the peripheral nervous system

Freud

(Psychoanalysis) Austrian physician who approached psychology while trying to treat mental disorders--focused on the unconscious

John B. Watson

1878-1958 American psychologist who founded behaviorism, emphasizing the study of observable behavior and rejecting the study of mental processes.

Biological Psychology

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

Structuralism

A historical school of psychology devoted to uncovering the basic structures that make up mind and thought. Structuralists sought the "elements" of conscious experience

Gestalt Psychology

A psychological approach that emphasizes that we often perceive the WHOLE RATHER THAN SUM of the parts.

Evolutionary Psychology

A relatively new specialty in psychology that sees behavior and mental processes in terms of their genetic adaptations for survival and reproduction.

Myelin Sheath

A white, fatty covering wrapped around the axons of some neurons that increases their communication speed.

Behaviorism

An approach to psychology that emphasizes the study of observable behavior and the role of the environment as a determinant of behavior

cerebrum

Area of the brain responsible for all voluntary activities of the body, 80% of the brain mass consisting of two hemispheres, left and right, that are seperated by a fissure

Types of research

Basic research, to gain new knowledge Applied research, to solve a specific problem

Cognitive Psychology

Cognitive psychology sees the individual as a processor of information, in much the same way that a computer takes in information and follows a program to produce an output. At the heart of cognitive psychology is the idea of information processing.

Wilhelm Wudnt

Established the first psychology lab in 1879. Believed psychology was the science of mental life, "father of psychology"

Information Processing Theory

Mind works like a computer, processes steps

Axon Terminal

Releases a chemical substance (neurotransmitter) onto another neuron, muscle cell, or gland

Cerebral Hemispheres

The left and right halves of the cerebral cortex (separated from the front to the back of the brain by the longitudinal fissure, but connected by the corpus callosum)

Midbrain

a small central part of the brain-stem, developing from then middle of the primitive or embryonic brain

Subsantia Nigra

The structure in the mid-brain that controls unconscious motor movements

wernicks's asphasia

asphasia that results from damage to the wernicks area of the brain..persons speech is fluent and clearly articulated but does not make sense to listeners

Cerebellum

at the back of the skull in the vertebrates..coordinates and regulates muscular activity

primary auditory cortex

auditory cortex is the part of the cerebral cortex that processes auditory information in humans and other verdebrates

Alpha Wave

brain wave associated with deep relaxation

Pruning

brain eliminates repeated of unnecessary synapses

PET scan

brain imagining technique that reveals blood flow, oxygen use, and glucose consumption to reveal activity in various parts odf the brain

Delta Wave

brain wave associated with slow wave...deep sleep

Beta wave

brain wave pattern associated with mental or psychical activity

Corpus Callosum

broad band of nerve fibers joining the two hemispheres of the brain

Plasticity

capacity of the brain to adapt to changes such as brain damage

left hemisphere

cerebral hemisphere on the left of the corpus callosum that controls the right half of the body

right hemisphere

cerebral hemisphere on the right of the corpus callosum that controls the left half of the body

Limbic System

complex system of networks and nerves in the brain that involves several areas near the edge of the cortex concerning instinct and mood. controls basic emotions and instincts.

Parasympathetic nervous system

division of the autonomic nervous system that brings the heightened bodily responses back the normal following an emergency

Synapse

A junction where information is transmitted from one neuron to the next.

MRI

diagnostic scanning technique that produces high resolution images of the structures of the brain

Reticular Formation

diffuse network of nerve pathways in the brainstem that connects the spinal cord, cerebrum, and cerebellum..mediates the overall level of conciosness

temporal lobes

each of the paired lobes in the brain lying beneath the temples, including areas concerned with the understanding of speech

pariental lobes

either of the paired lobes of the brain at the top of the head including areas concerned with the reception and correlation of sensory information

Thalamus

either two of the grey matter laying between the cerebral hemispheres on either side of the third ventricle. Relays sensory information and acts as a supercenter for pain perception

stroke

event in cardiovascular system in which a blood clot or blockage cuts off blood supply to a particular part of the brain

Hypothalamus

forebrain, below thalamus, coordinates the autonomic nervous system and the activity of the pituitary, controls body temp, thirst/hunger and other homeostatic systems, involved in sleep and emotional activities

Somatosensory cortex

lateral post central gyrus is a prominent structure in the parietal lobe of the human brain and an important landmark. it is the location of the primary somatosensory cortex, the main sensory receptive area for the sense of touch

lateralization

localization of function on either the left or right side of the brain

Asphasia

loss of the ability to understand or express speech due to brain damage

Resting Potential

negative charge of an axon membrane of a neuron at rest, -70 mill volts

Peripheral Nervous System

nerves that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body

hippocampus

on the floor of each ventricle of the brain, thought to be the center of emotion, memory, and the autonomic nervous system

Cerebral Cortex

outer layer of the cerebrum consisting of folded gray matter, plays important role in conciousness

adrenal gland

pair of endocrine glands that release hormones tthat prepare th body for emergencies and stressful situations and also release corticoids and small amounts of sex hormones

Medulla

part of brainstem that controls heartbeat, blood pressure, breathing, coughing, and swallowing

Primary visual cortex

part of cerebral cortex responsible for processing visual information..located in occipital lobe in the back of the brain

Cell Body

part of neuron that contains the nucleus and carries out the metabolic functions of the the neuron

Pons

part of the brainstem that connects the medulla oblongata and the cerebellum

motor cortex

part of the cerebral cortex of the brain where nerve impulses originate that initiate voluntary muscular activity

Central Nervous System

part of the nervous system comprising the brain and the spinal cord

Reuptake

process by which neurotransmitters are taken from the synaptic cleft back into the axon terminal for later use, exterminating their effect on the recieving neuron

thymus gland

produces t cells for the immune system, becomes smaller at the approach of puberty

Receptors

protien molecules on the surfaces of dendrites and cell bodies that have distinctive shapes and will interact only with specific neurotransmitters

Electroencephalogram

record of brain wave activity made by a electroencephalograph

wernick's area

region of brain concerned with comprehension of lang. located in the cortex of the dominate temporal lobe

association areas

region of cortex of brain that connects sensory and motor areas and is thought to be concerned with higher mental activities

broca's area

region of the brain concerned with the production of speech, located in the cortex of the dominate frontal lobe, damage to this area causes broca's asphasia characterized by hesitant and fragmented speech with little grammatical structure

hormone

regulatory substance in an organism that is transported in tissue fluids such as blood or sap to stimulate specific cells or tissues into action

Functional MRI

reveals brain structures and brain activity more precisely and rapidly than a PET scan

CT Scan

rotating computerized xray that produces cross sectional images of the structures of the brain

Amygdala

roughly almond shaped portion of grey matter inside each cerebral hemisphere, involved with the experiencing of emotions

Microelectrode

small wire used to monitor the electrical activity or stimulate activity within a single neuron

split brain operation

surgical procedure in which the right and left hemisphere are separated to treat severe cases of epilepsy

endocrine system

system of glands that produce endocrine secretions that help control specific metabolic activities

Pituitary Gland

the major endocrine gland. A pea sized body attatched to the base of the brain important in controlling growth and development and other endocrine glands

Goals of Psychology

Describe, Explain, Predict, Influence

Neuroscience

How the body and brain enable emotions, memories, and sensory experiences.

gonads

organs that produce gametes (ovaries or testes)

Occipital lobes

rearmost lobe in each of the cerebral hemispheres of the brain

Dendrites

the branch like extensions of the cell body that receives signals from other neurons

Neuron

Cell that conducts impulses through the nervous system

Glial Cells

Cells in the nervous system that are not neurons but that support, nourish, and protect neurons