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AP Psychology Semester exam Flashcards

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8360047100Fight or flight responseA psychological reaction when you are exposed to harm, attack, or threat of survival0
8360514633Afferent NeuronsArrive to the brain/spinal cord; connections that bring neurons into the nervous system; they carry impulses from sensory stimuli towards the central nervous system. From the body to the brain -- touch, smell, taste, sound1
8361618184Nature vs nurturethe long standing controversy over the relative contributions that genes and experience make to the development of psychological traits and behaviors2
8361618185Obedience - what factors make it more likely?Figures of authority, rewards and punishments, social "pressure"3
8361666038Recessive vs dominant genes (alleles)Pair of genes that are part of the DNA. dominant shows. Recessive doesn't unless it's homozygous4
8361698921Punnett squaresA way to predict the outcomes of genes in offspring5
8361705040Operational definitionsThe process or procedure of an experiment6
8361713633Independent variableThe variable controlled or changed in an experiment7
8361719158Dependent variableThe responding variable (what you measure)8
8361725426Fundamental attribution errorOur tendency to explain someone's behavior based on internal factors9
8361742564ReflexesAn involuntary and nearly instantaneous movement in response to a stimulus10
8361770730Modemost common value11
8361814448MedianMiddle value12
8361814601MeanThe average of all the values13
8361827210Cognitive psychologyThe scientific study of all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating14
8361833039Developmental psychologyThe study of how and why human beings change over time15
8361838447Social psychologythe scientific study of how people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others16
8361847362DeindividuationThe loss of self-awareness in groups17
8361858659GroupthinkThe mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives Ex. If you're tired it's better to settle than discuss18
8361865208Group polarizationIndividual opinions become more extreme if group opinion is the same19
8361868571Frustration-aggression hypothesisFrustration often leads to aggressive behavior20
8361874360Gate control theory of painNon-painful input closes the "gates" to painful input which prevents pain sensation from traveling to the central nervous system21
8361879957Split-brain patientsPatients whose corpus callosum has been severed therefore the hemispheres don't connect22
8361887310The Limbic systemA collection of brain structures located in the middle of the brain. Composed of the amygdala, hippocampus and hypothalamus. Responsible for motivation, emotion, learning and memory23
8362183213Efferent neuronsExit your brain and enter your body; carry information from the central nervous system to organs and muscles. ex. tell the body to do something, such as move muscles.24
8362281008InterneuronsA nueron which transmits impulses between other neurons, especially as part of a reflex arc25
8362300623Neurotransmitter GABAmain inhibitory transmitter. It calms nerves, regulates the sleep cycle and improves focus26
8362310429Neurotransmitter Acetylcholinexcitatory transmitter. muscle movement, memory, attention, learning, and emotion.27
8362328459Neurotransmitter Glutamateexcitatory transmitter. main learning, long-term memory.28
8362335648Neurotransmitter Endorphininhibitory transmitter. pain control, stress reduction, positive emotions. released during exercise and sex.29
8362343945Neurotransmitter Dopamineinhibitory transmitter. feel pleasure, involuntary muscle movement, learning, and emotion30
8362352979Neurotransmitter Serotonininhibitory. sleep cycle, appetite, aggression, and impulsivity31
8362385795Neurotransmitter Norepinephrineexcitatory transmitter. learning, emotions, memory, increase concentration32
8362392165Methods of persuasionFoot in the door: when ask for something small and then ask for more. Door in the face: when you ark for something big (you know you won't get) and then lower what you ask for.33
8362411998Occipital loberesponsible for processing visual information from the eyes. damage: vision problems34
8362427792Temporal lobeauditory, receives information from ears,. damage: trouble hearing.35
8362427793Frontal lobeinvolved with speaking and muscle movements and making plans and judgment. damage: change in mood.36
8362427794Parietal lobereceives sensory input for touch and body position. damage: difficulty writing, understanding language37
8362428163Wernicke's arealinks words to sound, understands language. damage: trouble making up sentences. no language understandment38
8362433839Broca's areabefore you speak, it plans how to pronounce everything. damage: unable to speak39
8362537082Auditory CorteexIt dispenses sound and is responsible for the ability to hear. Damage: Complete loss of hearing40
8362537083Visual CortexReceptor of visual input from the retina, and perception of movement and color Damage: Difficulty identifying colors, visual illusions and hallucinations, loss of visual memory, visual problems.41
8362550251Motor cortexneural impulses, voluntary movements. damage: affects simple movements42
8362556772Sensory cortexinvolved in the sensory of information of the body. understanding of a concept, body positions, damage: difficulty writing, reading, and mathematics.43
8362564482Amygdalalinked with emotion. damage: affects memory formation, emotion sensitivity, learning, and mood.44
8362569018Hippocampuslong term memory45
8362582622Cerebellumprocessing sensory input coordination, movement, and balance. damage: trouble breathing, death, and paralysis.46
8362599557Reticular formationa nerve network that travels through the brain stem and thalamus and plays an important role in controlling arousal. damage: can end up in a comma you never wake up from.47
8362599558Medullathe base of the brain stem, controls heartbeat and breathing. damage: lungs won't be able to inhale and there will be heart problems.48
8362635006Ponsconnects upper and lower parts of the brain. serves as communication between two hemispheres. damage: no hemisphere communication.49
8362635007Corpus callosumconnects the two hemispheres of the brain. damage: hemispheres won't be able to communicate50
8362635008Cerebral cortexthe body's ultimate control and information and processing center. damage: trouble breathing, death, or paralysis.51
8362634982Ponsconnects upper and lower parts of the brain. serves as communication between two hemispheres. damage: no hemisphere communication.52
8362634983Corpus callosumconnects the two hemispheres of the brain. damage: hemispheres won't be able to communicate53
8362634984Cerebral cortex54
8362610406Ponsconnects upper and lower parts of the brain. serves as communication between two hemispheres. damage: no hemisphere communication.55
8362427320Temporal lobeauditory, receives information from ears,. damage: trouble hearing.56
8361539844Cognitive dissonanceLa Piere- The tension caused by the fact that actions don't match your beliefs57
8364776955The endocrine systemThe endocrine system helps with growth, repair, sexual reproduction, digestion, and homeostasis. Hormones are like "keys" that only act on a certain part of the body if they fit58
8364792208GlandsHypothalamus: Connects the endocrine system with the nervous system Pituitary: Master gland Thyroid Parathyroid Pineal Adrenal Pancreas Testes Ovaries59
8364801432Empirical vs normativeNormative statements contain subjective or value-related judgements, while empirical statements are factual/objective.60
8364805760Positive correlationMove in the same direction; ex. the less you sleep, the lower your grades; ex. the more unhealthy food you eat, the more weight you will gain61
8364810656Negative correlationMove in the opposite direction; ex. the more drugs you use the lower your grades62
8364815670Parts of the neuron and their functionsAxon: A fiber that extends from the cell body to the terminal endings; it transmits neural signals along the neuron Terminal branches: Send the signal onto other neurons; located at the end of neuron Synaptic vesicles: Store the neurotransmitters that are released during synapse Synaptic gap: The space between two neurons through which they transmit information with the use of neurotransmitters Myelin sheath: Acts as an insulator that allows for the travelling of information to other neurons Cell body/soma: Serves to maintain the cell and keep the neuron functional; supports and maintains the total function of the neuron63
8364828047Action potentialElectrical impulses travel, causing a brief change in the electrical charge called depolarization (when negatively charged ions rush out as positive ions rush in)64
8364833365Resting potentialWhen the inside of the neuron is relatively negative as opposed to the outside, in which the neuron is not stimulated or involved in any passage of an impulse65
8364839228Refractory periodA period after electrical stimulation in which the neuron is unable to perform an action potential66
8364846419ReuptakeWhen, after synapse, neurotransmitters diffuse back into the synaptic vesicles, are recycled, or drift away.67
8364850159Left HemisphereLanguage functions → Speaking, reading, writing and understanding language Analytical → Figuring things out step-by-step Logic Math and science → Numbers, awareness of time, symbols, facts and linear reasoning Controls right side of the body and right visual field68
8364858797Right HemisphereNon-verbal activities → Music, art, perceptual and spatial skills, expression of emotions, recognitions of faces, patterns and melodies Synthetic → Figures things out by combining to form wholes Intuition/hunches Creativity Controls left side of the body and left visual field69
8364863899Nervous system - it's divisions and functions70
8364956234InterneuronsInside of brain and spinal cord; the messaging center that computes everything → Translates messages from afferent neurons and sends them to the efferent neurons.71
8364988105Somatic Nervous SystemThe part of the peripheral nervous system associated with the voluntary control of body movements via skeletal muscles72
8364994161Autonomic Nervous SystemA part of the nervous system that acts largely unconsciously and regulates bodily functions such as the heart rate, digestion, respiratory rate, pupillary response, urination, and sexual arousal73
8365008489Sympathetic Nervous SystemOne of the two main divisions of the autonomic nervous system, responsible for flight or fight response and homeostasis74
8365017604Parasympathetic Nervous SystemOne of the two main divisions of the autonomic nervous system responsible for the stimulation of the unconscious actions when the body is at rest such as digestion and salivation amongst others75

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