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Nativists
- Emphasized genes and inborn characteristics
- nature
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Empiricists
- focused on learning expericnve
- nurture
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Edward L Thorndike
- "chief determining factor is heredity"
- Nativist, nature
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John B Watson
- experience write any message on blank slate of people
- Empiricist, nurture
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Evolutionary Psychology
Field pf psychology emphasizing the evolutionary mechanisms that might help explain our human commonalities in the areas of social practices, perception, emotional responses, reasoning, cooperation, helpfulness... other behaviors.
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Behavioral Genetics
an interdisciplinary field concerned with genetic contributions to individual differences in behavior and personality
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What affects our genes?
- Experience
- stress, diet, emotional events, hormonal changes
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Genes
the functional units of heredity; composed of DNA and specify the structure of proteins
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Chromosomes
- within every cell
- rod-shaped structures of protein
- genes located on
- mom-23
- dad-23
- total-46
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DNA
Chromosomal molecule that transfers genetic characteristics by way of coded instructions for the structure of proteins
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Genome
The full set of genes in each cell of an organism (with the exception of sperm and eggs), together with noncoding DNA located outside the genes
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Genetic markers
A segment of DNA that varies among individuals, has a known location on a chromosome, and can function a a genetic landmark for a gene involved in a physical or mental condition.
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Epigenetics
The study of stable changes in the expression of a particular gene that occur without changes in DNA base sequences; the Greek prefix "epi" means "on top of" or "in addition to"
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Heritability
- A statistical estimate of the proportion of the total variance in some trait that is attributed to genetic differences among individuals within a group.
- Max of 1.0 (100)
- Estimate of Heritability applies only to a particular group living in a particular environment
- Heritability estimates do not apply to a specific person, only to variations within a group of people.
- Even highly heritable traits can be modified by the environment.
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Computing heritability
- Infer it by studying people whose degree of genetic similarity is known
- Compare traits of adopted children with genetic relatives.
- Compare groups of same-sex fraternal twins with groups of identical twins. If identical twins are more alike then the increased similarity must be due to genetic influence
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Fraternal twins
- twins that develop from two separate eggs fertilized by different sperm
- no more alike genetically than any other pair of siblings
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Identical twins
Twins that develop when a fertilized egg divides into two parts that develop into separate embryos
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Neuroscientists
study the brain and the rest of the nervous system in hopes of gaining a better understanding of normal behavior and the outer reaches of what is possible for the brain
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Central Nervous System
- The portion of the nervous system consisting of the brain and spinal cord
- Receives, processes, interprets and stores the incoming sensory information
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Spinal cord
A collection of neurons and supportive tissue running from the base of the brain down the center of the back, protected by a column of bones.
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Peripheral Nervous System
- All portions of the nervous system outside the brain and spinal cord; it includes sensory and motor nerves.
- Handles the CNS input and output.
- Divided into somatic and autonomic nervous systems
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Somatic Nervous System
- The subdivision of the peripheral nervous system that connects so sensory receptors and to skeletal muscles
- Bodily
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Autonomic Nervous System
- The subdivision of the peripheral nervous system that regulates the internal organs and glands.
- Self-governing
- Separated into the sympathetic and parasympathetic
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Sympathetic Nervous System
The subdivision of the autonomic nervous system that mobilizes bodily resources and increases the output of energy during emotion and stress
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Parasympathetic Nervous System
The subdivision of the autonomic nervous system that operates during relaxed states and that conserves energy.
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Neuron
- A cell that conducts electrochemical signals; the basic unit of the nervous system; also called a nerve cell
- 3 main parts: dendrites, cell body, axon
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Glia
Cells that support, nurture, and insulate neurons
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Dendrites
A neuron's branches that receive information from other neurons and transmit it toward the cell body
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Cell body
The part of the neuron that keeps it alive and determines whether or not it will fire
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Axon
A neuron's extending fiber that conducts impulses away from the cell body that transmits them to other neurons
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Myelin sheath
A fatty insulation that may surround the axon of a neuron
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Nerve
A bundle of nerve fibers (axons and sometimes dendrites) in the peripheral nervous system.
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Neurogenesis
The production of new neurons form immature stem cells
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Stem Cells
Immature cells that renew themselves and have the potential to develop into mature cells; given encouraging environments, stem cells from early embryos can develop into any cell type
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Synapse
The site where transmission of a nerve impulse from one nerve cell to another occurs; it includes the axon terminal, the synaptic cleft and receptor sites in the membrane of the receiving cell
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action potential
A brief change in electrical voltage that occurs between the inside and the outside of an axon when a neuron is stimulated; it serves to produce an electrical impulse
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Neurotransmitter
A chemical substance that is released by a transmitting neuron at the synapse and that alters the activity of a receiving neuron
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Lesion method
the removal or disabling of a brain structure to gain better understanding of its function
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Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
A method of stimulating brain cells, using a powerful magnetic field produced by a wire coil placed on a person's head; it can be used by researchers to temporarily inactivate neural circuits.
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Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)
A technique that applies a very s mall electric current to stimulate or suppress activity in parts of the cortex; it enables researchers to identify the functions of a particular area.
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Electroencephalogram (EEG)
A recording of neural activity detected by electrodes.
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Event-related Potentials (ERP)
A technique that isolates the neural activity associated with a specific stimulus (event).
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PET scan
A method for analyzing biochemical activity in the brain, for example by using injections of a glucose-like substance containing a radioactive element.
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MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
A method for studying body and brain tissue, using magnetic fields and special radio receivers
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fMRI(functional MRI)
A type of MRI used to study brain activity associated with specific thoughts and behaviors
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Plasticity
The brain's ability to change and adapt in response to experience, through neurogenesis, or by reorganizing or growing new neural connections
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Sensation
The detection, by sense organs, of physical energy emitted or reflected by physical objects
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Perception
The process by which the brain organizes and interprets sensory information
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Sense receptors
Specialized cells that convert physical energy in the environment or the body to electrical energy that can be transmitted as nerve impulses to the brain
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Sensory adaption
The reduction or disappearance of sensory responsiveness when stimulation is unchanging or repetitious
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Sensory deprivation
The absence of normal levels of sensory stimulation
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Selective attention
The focusing of attention on selected aspects of the environment and the blocking out of others
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Inattentional Blindness
Failure to consciously perceive something you are looking at because you are not attending to it.
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Gestalt principles
Principles that describe the brain's organization of sensory information into meaningful units and patterns
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