Psychology Test #2

Define Contralateralization

Damage to one hemisphere of the brain can cause loss of abilities in the other side of the body

Define non-myelinated axon

Denoting nerve fibres (axons) lacking a myelin sheath

Gestalt Principle

Proximity Similarity continuity Good Form Closure

Define Insomnia

difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep

Sensory Adaptation

diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation

Consciousness involves what?

Attention

Difference between the central and peripheral nervous system

CNS - brain and spinal cord PNS - nerves that extend throughout our bodies so that info can be sent back and forth btw the periphery system and the CNS

What are the parts of the neuron?

Cell body dendrites - the parts of the neuron that collect input from other neurons axon - carries information away from the cell body toward other neurons axon terminal - end of the neuron's axon; where neurotransmitters are released

Define Synesthesia

Illusions are mis-interpertations of an actual think, Hallucinations are imagined from nothing real, Syntsthesia is confusion of sensory input ("i see a noise or smell a sound"

What are the functions of the brain stem?

Important for basic bodily functions, including respiration/ heart regulation

Define Consciousness

Our awareness of ourselves and our environment

What can the hippocampus have in adulthood?

Substantial neurogenesis

Define all or nothing principle

The all-or-none law is the principle that the strength by which a nerve or muscle fiber responds to a stimulus is independent of the strength of the stimulus. If the stimulus exceeds the threshold potential, the nerve or muscle fiber will give a complete response; otherwise, there is no response.

Define narcolepsy

WHAT TERM MEANS A SLEEP DISORDER CHARACTERIZED BY A SUDDEN, UNCONTROLLABLE NEED TO SLEEP, ATTACKS OF PARALYSIS (CATAPLEXY), AND DREAMS INTRUDING WHILE AWAKE (HYPNAGOGIC HALLUCINATIONS)

Define Sensation

any stimuli the body is aware of

What part of the brain plays a major role in consciousness?

The thalamus

Gestalt

a configuration or pattern of elements so unified as a whole that it cannot be described merely as a sum of its parts

Define myelinated axon

a fatty,white substance, formed from glial cells, that insulates the axons of many neurons

Define action potential

a nerve impulse that travels along an axon away from a neuron's cell body.

Define hypnosis

a seemingly altered state of consciousness during which individuals can be directed to act or experience the world in unusual ways

What is the amygdala?

brain area involved in fear, anger, oral behavior, sexual behavior and activity

What is the hypothalamus?

brain structure important for motivation and control of the endocrine system

Define unconscious

contents of the mind that are beyond awareness, especially impulses and desires not directly known to a person

Preconscious

in Freud's theory, the level of consciousness in which thoughts and feelings are not conscious but are readily retrievable to consciousness

What is the thalamus?

major relay for ascending sensory information

What is pruning at the synapses?

neurological regulatory processes, which facilitate changes in neural structure by reducing the overall number of neurons and synapses, leaving more efficient synaptic configurations.

Define Sleep Apnea

person stops breathing for at least 10 seconds during sleep

Sympathetic Nervous System

the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations "fight or flight"

Parasympathetic Nervous System

the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy

Somatic Nervous System

the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles

Inner ear

the innermost part of the ear, containing the cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs

Autonomic Nervous System

the part of the nervous system of vertebrates that controls involuntary actions of the smooth muscles and heart and glands

Define Perception

the way we select, organize, and interpret our sensations