Brain Centers
The brain structure associated with fear, aggression, and rage.
Amygdala
Lobe involved in planning, judgment, decision-making, and personality.
Frontal lobe
Division controlling voluntary skeletal muscles.
Somatic nervous system
Neurotransmitter associated with mood; low levels are linked with depression.
Serotonin
Drug classified as a depressant even though it may initially make someone seem more social.
Alcohol
Debate about whether behavior comes primarily from genetics or environment.
Nature vs. nurture
Brain's sensory relay station that sends most sensory information to appropriate areas of the cortex.
Thalamus
Regulates hunger, thirst, body temperature, and sexual behavior.
Hypothalamus
Lobe containing the primary visual cortex.
Occipital lobe
Division that calms the body after an emergency—the "rest and digest" system.
Parasympathetic nervous system
Neurotransmitter involved in muscle movement, learning, and memory; deterioration of neurons producing it is associated with Alzheimer's
Acetylcholine
Powerful stimulant that blocks dopamine reuptake and increases activity in the nervous system.
Cocaine
Studies comparing identical and fraternal twins help psychologists investigate genetic and environmental influences
Twin studies
Band of nerve fibers connecting the left and right cerebral hemispheres.
Corpus callosum
Brain structure essential for forming new explicit memories.
Hippocampus
Lobe associated with hearing, language, and auditory processing.
Temporal lobe
Division that activates the body during stress—the "fight or flight" response
Sympathetic nervous system
Process in which a sending neuron reabsorbs neurotransmitters from the synapse.
Reuptake
Hormone released primarily by the pineal gland that helps regulate sleep-wake cycles.
Melatonin
Research method in which a researcher manipulates an independent variable to determine cause and effect.
Experimental method
Collection of brain structures strongly involved with emotion, motivation, memory, and drives.
Limbic system
Coordinates balance, posture, and smooth voluntary movement.
Cerebellum
Damage to this left frontal-lobe area can make speech production difficult while comprehension remains relatively intact.
Broca's area
Neurons that carry incoming sensory information toward the brain and spinal cord.
Sensory neurons / afferent neurons
Drugs such as SSRIs work partly by blocking this process, leaving neurotransmitters available in the synapse longer
Reuptake inhibition / reuptake inhibitors
Brain-imaging technique that uses strong magnetic fields and radio waves to produce detailed images of brain structure.
MRI
Area of the parietal lobe that receives information about touch, pressure, temperature, and body position.
Sensory cortex
Perspective explaining behavior by considering how traits may have helped our ancestors survive and reproduce.
Evolutionary perspective
Brainstem structure responsible for vital automatic functions such as breathing and heart rate.
Medulla
Damage to this language area can cause difficulty understanding spoken or written language.
Wernicke's area
Automatic spinal response that pulls a body part away from a painful stimulus before conscious processing occurs.
Withdrawal reflex
Area of the frontal cortex that directs voluntary skeletal-muscle movements.
Motor cortex
Test that records the brain's electrical activity using electrodes placed on the scalp.
EEG / electroencephalogram
Research method measuring the relationship between variables without manipulating them.
Correlational study
The right side of this lobe is especially important for spatial processing and attention to the environment.
parietal lobe