PSYC 255 Final Exam Prep Questions with correct
answers!!
Define brain
"Tissue within the skull", physical organ and not the same as the mind, produces and is affected
by behaviour, learning and adapting based on what a person is experiencing
Define behaviour
An observable phenomenon produced by the nervous system that has both a cause and a
function
Define nature vs nurture
Behaviour is not nature or nurture it is both
--> Nature: genetics
--> Nurture: environment
Define mentalism
Aristotle perspective, an explanation of behaviour as a function of the nonmaterial mind
(nonphysical)
Define dualism
Descartes perspective, a non-mental mind and the material body contribute to behaviour, mind
directs rational behaviour while body and brain direct all other behaviour (physical processes)
What are 2 problems with mentalism?
1. Pineal gland is involved in biological rhythms but not intelligence or behaviour control
2. Fluid is not pumped from the ventricles to control movements
Define materialism
Behaviour can be explained as a function of the nervous system without explanatory recourse
to the mind
,What happened to Phineas Gage?
He was a logical level-headed individual, use dynamite to clear rocks and it went of
prematurely, sent a pole through his cheekbone and through the top of his head, after he
recovered her was physically healed but his behaviour changed and he became irrational and
disrespectful
Define natural selection
Involves the gradual change in the frequency that a gene is expressed within a population,
occurs over many generations
What are the 6 areas of the brain?
1. Dorsal: the top of the head (above or superior)
2. Ventral: the bottom of the head (below of inferior)
3. Anterior: the front of the head (front or caudal)
4. Posterior: the back of the head (tail or rostral)
5. Lateral: the side of the head (side or left/right)
6. Medial: the middle of the head
What are the 3 planes of the brain?
1. Horizontal plane: separating superior from inferior
2. Sagittal plane: separating right from left
3. Coronal plane: separating anterior from posterior
Define contralateral
Left side of brain reacts to the right side (vice versa)
Define ipsilateral
Pathway stays on the same side, left side of the brain reacts to left side (or right to right)
Define afferent and efferent
,1. Afferent: incoming (sensory)
2. Efferent: outgoing (motor)
Define central nervous system (CNS)
Receives, processes, interprets, stores and responds to sensory information, made up of the
brain and spinal cord
Define spinal cord
A collection of neurons and supportive tissue running from the base of the brain down the
centre of the back and protected by spinal column, role in voluntary movement and automatic
functions, carries sensory info to brain,
Define the peripheral nervous system (PNS)
Provides info to the CNS and is provided with response info from the CNS, includes the somatic
nervous system and autonomic nervous system
Define somatic nervous system (SNS)
Afferent sensory nerves that get messages from receptors in the skin, muscles, joints and sense
organs and sends them to the brain and spinal cord, efferent motor neurons carry messages
from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles, the cranial nerves are monitored by the brain,
the spinal nerves are monitored by the spinal cord
Define cranial nerves
12 pairs of nerves supply sense organs and muscles of face and head, the nerves have sensory
functions or motor functions or both
Define spinal nerves
Each nerve contains both sensory and motor fibres, a single dermatome is supplied by each
nerve
What is the Law of Bell and Magendie?
, Sensory fibres are on the dorsal side of the spinal cord while motor fibres are on the ventral
side of the spinal cord
Define the autonomic nervous system
Works outside of our conscious awareness but we are still sometimes conscious of it, it is not
responsible for the cause functions but it does carry out the functions with sensory pathways,
monitoring internal organs activity to activate the sympathetic and parasympathetic processes
Define the sympathetic system
Arouses body during time of stress, "fight or flight" response, increasing (sweating, blood
pressure, heart rate) and decreasing (digestion) the activity of some components, redistribution
of our bodies resources so the body can deal with the stress
Define the parasympathetic system
Happens when calm, allows body to "rest and digest", conserve energy, decrease activity
(digestion, other systems) in some components, response to the lack of stress
Define meninges
Three layers (dura mater, arachnoid layer, pia mater) of tissue covering the brain and in front of
the skull
Define dura mater
Tough outer most layer of the meninges protective tissues (closest to the skull, furthest from
the brain)
Define arachnoid layer
Thin connective tissue between the two other layers of the meninges, includes the sub-
arachnoid space
Define pia mater
Soft innermost layer of the meninges protective tissue, closest to the brain
answers!!
Define brain
"Tissue within the skull", physical organ and not the same as the mind, produces and is affected
by behaviour, learning and adapting based on what a person is experiencing
Define behaviour
An observable phenomenon produced by the nervous system that has both a cause and a
function
Define nature vs nurture
Behaviour is not nature or nurture it is both
--> Nature: genetics
--> Nurture: environment
Define mentalism
Aristotle perspective, an explanation of behaviour as a function of the nonmaterial mind
(nonphysical)
Define dualism
Descartes perspective, a non-mental mind and the material body contribute to behaviour, mind
directs rational behaviour while body and brain direct all other behaviour (physical processes)
What are 2 problems with mentalism?
1. Pineal gland is involved in biological rhythms but not intelligence or behaviour control
2. Fluid is not pumped from the ventricles to control movements
Define materialism
Behaviour can be explained as a function of the nervous system without explanatory recourse
to the mind
,What happened to Phineas Gage?
He was a logical level-headed individual, use dynamite to clear rocks and it went of
prematurely, sent a pole through his cheekbone and through the top of his head, after he
recovered her was physically healed but his behaviour changed and he became irrational and
disrespectful
Define natural selection
Involves the gradual change in the frequency that a gene is expressed within a population,
occurs over many generations
What are the 6 areas of the brain?
1. Dorsal: the top of the head (above or superior)
2. Ventral: the bottom of the head (below of inferior)
3. Anterior: the front of the head (front or caudal)
4. Posterior: the back of the head (tail or rostral)
5. Lateral: the side of the head (side or left/right)
6. Medial: the middle of the head
What are the 3 planes of the brain?
1. Horizontal plane: separating superior from inferior
2. Sagittal plane: separating right from left
3. Coronal plane: separating anterior from posterior
Define contralateral
Left side of brain reacts to the right side (vice versa)
Define ipsilateral
Pathway stays on the same side, left side of the brain reacts to left side (or right to right)
Define afferent and efferent
,1. Afferent: incoming (sensory)
2. Efferent: outgoing (motor)
Define central nervous system (CNS)
Receives, processes, interprets, stores and responds to sensory information, made up of the
brain and spinal cord
Define spinal cord
A collection of neurons and supportive tissue running from the base of the brain down the
centre of the back and protected by spinal column, role in voluntary movement and automatic
functions, carries sensory info to brain,
Define the peripheral nervous system (PNS)
Provides info to the CNS and is provided with response info from the CNS, includes the somatic
nervous system and autonomic nervous system
Define somatic nervous system (SNS)
Afferent sensory nerves that get messages from receptors in the skin, muscles, joints and sense
organs and sends them to the brain and spinal cord, efferent motor neurons carry messages
from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles, the cranial nerves are monitored by the brain,
the spinal nerves are monitored by the spinal cord
Define cranial nerves
12 pairs of nerves supply sense organs and muscles of face and head, the nerves have sensory
functions or motor functions or both
Define spinal nerves
Each nerve contains both sensory and motor fibres, a single dermatome is supplied by each
nerve
What is the Law of Bell and Magendie?
, Sensory fibres are on the dorsal side of the spinal cord while motor fibres are on the ventral
side of the spinal cord
Define the autonomic nervous system
Works outside of our conscious awareness but we are still sometimes conscious of it, it is not
responsible for the cause functions but it does carry out the functions with sensory pathways,
monitoring internal organs activity to activate the sympathetic and parasympathetic processes
Define the sympathetic system
Arouses body during time of stress, "fight or flight" response, increasing (sweating, blood
pressure, heart rate) and decreasing (digestion) the activity of some components, redistribution
of our bodies resources so the body can deal with the stress
Define the parasympathetic system
Happens when calm, allows body to "rest and digest", conserve energy, decrease activity
(digestion, other systems) in some components, response to the lack of stress
Define meninges
Three layers (dura mater, arachnoid layer, pia mater) of tissue covering the brain and in front of
the skull
Define dura mater
Tough outer most layer of the meninges protective tissues (closest to the skull, furthest from
the brain)
Define arachnoid layer
Thin connective tissue between the two other layers of the meninges, includes the sub-
arachnoid space
Define pia mater
Soft innermost layer of the meninges protective tissue, closest to the brain
