AP Psychology Notes 4/7/15

Nervous System

• the entire nervous system is composed of neurons
• Resting Potential- slightly negative charge. reach the threshold when enough neurotransmitters reach dendrites. go into action potential (firing)
• The all or none response- idea that either the neuron fires or it does not, no part way firing
• Neurotransmitters- chemical messengers released by terminal buttons through synapse
• Peripheral Nervous System-  all nerves not encased in bone
• Somatic Nervous System- controls voluntary muscle movement, use motor neurons
• Autonomic Nervous System- controls the automatic function of the body. Divided into two categories the sympathetic and parasympathetic
• Sympathetic- Nervous system- fight or flight response. Accelerates heart rate, breathing, pupil dilates, and digestion slows
• Parasympathetic Nervous System- automatically slows after stress event. Heart rate and breathing slows, and opposite of sympathetic

Neurotransmitters

• Acetylcholine- motor movement and memory. Lack leads to Alzheimer's
• Dopamine-motor movement and alertness. lack leads to Parkinson. Surplus leads to Schizophrenia
• Serotonin- mood control and a decrease leads to clinical depression
• Norepinephrine- control alertness and arousal. Lack leads to depression. Surplus leads to manic symptoms
• GABA- major inhibitory neurotransmitters. Lack leads to tremors, seizing, insomnia
• Glutamate- major excitatory neurotransmitters involved in memory. Surplus leads to migraines

Drugs

• Agonist- make neuron fire
• Antagonist- stop neural firing
• Reuptake Inhibitors- prevent neurotransmitters from entering the neuron

Types of Neurons

• Afferent Neuron- take info from senses to brain
• Inter Neuron- take messages from sensory neurons to other parts of the brain or to motor neurons
• Motor neuron- take info from brain to body

Sensory neurons take inf up through the spine to the brain. some reactions occur when sensory neurons reach just spinal cord
Endocrine System- system of glands that secrete hormones. Similar to nervous system, except hormones work a lot slower than neurotransmitters
Major Endocrine Glands

• Thyroid gland- affects metabolism
• Parathyroids- regulate calcium in blood
• Adrenal glands- called medulla fight or flight
• Pancreas- regulate sugar level
• Ovary
• Testicles
• Pituitary gland- secrete many hormones, some affect others  growth
• Hypothalamus- brain

Ways we Study the Brain

• Accident
• Phineas Gage Story- personality changed after accident. Different part of the brain control aspects of who we are
• Lesions- Removal or destruction of part of brain. Frontal Lobotomy
• Electroencephalogram- detects brain waves through their electrical output. mainly in sleep but can be awake
• CAT Scan- 3D X-ray of brain. good for tumor locating but tells us nothing about function
• MRI- more detailed picture of brain using magnetic field to knock electrons off axis. takes many pics and turns pics into a movie like production
• PET Scan- scans and measures how much of a chemical the brain is using

Brain Structures

• Hindbrain- structure on top of spinal cord. Controls basic bio structures
• Medulla-  controls involuntary actions such as heart beating, breathing, etc
• Pons- located above medulla. connects hindbrain and midbrain with forebrain
• Cerebellum- the little brain. controls fine motor movements
• Forebrain- makes us human. Largest part
• Limbic System- hypothalamus, pituitary gland, amygdala, hippocampus
• Cerebral Cortex- made of gray mater used for coordinating
• Glial cells- support brain cells. wrinkles called fissures
• Frontal Lobe- abstract thought and emotional control. contains motor cortex
• Broca's area- controls muscles that make speech
• Broca's aphasia- unable to make movements to talk
• Parietal lobe- contains sensory cortex. made of mostly association areas
• Association areas- any area not used for motor or sensory movements
• Occipital lobe- contains visual cortex. interprets messages from our eyes into images

Development

• rooting- when newborn is touched on the cheek will turn to stimulation
• grasping- baby will grasp object
• Moro(startle) when startled a baby will fling limbs then retract
• Babinski(foot) when a baby foot is stroked, will spread its toes
• Maturation-  physical growth process
• Motor Development- learn to roll over, sit up , crawl, and walk
• cognition- all mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, and remembering
• Cognitive development- Jean Piaget
• Schema- way we interpret world
• Assimilation- incorporating new experiences into existing schema
• Accommodation- change in schema to adapt ot new info

4 stages of cognitive development

• sensorimotor-experiences through sense. object permanence
• Preoperational- use language to represent words. egocentric. conservation
• Concrete operational- show concept of conservation. Reversibility
• Formal operational- abstract reasoning

Criticism of Piaget- do not learn in stages but gradually

There are three types of parenting such as authoritarian, permissive, and authoritative. Babies go through development where they show much dependence on the parent like stranger anxiety.

Origins of Attachment

• Harry Harlow- showed that monkeys needed touch or body contact to form attachment
• a critical period is shortly after birth when an organism's exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produce proper development
• Origins of Attachment: Responsive parenting- Mary Ainsworth "Strange Situation" 1.secure 2. avoidant 3. anxious/ambivalent 
• Secure attachment (ideal)- child show distress when parent leaves, seek contact at the reunion, explore when parent is gone, play and greet when parent is present
• Insecure Attachment- lack of one or more of these traits
• Stranger Anxiety- fear of strangers that infants commonly display
• Separation Anxiety- distress the infant shows when object of attachment leaves

Parenting Styles

• Authoritarian parents- rules and obedience
• permissive parents- submit to child desire
• Authoritative parent- compromise

Adolescence- transition from child to adult

Puberty- period of sexual maturation, becomes capable of reproducing

Primary sex characteristics

2nd sex characteristics- widening of hips, deeper voices, breast

Landmarks of puberty- menarche for girls and ejaculation for guys

Crystallized Intelligence- increase in knowledge as you age

Fluid Intelligence- solve problems quickly and think abstractly

Alzheimer disease- progressive and ireversible brain disorder characterized by gradual deterioration of memory

Death

1. denial
2. anger
3. bargaining
4. depression
5. acceptance