Psych Unit 1: Week 1-2 Key Terms

1. The stimulation of sensory receptors and the transmission of sensory information to the central nervous system.

• Perception

• Neuroplasticity

• Sensation

• Synaptic pruning

1. An approach in psychology that places emphasis on why the mind works like it does, instead of the structures that compose it.

• Psychoanalysis

• Structuralism

• Behaviorism

• Functionalism

1. Made up of nerve cells that send messages between the central nervous system and other parts of the body

• 1. Peripheral nervous system

• Neurotransmitter

• 1. Central nervous system

• Neuron

1.  A philosophical question about the relationship between our mental experience and the physiology of our body and brain.

• Structuralism

• Functionalism

• 1. Mind-body problem

• Behaviorism

1. The ability of the brain to form and reorganize synaptic connections, especially in response to learning or experience or following injury.

• 1. Signal-detection theory

• 1. Neuroplasticity

• 1. Synaptic pruning

• 1. Sensory adaptation

1. An approach in psychology that studies observable behavior.

• Behaviorism

• Structuralism

• Functionalism

• Psychoanalysis

1. A method of distinguishing sensory stimuli that takes into account not only the stimuli’s strengths but also variable elements, such as the setting, your physical state, your mood, and your attitudes.

• 1. Sensory adaptation

• Functionalism

• 1. Signal-detection theory

• Dualism

1. The study of behavior and mental processes.

• 1. Mind-body problem

• 1. Signal-detection theory

• Structuralism

• Psychology

1.  A chemical messenger that transmits signals across synapses, enabling communication between neurons in the nervous system.

• Neurotransmitter

• Axon

• Dendrite

• Neuron

1.  The psychological process through which we interpret sensory stimulation.

• 1. Synaptic pruning

• Sensation

• Perception

• Neuroplasticity