Brain Parts
Which part of the brain acts as the sensory relay?
The Thalamus.
What is the main division of the nervous system and its functions?
The Central Nervous System (CNS) which is the brain and the spinal cord. It processes/interprets sensory info.
The Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) which connects the CNS to the rest of the body. Controls sensory input and sends to the CNS.
What are teratogens?
They cause harm to the fetus and leads to birth defects like cognitive impairment by FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome).
ex: Alcohol, tobacco, drugs, infections.
What is the humanistic perspective?
It promotes free will, personal growth, and the road to self-actualization.
What is the difference between sensation and perception?
Sensation is detecting environmental stimuli, whereas perception is the brain's interpretation on the sensory info.
What part of the brain controls voluntary movement and balance? Where is it?
The cerebellum coordinates voluntary movement and balance. It's in the back of the brain, under the occipital lobes.
What are neurotransmitters? Give an example of one and what it does.
They're chemical messengers that transmit signals from neuron to neuron. They can influence mood.
ex: Seratonin influences appetite and sleep and low levels could cause depression.
Difference between assimilation and accommodation.
Assimilation is incorporating knowledge into existing schemas (A child sees a zebra for the first time and calls it a horse). Accomodation is when we adapt our schemas to incorporate info into schemas. (Child being corrected, a zebra is a different animal).
What is the behavioral perspective?
It emphasizes observable behaviors and how they're learned through reinforcement/punishment. (Classical and Operant Conditioning)
What part of the eye is responsible for the transduction of light?
The photoreceptor cells (rods and cones) in the retina, convert the light stimuli into neural impulses.
Where is the amygdala, and what does the amygdala do?
It's in the limbic system (temporal lobes). It regulates emotions especially fear and agression.
Difference between the autonomic and somatic nervous systems?
Autonomic: controls involuntary functions like heartbeat and digestion.
Somatic: control voluntary movements of skeletal muscles.
Difference between Erickson's stage of identity and role confusion.
At the age (~12-18), one begins to develop a personal identity and sense of self or experiences uncertainty about one's place in society. Sense of identity leads to success.
What does the biological perspective explain?
It explores the influence of brain structure, hormones, genetics, and neurotransmitters on behavior and mental processes.
What is transduction?
The process of converting physical stimuli into neural signals.
What does the corpus callosum do, and what is its significance?
It connects the left and right hemispheres of the brain together. This allows for communication and coordination to occur between both hemispheres.
What is the role of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems?
The Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) activates the flight or fight response. (Arouses you.)
The Parasympathetic Nervous System promotes rest and digest. (Calms your body down)
Difference between secure and insecure attachment styles.
Secure attachment: Distress by kid when parent/caregiver leaves and is comforted when they return. (Trust and security)
Insecure attachment:
Little distress when parent/caregiver leaves and avoids them when they return.
OR
Distressed when parent/caregiver leaves and continued distress when they return.
OR
Inconsistent/Confused behavior
How does the cognitive perspective explain behavior?
It focuses on the influence of mental processes like thinking, memory, problem-solving, and decision-making.
What is sensory adaptation?
ex: not feeling your socks throughout the day; you only feel them when you put them on.
What are the main functions of the frontal lobe, and what could happen if it's damaged?
It's responsible for decision making, planning, personality, impulse control and motor function (motor cortex).
Damage would result in personality changes, difficulty making decisions/planning, and loss of motor function.
What is a neuron, and what are its parts?
A neuron is a nerve cell that transmits information through electrical/chemical signals (neurotransmitters).
Parts: Dendrites, cell body (soma), axon, axon terminals.
Main stages of Infant language development?
Cooing, babbling, One-word stage, two word stage (telegraphic speech), vocab expansion.
What does the psychodynamic perspective explore?
It explores the role of early childhood experiences, internal conflicts, and unconscious motives on behavior.
What is the absolute threshold?
The minimum level of a stimulus that can be detected 50% of the time.
ex: What's the farthest you can see from at least half the time?