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Terms Psych #2
Terms for physcholgy test #2
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Synapse: | A junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron. This tiny gap is called the synaptic gap or cleft. |
| Action Potential: | Intensity remains the same throughout the length of the axon. |
| Threshold: | Minimum intensity (threshold) needed for the neuron to fire an action potential. |
| Agonist: | A molecule that increases a neurotransmitter's action. |
| Antagonists: | A molecule that inhibits or blocks a neurotransmitter's action. |
| Endorphins: | Natural, opiate-like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure. |
| Nerves: | Bundled axons that form neural cables connecting the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs. |
| Interneurons: | Neurons within the brain and spinal cord. |
| Reflex: | A simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response. |
| Endocrine: | A set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream. |
| Hormones: | Chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissues. |
| Adrenal Glands: | A pair of endocrine glands that sit just above the kidneys and secrete hormones that help arouse the body in times of stress. |
| Lesion: | Tissue destruction. A brain lesion is a naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue. |
| EEG: | Electroencephalogram; An amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity sweeping across the brain's surface. Measured by electrodes placed on the scalp. |
| PETscan: | A visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task. |
| MRI: | A technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer generated images of soft tissue. MRI scans show brain anatomy. |
| Limbic System: | Neural system located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives. |
| Aphasia: | Loss of ability to understand or express speech. Caused by brain damage. |
| Broca's Area: | Region of the brain concerned with the production of speech. Located in the cortex of the dominant frontal lobe. |
| Wernicke's Area: | Region of the brain concerned with the comprehension of language. Located in the cortex of the dominant temporal lobe. |
| Plasticity: | The brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience. |
| Neurogenesis: | The formation of new neurons. |
| Corpus Callosum: | The large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them. |
| Prosocial Behavior: | Positive, constructive, helpful behavior. |
| Behaviorism: | The view that psychology should be an objective science that studies behavior without reference to mental processes. |
| Modeling: | The process of observing and imitating a specific behavior. |
| Operant Behavior: | Behavior that operates on the environment, producing consequences. |
| Latent Learning: | Learning that occurs but is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it. |
| Cognitive Map: | A mental representation of the layout of one's environment. |
| Primary Reinforcer: | An innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need. |
| Shaping: | An operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior. |
| Mirror Neurons: | Frontal lobe neurons that some scientists believe fire when performing certain actions or when observing others doing so. |
| Law of Effect; | Responses that produce a satisfying effect in a particular situation become more likely to occur again in that situation, and responses that produce a discomforting effect become less likely to occur again in that situation. |
| Discrimination: | In classical conditioning, the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus. |
| Operant Chamber: | In operant conditioning research, a chamber containing a bar or key that an animal can manipulate to obtain a food or water reinforcer. |
| Generalization: | The tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to elicit similar responses. |
| Intrinsic Motivation: | A desire to perform a behavior effectively for its own sake. |
| Higher Order Conditioning: | A procedure in which the conditioned stimulus in one conditioning experiment is paired with a new neutral stimulus. creating a second (often weaker) conditioned stimulus. |
| Acquisition: | The initial learning stage in classical conditioning in which an association between a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus takes place. |
| Spontaneous Recovery: | The re-emergence of a previously extinguished conditioned response after a delay. |
| Stimulus Generalization: | The act or process of making a different but similar response to the same stimulus. |
| Stimulus Discrimination: | Learning an association between CS and UCS. |
| Secondary Reinforcer: | Provide access to other desirable rewards and are an important component of operant conditioning. |
| Variable-Ratio Schedule: | A schedule of reinforcement wherein a reinforcer is provided following a pre-determined average number of responses. |
| Fixed-Interval Schedule: | A schedule of reinforcement used within operant conditioning. |
| Variable-Interval Schedule: | The concept of reinforcement is that the reinforcer should provide motivation for the behavior to be repeated. I |
| Reinforcement: | Rewarding a good behavior so that it will be encouraged. |
| Punishment: | A negative consequence for committing a problem. |
| Latent Learning: | A form of learning that occurs without any obvious reinforcement of the behavior or associations that are learned. |
| Intrinsic Motivation: | Engaging in a behavior because it is personally rewarding. |
| Extrinsic Motivation: | Motivation to perform a behavior or engage in an activity to earn a reward or to avoid punishment. |
Created by:
bhemlepp
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