AP Psych QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS
statistical significance - --a statistical statement of how likely it is that an obtained result
occurred by chance
confounding variable - --a factor other than the independent variable that might produce an effect
in an experiment
Action potential - --a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon
Interneurons - --neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and
intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs
Synapse - --the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body
of the receiving neuron
Neurotransmitters - --chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons
Adrenal glands - --a pair of endocrine glands that sit just above the kidneys and secrete hormones
(epinephrine and norepinephrine) that help arouse the body in times of stress.
Electroencephalogram (EEG) - --An amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that
sweep across the brain's surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp.
Computed tomography (CT) scan - --x-ray imaging produces cross-sectional and other views of
anatomic structures
Position emission tomography (PET) scan - --a visual display of brain activity that detects where
a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) - --brain-imaging method using radio waves and magnetic
fields of the body to produce detailed images of the brain
Functional MRI (fMRI) - --technique that uses magnetic fields to visualize brain activity using
changes in blood oxygen level
Glial cells (glia) - --cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons
Frontal lobes - --the portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in
speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgments
Parietal lobes - --portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear;
receives sensory input for touch and body position
, Occipital lobes - --portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes areas that
receive information from the visual fields
Temporal lobes - --portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the
auditory areas, each receiving information primarily from the opposite ear
Motor cortex - --an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements
Sensory cortex - --area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and PROCESSES body
touch and movement sensations
Association areas - --areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or
sensory functions; rather, they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning,
remembering, thinking, and speaking
Aphasia - --impairment of language, usually caused by left hemisphere damage either to Broca's
area (impairing speaking) or to Wernicke's area (impairing understanding).
Broca's area - --Controls language expression - an area of the frontal lobe, usually in the left
hemisphere, that directs the muscle movements involved in speech.
Wernicke's area - --controls language reception - a brain area involved in language
comprehension and expression; usually in the left temporal lobe
Neurogensis - --the formation of new neurons
Dual processing - --the principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate
conscious and unconscious tracks
Cognitive neuroscience - --the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition
(including perception, thinking, memory, and language)
Consiousness - --our awareness of ourselves and our environment
Reticular formation - --a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in
controlling arousal
Behavior genetics - --the study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental
influences on behavior
Heritability - --The proportion of variation among individuals that we can attribute to genes. The
heritability of a trait may vary, depending on the range of populations and environments studied.
Molecular genetics - --the subfield of biology that studies the molecular structure and function of
genes
statistical significance - --a statistical statement of how likely it is that an obtained result
occurred by chance
confounding variable - --a factor other than the independent variable that might produce an effect
in an experiment
Action potential - --a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon
Interneurons - --neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and
intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs
Synapse - --the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body
of the receiving neuron
Neurotransmitters - --chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons
Adrenal glands - --a pair of endocrine glands that sit just above the kidneys and secrete hormones
(epinephrine and norepinephrine) that help arouse the body in times of stress.
Electroencephalogram (EEG) - --An amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that
sweep across the brain's surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp.
Computed tomography (CT) scan - --x-ray imaging produces cross-sectional and other views of
anatomic structures
Position emission tomography (PET) scan - --a visual display of brain activity that detects where
a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) - --brain-imaging method using radio waves and magnetic
fields of the body to produce detailed images of the brain
Functional MRI (fMRI) - --technique that uses magnetic fields to visualize brain activity using
changes in blood oxygen level
Glial cells (glia) - --cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons
Frontal lobes - --the portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in
speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgments
Parietal lobes - --portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear;
receives sensory input for touch and body position
, Occipital lobes - --portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes areas that
receive information from the visual fields
Temporal lobes - --portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the
auditory areas, each receiving information primarily from the opposite ear
Motor cortex - --an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements
Sensory cortex - --area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and PROCESSES body
touch and movement sensations
Association areas - --areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or
sensory functions; rather, they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning,
remembering, thinking, and speaking
Aphasia - --impairment of language, usually caused by left hemisphere damage either to Broca's
area (impairing speaking) or to Wernicke's area (impairing understanding).
Broca's area - --Controls language expression - an area of the frontal lobe, usually in the left
hemisphere, that directs the muscle movements involved in speech.
Wernicke's area - --controls language reception - a brain area involved in language
comprehension and expression; usually in the left temporal lobe
Neurogensis - --the formation of new neurons
Dual processing - --the principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate
conscious and unconscious tracks
Cognitive neuroscience - --the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition
(including perception, thinking, memory, and language)
Consiousness - --our awareness of ourselves and our environment
Reticular formation - --a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in
controlling arousal
Behavior genetics - --the study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental
influences on behavior
Heritability - --The proportion of variation among individuals that we can attribute to genes. The
heritability of a trait may vary, depending on the range of populations and environments studied.
Molecular genetics - --the subfield of biology that studies the molecular structure and function of
genes
