PSY521 Physiological Psychology: Exam 2

humans use pheromones

may be present in bodily secretions such as urine, semen or vaginal secretions, breast milk and potentially also saliva and breath, yet most attention thus far has been directed toward axillary sweat.

Skin conductance

measure of sympathetic nervous system activity obtained by recording changes in skin's electrical conductance during sweat gland activation

carnivore

meat-eating animals

prefrontal cortex

moderates aggression with regard to the amygdala.

Ghrelin

orexigenic peptide hormone synthesized in the stomach and released into bloodstream during fasting.

estrus

ovulation period

incentive theory

people motivated by external stimuli, not just internal needs.

fasting phase of digestion

period in which blood glucose drops and the body falls back on its energy stores.

Hypofrontality

reduced activity in frontal regions that control working memory, behavioral inhibition, and response to environment.

Motivation

set of factors that initiate, sustain, and direct behaviors.

Homosexual behavior in animals

sexual or mating behavior among non-human species that is interpreted as homosexual or bisexual.

Methadone

synthetic opioid used to treat opioid addiction.

Mesocorticolimbic Dopamine System

system consisting of ventral tegmental area and the brain regions receiving its dopaminergic projections, including nucleus accumbens, prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus.

sex

the biological differences that distinguish males from females

basal metabolic rate

the body's resting rate of energy output is the number of calories you burn as your body performs basic (basal) life-sustaining function.

absorptive phase of digestion

the few hours after a meal when the body lives off the nutrients arriving from the digestive system.

Regulating Body Temperature

the hypothalamus regulates your body temperature, responding to internal and external stimuli and making adjustments to keep the body within one or two degrees of 98.6 degrees.

Homeostasis

the state in which any particular system is in balance or equilibrium.

Hormones and abilities

your body's chemical messengers. They travel in your bloodstream to tissues or organs.

Withdrawal symptoms

•Withdrawal: negative reaction when drug use is stopped. •Dependence: need to keep taking a drug to avoid withdrawal. •Physical dependence. •Psychological dependence. •Tolerance: more of the drug required to produce same effects.

Long-term exposure to cortisol

increased risk of many health problems, including: Anxiety. Depression.

Osmotic thirst

Thirst that occurs when the fluid content is low inside the body's cells.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

A condition caused by the mother's use of alcohol during the third trimester of pregnancy; neurons fail to migrate properly, often resulting in intellectual disability; leading cause of intellectual disability in the Western world.

Stimulants

A drug that activates the nervous system to produce arousal, increased alertness, and elevated mood. Cocaine, Amphetamines (bath salts), nicotine, caffeine

Memories of during use

Alcohol affects short-term memory by slowing down how nerves communicate with each other in a part of the brain called the hippocampus.

anorexia nervosa

An eating disorder in which the person restricts food intake to maintain weight at a level so low that it is threatening to health.

bulimia nervosa

An eating disorder involving bingeing on food, followed by purging by vomiting or using laxatives.

Effects of anxiolytics

Anxiety reducing

Depressants

Drugs that reduce CNS activity. •Sedative. •Anxiolytic. •Hypnotic. Alcohol, Barbiturates, Benzodiazepines

Müllerian ducts

Early structures that in the female develop into the uterus, fallopian tubes, and inner vagina.

primary neural instigator of aggression

Hypothalamus

famous ablatio penis case

In the mid-1960s, psychologist John Money encouraged the gender reassignment of David Reimer, who was born a biological male but suffered irreparable damage to his penis as an infant. Born in 1965 as Bruce Reimer, his penis was irreparably damaged during infancy due to a failed circumcision.

Effects of analgesics

Pain relieving

Effects of Hypnotic

Sleep inducing

heredity of aggression

The MAOA gene -located in the X chromosome- is also known as the warrior gene, since abnormal versions of the gene often result in aggressive behaviors.

Wolffian ducts

The early structures that in the male develop into the seminal vesicles and the vas deferens.

transgender individuals brain structures

Third interstitial nucleus of the anterior hypothalamus (INAH3): structure that is larger in men than in women; thought to be the human counterpart of the sexually dimorphic nucleus. Bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST): brain structure also larger in males than females; closely connected to amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex. Both INAH3 and BNST have been reported to be cis female-sized in MtF transgender individuals and closer to cis male-sized in FtM transgender individuals.

gender dissatisfaction

When the baby is not the hoped-for daughter or son, some people experience mild to extreme disappointment, grief, and even depression.

illness

a disease or period of sickness affecting the body or mind.

Affective aggression

aggression characterized by its impulsiveness and emotional arousal.

Type 2 Alcoholism

alcoholics have the opposite qualities; they are considered high novelty with low levels of harm avoidance and reward-seeking behavior.

Type 1 Alcoholism

alcoholics want to avoid harm and seek social rewards; countered by low novelty.

animal sexual behavior studies

an excessive preoccupation with sexual fantasies, urges or behaviors that is difficult to control, causes you distress, or negatively affects your health, job, relationships or other parts of your life.

omnivore

animals that eat both meat and plants.

Methylation

attachment of a methyl group to DNA, which suppresses a gene's activity.

learned taste aversion

avoidance of foods associated with illness or poor nutrition.

gender

behavioral characteristics associated with being male or female.

Cognitive Theory

belief that identity of an emotion is based on cognitive assessment of a situation.

sex differences

biological differences between males and females, in organs, hormones, and body shape

anterior cingulate cortex

brain structure best known for roles in attention, decision-making, and impulse control.

Symptoms of addiction

compulsion, obsession, loss of control, negative consequences, denial

Stress

condition in environment that makes unusual demands on an organism.

hypovolemic thirst

condition of thirst occurring when blood volume drops due to loss of extracellular water.

Phase of the Sexual Response Cycle

desire, excitement, orgasm, resolution

binge eating disorder

eating disorder where individuals frequently eat large amounts of food during a short period of time, wherein they feel they cannot control what or how much they eat.

James-Lange theory

emotional experience results from physiological arousal that precedes it.

Mirror Neurons

fire both when we engage in a specific act and while observing that act in others.

androgen insensitivity syndrome

form of 46,XY intersex caused by genetic absence of androgen receptors, resulting in insensitivity to androgen.

Genetics for BMI

genetically predisposed people are at greater risk of a higher BMI and that genetic predisposition interacts with the obesogenic environment resulting in the higher BMI in recent decades