Unit 1
What is Behaviorism?
The thought that psychology should be based off of observable events, not the mind
What are dendrites?
Neurons that are bushy branching extensions that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body.
What is the purpose of the iris?
To allow light into the eye
what does melatonin do for sleep?
it tells your brain when it is time to sleep.
What are depressants?
drugs (such as alcohol, barbiturates, and opiates) that reduce neural activity and slow body functions.
What is the Nature-Nurture Issue?
Controversy over the contributions GENES and EXPERIENCE make to the development of psychological traits and behavior
What is the synapse?
the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron
Which perception process are the hammer, anvil, and stirrup involved in?
Transmitting sound waves to the cochlea
deep sleep shows what kind of waves?
delta waves
what happens when the brain is continuously flooded with artificial opiates?
the brain stops producing opiates on its own
What is Cognitive Psychology?
Study of all mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating
What does dopamine influence?
influences movement, learning, attention, and emotion
Signal detection theory is most closely associated with which perception process?
Absolute thresholds
what stage of sleep do jerky eye movements occur?
REM sleep
what do meth, cocaine, and caffeine have in common?
excite neural activity and arouse body functions
What is Ivan Pavlov known for?
His dog test proved humans and animals can be taught to act in a definite way in response to stimulus
What does somatic nervous system control?
controls the body's skeletal muscles
What is Stroboscopic Movement?
Brain perceived continuous movement in a rapid series of slightly varying images
What is Sleep Apnea?
a sleep disorder characterized by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and repeated momentary awakenings.
What is LSD?
powerful hallucinogenic drug; also known as acid (lysergic acid diethylamide).
Who is B.F. Skinner?
Behaviorist who rejected introspection, studied how consequences shape behavior
What does the hypothalamus control?
controls maintenance, hormones, and emotion (neural structure below the thalamus)
Frequency theory relates to which element of the hearing process?
Rate at which the basilar membrane vibrates
What is latent content?
according to Freud, the underlying meaning of a dream
What are barbiturates?
drugs that depress the activity of the central nervous system, reducing anxiety but impairing memory and judgment.