Basic Brain Processes
Four Lobes of the Brain and their functions
Frontal Lobe: Controls thinking, planning, decision-making, and voluntary movement.
Parietal Lobe: Processes touch, temperature, and body position.
Temporal Lobe: Processes hearing and language.
Occipital Lobe: Processes vision.
Retroactive Interference:
When new information makes it hard to remember old information.
Parasympathetic Nervous System
Helps you relax and conserve energy (rest and digest).
Opponent Process Theory:
A theory that explains how we see colors in opposing pairs (red-green, blue-yellow).
What is a psychological perspective ?
Different ways psychologists explain behavior
Hypothalamus
A part of the brain that regulates hunger, thirst, body temperature, and emotions.
Proactive Interference:
When old information makes it hard to learn new information.
Sympathetic Nervous System:
Prepares your body for action (fight or flight).
Perceptual Set:
The tendency to see things based on what we expect.
What is a cognitive approach to psychology?
Focuses on how we think and solve problems.
Brain Plasticity
The brain's ability to adapt and rewire itself after injury or in response to learning.
Anterograde Amnesia:
The inability to form new memories after an event or injury.
What does it mean if a neuron is in resting state?
When a neuron is not sending a signal, maintaining a stable negative charge inside (-70 mV).
Mental Set:
Using the same method to solve a problem because it worked in the past.
What is a sociocultural approach to psychology?
Focuses on how society and culture affect behavior.
Reticular Formation
A network of neurons in the brainstem that helps control alertness and sleep.
Retrograde Amnesia:
The inability to recall past memories.
What is neural firing?
When a neuron sends an electrical signal down its axon to pass messages to other neurons.
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy:
When a belief causes you to act in ways that make the belief come true.
What is a psychodynamic approach to psychology?
Focuses on unconscious thoughts and childhood experiences.
Wernicke’s Area:
Broca’s Area:
Wernicke’s Area: Part of the brain that helps you understand speech.
Broca’s Area: Part of the brain that helps you speak.
What is the role of the hippocampus in memory formation?
The hippocampus is crucial for forming new long-term memories, organizing and storing them for later recall. It also helps with spatial memory, navigation, and remembering details about specific events, like where and when they occurred.
What does absolute threshold mean when discussing neural firing?
The absolute threshold in neural firing is the minimum level of stimulation required for a neuron to generate an action potential (fire). If the incoming signal does not reach this threshold, the neuron remains at rest and does not transmit the signal.
Belief Perseverance:
Holding on to a belief even when proven wrong.
What is a biological approach to psychology?
Focuses on genetics and brain structures.