“Neuronal Know-How”
Parts of the neuron
Parts of the neuron
The tiny gap between neurons where neurotransmitters are released to transmit signals.
What is a synapse or synaptic gap
This part of the brain is referred to as the "relay station: for incoming sensory information.
What is the thalamus
The two main parts of the nervous system.
What are the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS)?
The variable that is manipulated by the researcher to observe its effects.
What is an independent variable?
A method that involves manipulating one variable to determine its effect on another, often conducted in controlled settings.
What is an experiment?
if researchers use ________ it must be justified and explained afterwards
What is deception?
a brief electrical impulse that travels down a neuron's axon, essentially acting as the signal that a neuron is "firing"
What is an action potential?
The brain structure that controls heartbeat and breathing.
What is the medulla
This division of the nervous system regulates the body’s vital functions, like heart-rate, digestion, and breathing
What is the autonomic nervous system?
In an experiment, this group does not receive the treatment being tested and is used for comparison with the experimental group.
What is a control group?
We would use this method when doing an in-depth analysis of a patient who has a rare neurological disorder, documenting their symptoms and treatment response over several months.
What is a case study?
Researchers must design studies in a way that avoids causing physical or psychological harm to participants.
What is the principle of doing no unnecessary harm?
The part of the neuron that receives oncoming signals from a sending neuron.
What is the dendrite?
The brain structure responsible for regulating emotions like fear.
What is the amygdala?
The part of the nervous system responsible for controlling voluntary muscle movements and relaying sensory information.
What is the somatic nervous system?
A procedure where neither the participants nor the researchers know who is receiving the treatment or placebo.
What is a double-blind procedure?
An example of this method would be a review that combines data from 20 studies on the effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance to identify overall trends and conclusions.
What is a meta analysis?
This ethical principle requires that researchers protect the privacy of participants by not revealing their personal information.
What is confidentiality?
The part of the neuron that insulates the axon and speeds up the transmission of neural impulses.
What is the myelin sheath?
The part of the brain that forms and stores long-term memories.
What is the hippocampus?
The system that calms the body after a stressful event and conserves energy.
What is the parasympathetic nervous system?
The process of assigning participants to experimental/control groups in order to reduce bias.
What is random assignment?
An example of this research method would be a study that surveys a diverse group of teenagers from different schools at the same time to explore their social media usage and mental health.
What is a cross-sectional study?
This guideline states that researchers must ensure that participants are fully aware of the nature, risks, and benefits of a study before agreeing to participate.
What is informed consent?
The location where neurotransmitters are released into the synapse to send signals to the next neuron. Stores neurotransmitters in its vesicles.
What is the Axon Terminal?
Kyle slipped on a banana peel and hit the back of his head on the pavement. Ever since he has had immense difficulty keeping his balance, he probably damaged his...
Cerebellum
a chemical messenger that carries impulses across the synaptic gap
What is a neurotransmitter?
A specific and measurable definition of a variable used in a study, like "class participation" defined as "number of hand raises.
What is an operational definition?
An example of this method would be a research project that looks at how hours spent studying relate to exam scores among high school students to see if more study time is linked to better grades.
What is a correlational study?
This guideline states that after a study concludes, researchers must provide participants with a thorough explanation of the study's purpose and any deception used.
What is debriefing?