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Meyers 2nd ed.
Chapter 2 and 4 of Psychology in Everyday Life
Question | Answer |
---|---|
biological psychology | a branc of psychology concerned with the links between our biology and our behavior |
neuron | a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system |
synapse | junction between the axon tip of a sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron |
neurotransmitters | neuron-produced chemicals that cross synapses (link between the axon, message sender, and the dendrite, message receiver) to carry messages to other neurons or cells |
endorphins | “morphine within”—natural, opiate-like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure |
central nervous system | the brain and the spinal cord |
peripheral nervous system | the sensory and motor neurons connecting the central nervous system to the rest of the body |
sensory neuron | carry messages from the body’s tissues and sensory receptors inward to the brain and spinal cord, for processing |
motor neuron | carry instructions from the central nervous system out to the body’s tissues |
somatic nervous system | controls the body’s skeletal muscles |
autonomic nervous system | controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart). Its sympathetic subdivision arouses; its parasympathetic subdivision calms. Like on autopilot, system may be consciously overridden but usually operates on its own |
sympathetic nervous system | arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations |
parasympathetic nervous system | calms the body, conserving its energy |
hormones | chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissue |
EEG | (or electroencephalograph)device that uses electrodes placed on the scalp to record waves of electrical activity sweeping across the brain’s surface |
PET | (or positron emission tomography) scan; a view of brain activity showing where a radioactive glucose goes while the brain performs a given task |
MRI | (or magnetic resonance imaging)a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images of soft tissue; show brain anatomy |
brainstem | oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; responsible for automatic survival functions |
cerebellum | the “little brain” at the rear of the brainstem; functions include processing sensory input and coordinating movement output and balance |
cerebral cortex | thin layer of interconnected neurons covering the cerebral hemispheres; the body’s ultimate control and information-processing center |
frontal lobes | portion that lies just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgments |
temporal lobes | portion that lies above the ears; includes areas that receive information from the ear |
Broca's area | frontal lobe area, usually in the left hemisphere, that directs the muscle movements involved in speech; controls language expression |
Wernicke's area | brain area, usually in the left temporal lobe, involved in language comprehension and expression; controls language reception |
plasticity | the brain’s ability to change, especially during childhood, be reorganizing after damage or building new pathways based on experience |
consciousness | our awareness of ourselves and our environment |
selective attention | focusing conscious awareness on a particular stimulus |
cicrcadian rhythm | internal biological clock; regular bodily rhythms that occur on a 24-hour cycle |
REM | (or rapid eye movement)recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams occur; muscles are relaxed but other body systems are active |
sleep | periodic, natural, reversible loss of consciousness—as distinct from unconsciousness resulting from coma, general anesthesia, or hibernation |
dream | sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person’s mind |
manifest content | according to Freud, the remembered storyline of a dream |
latent content | according to Freud, the underlying meaning of a dream |
gender | the biologically and socially influenced characteristics by which members of a culture define male and female |
aggression | physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt someone |
testosterone | the most important male sex hormone. Stimulates the growth of the male sex organs in the fetus and the development of the male sex characteristics during puberty. Females have testosterone, but less of it |
gender role | a set of expected behavior for males or for females |
gender identity | one’s sense of being male or female |
gender typing | taking on a traditional masculine or feminine role |
gender schema | a culturally learned concept of what it means to be male and female |
estrogen | sex hormones secreted in greater amounts by females than by male |
sexual response cycle | the four stages of sexual responding described by Masters and Johnson—excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution |
sexual orientation | an enduring sexual attraction toward members of either our own sex (homosexual orientation) or the other (heterosexual orientation) |
evolutionary psychology | the study of how our behavior and mind have changed in adaptive ways over time due to natural selection |