Psychology 101
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49 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Wilhelm Wundt | set up expirment, he measured reaction time with first machine that measured time between hearing a ball drop & pressing a key |
| Contemporary Psychology | the scientific study of behavior and mental process (sensations, perceptions, dreams, thoughts, feelings, and beliefs) |
| Rogers and Maslow | they emphasized the importance of environmental influences and the importance of love and acceptance. |
| scientific method | theory -> hypothesis -> research -> conclusion |
| psychatrist | medical doctor who provides treatment & medication to people with mental illness |
| clinical psychologist | helps people with mental illnesses |
| counseling psychologist | helps people cope with challenges |
| hindsight bias | tendency to believe something after learning the outcome. "i already knew that was going to happen" |
| theory | an explination using an integrated set of principals that organizes observations and predicts behaviors and events |
| dendrite | recieves and carries the impulse to the cell body |
| axon | carries impulse away from cell body |
| order of transmitting sensory information | dendrite -> cell body -> axon |
| action potential | electric impulse that goes down axon |
| synapse | gap between two nerves |
| neurotransmitters | chemicals |
| reuptake | message in a nerve that doesn't pass to the next neuron |
| endorphins | natural opiates (released in response to pain and vigorous exercise) |
| serotonin | affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal (a person with not enough is subject to depression) |
| nervous system | consists all the nerve cells. it is the bodies speedy, electrochemical communication system |
| central nervous system | the brain and spinal cord |
| peripheral nervous system | the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body |
| sensory neurons | carry incoming information from the sense receptors to the central nervous system |
| autonamic nervous system | controls self regulated action of internal organs and glands |
| somatic nervous system | controls skeletal muscles movement (voluntary) |
| sympathatic | division of the autonamic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations (arousal) |
| parasympathetic | division of the autonamic nervous system that calms the body, conserving energy (calms) |
| motor neurons | carry outgoing info from the central nervous system to muscles and glands |
| endocrine system | the body's "slow" chemical communication system. communication is carried out by hormones synthesized by a set of glands |
| hormones | the chemical synthesized by the endocrine glands that are secreted into the bloodstream |
| pituitary gland | the "master gland". the anterior lobe releases hormones that regulate other glands. |
| thyroid | affects metabolism and other things |
| parathyroid | regulates calcium in blood |
| adrenal gland | helps trigger the "fight or flight" response |
| pancreas | helps regulate sugar in blood |
| gonads | sex glands |
| brain stem | it is the oldest part of the brain; beginning where the spinal chord swells and enters the skull |
| brain | responsible for automatic survival functions |
| medulla | the basic par of the brain stem that controls heartbeat and breathing |
| thalamus | the brain's sensory switchboard, located on top of the brain stem. it directs messages to the sensory areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla |
| cerebellum | aka "little brain", it is attached to the rear of the brain stem. it helps coordinate voluntary movements and balance |
| limbic system | is a doughnut shaped system of neutral structures at the boarder of the brain stem and cerebrum, associated with emotions such as fear, aggression, and drives for food and sex |
| amygdala | consists of two bean-sized neutral clusters linked to the emotions of fear and anger |
| hypothalamus | lies below the thalamus. directs several maintenance activities like eating, drinking, body temp, and control of emotions. it helps govern the endocrine system via pituitary gland |
| cerebral cortex | the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells that covers the cerebral hemispheres. it is the body's ultimate control and information processing system |
| frontal lobe | forehead |
| parietal lobe | top read of head |
| occipital lobe | back of the head |
| temporal lobe | side of head |
| plasticity | the brain's ability to modify itself after some serious injury or illness |
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