The nervous system
Identify the two divisions of the nervous system?
Central nervous system and peripheral nervous system
Identify one physiological response for each of the divisions within the autonomic nervous system
Sympathetic response - heart rate increases to increase blood flow, enabling high levels of physical activity
Parasympathetic response - heart beats at a steady and regular rate that supports optimal and balanced functioning
Explain the difference between internal and external stressors
Internal stressors originate from within the person, whereas external stressors are from the person's environment
Define gut microbiota and describe how someone might improve their healthy gut microbiota
Gut microbiota is the complex community of microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract.
To improve healthy gut microbiota, you can increase your daily intake of water and consume a range of healthy food like vegetables and fruit.
Distinguish between approach and avoidance strategies, providing an example for each, using the scenario that Mia, a student at NDC is distressed about the upcoming Unit 3 AOS1 Psychology SAC.
Approach strategies involve focusing thoughts, feelings and or behaviours on the stressor and directly addressing it. For example, Mia may choose to increase the number of times she reviews her cue cards or increase the number of practice questions she completes per day. Whereas, avoidance strategies involve focusing attention away from the stressor. Therefore, Mia might choose to lay in bed and watch The Vampire Diaries.
List the three types of neurons
Interneurons
Sensory neurons
Provide an example of a spinal reflex.
A person withdrawing their hand after touching an extremely hot surface.
Define context-specific effectiveness and explain how individuals need to use different coping strategies to achieve context-specific effectiveness.
Context-specific effectiveness is when the coping strategy or mechanism used is appropriate for the unique demands of the stressor.
For example, student 1 and 2 both have a SAC on Unit 3 AOS1. Student 1 has never studied the CNS, whereas student 2 has studied the CNS twice.
Therefore, student 1 may seek help from the teacher and create summary notes on the CNS. Student 2 on the other hand may create a study time table and self-test.
Identify the sub stages of Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome
Shock
Counter-shock
Alarm reaction
Resistance
Exhaustion
Distinguish between long-term depression and long-term potentiation
Long term depression is the long lasting, experience dependent weakening of synaptic connections between neurons that are not regularly coactivated
Whereas long term potentiation is is the long lasting and experience dependent strengthening of synaptic connections that are regularly coactivated
Explain the division of the autonomic nervous system that prepares the body to respond to a threat or stressor
The sympathetic nervous system is a division of the ANS that activates visceral muscles, organs and glands, preparing the body to respond to a stressor. Energises the body to engage in high levels of physical activity and confront the threat.
Identify and explain how the excitatory neurotransmitter impacts learning and memory.
Glutamate is the excitatory neurotransmitter that increases the likelihood of the post synaptic neuron firing an action potential. Excitatory effects of glutamate form and strengthen synaptic connections that are repeated activated during learning. These strong synaptic connections represent what has been learnt.
Distinguish between distress and eustress, providing examples for each.
Distress is a form of stress categorised by a negative psychological state, such as feeling unprepared for a SAC.
Whereas, eustress is a form of stress categorised by a positive psychological state, such as being offered a new job.
Explain the role of cortisol and determine which sub-stage of Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome it is released.
Cortisol is a stress hormone which energises the body to confront and respond to a stressor.
Cortisol is increasingly released in countershock and continues to be released in the resistance stage.
Explain the role of long-term potentiation in your ability to memorise the content for the Unit 3 AOS1 Psychology SAC.
As students repeatedly practice their cue cards, the neural pathways/synaptic connections responsible for performing this skill are repeatedly activated (explaining the concepts). Therefore, this strengthens the neural pathways/synaptic connections that are related to explaining these concepts and results in improved performance in a SAC.
Identify and explain the two divisions of the central nervous system
Brain - complex organ within the skull that coordinates mental processes and behaviour and regulates bodily activity
Spinal cord - a cable of nerve tissue that extends from the brain, connecting it to the peripheral nervous system
Identify and explain the three mechanisms of synaptic plasticity
1. Sprouting: ability of dendrites/axons to develop new extensions/branches
2. Rerouting: ability of a neuron connected to a damaged neuron to create an alternative synaptic connection to an undamaged neuron
3. Pruning: the elimination of synaptic connections that are not adequately activated
Mika is a 12 week old puppy and met her family's cat for the first time. Mika barked and momentarily stood still. Explain why this occurred.
Some may answer the FFF response, which is incorrect. Students should understand the sympathetic and parasympathetic NS are both active in a FFF response, but variances in dominance are demonstrated depending on the type of response.
Using the LFTMOSC, outline how Miss Pham might appraise teaching Year 12 Psychology for the first time.
Primary Appraisal - Miss Pham is likely to decide that teaching Year 12 is stressful and a challenge.
Secondary appraisal - Miss Pham assesses her current resources for coping and will likely decide that she has adequate coping resources to face teaching Year 12 for the first time.
This appraisal is likely to decrease the amount of stress that she experiences, as she is confident in her ability to cope with the stressor.
Describe the process that occurs within the nervous system in order to pat a dog.
Sensory receptors in the eyes detect that there is a dog.
Sensory neurons carry this information to the brain via afferent tracts.
The brain receives and processes this information and makes a conscious decision to pat the dog, initiating a motor response.
Motor message travels via motor neurons through efferent tracts to skeletal muscles in order to bend down and reach out to pat the dog.
Distinguish between unconscious and conscious responses
Whereas, unconscious responses are automatic involuntary actions that are performed by the body independently of the brain.
1. A harmful stimulus is detected by sensory receptors, which transmit this sensory message via sensory neurons through afferent tracts in the somatic nervous system to the spinal cord
2. An interneuron in the spinal cor relays this sensory neural signal from a sensory neuron to a motor neuron as a motor neural signal, initiating an automatic and unconscious response
3. The motor message is transmitted via motor neurons through efferent tracts in the somatic nervous system to skeletal muscles, which carry out this unconscious motor response to the harmful sensory stimulus
4. The sensory message continues to travel via afferent tracts in the spinal cord to the brain. Then, the brain independently registers the sensation that triggered the spinal reflex.
Dopamine is a neuromodulator primarily responsible for voluntary motor movement, the experience of pleasure and reward based learning.
Serotonin is a neuromodulator primarily responsible for the regulation of mood and sleep.
Lisa has worked for many years as a doctor in a busy emergency ward. She has been working long, stressful shifts. Recently her own doctor diagnosed her with a digestive illness. At the time of her diagnosis, what stage of Selye's GAS was Lisa most likely in and why?
Exhaustion stage, as her body can no longer cope with her job and she has developed a serious illness.
Evaluate the strengths and limitations of Selye's GAS model
Strengths
- recognises a predictable pattern of physiological responses associated with distinct stages and substates
- recognises the relationship between chronic stress and illness
- provides objective, empirical information about the biological processes involved in the stress response
Limitations
- based on research conducted on rats, reducing generalizability
- only focuses on biological aspects of stress and ignores the importance of psychological factors like emotion and cognition
- prescribes a uniform model that is the same for every individual, failing to recognise the subjective nature of a stress response.