assumptions ♡

• What does Evolutionary Psychology suggest about characteristics?

  They are adaptive behaviours for survival.
• What do nativists believe in the Nature/Nurture debate?

  We are born with certain behaviours and characteristics.
• How do abilities develop according to nativists?

  They are pre-programmed to develop at maturation points.
• What does the natural environment do to individuals?

  It puts selective pressure on them.
• What is fitness in evolutionary terms?

  Adaptation to the environment for survival.
• What is the most important factor in evolution?

  Reproduction and passing genes to the next generation.
• What happens to genes responsible for FIT behaviours?

  They are passed on to future generations.
• What has Evolutionary Psychology shown about ancestral preferences?

  Certain characteristics were preferred by our ancestors.
• How do males and females differ in preferences for characteristics?

  They prefer different characteristics and qualities.
• What is parental investment?

  Time, effort, and resources put into offspring development.
• Why do males need to identify potentially fertile females?

  To ensure reproductive success and continuation of genes.
• What cues do males use to assess female fertility?

  Physical appearance associated with youth.
• What is the function of sexual jealousy in males according to Daly et al.?

  To guard their mate from male competitors.
• What covers the surface of the brain?

  The cerebral cortex.
• What is the appearance of the cerebral cortex?

  It is deeply folded and grey in colour.
• What functions does the cerebral cortex support?

  Higher cognitive functions.
• What are the four lobes of the cerebral cortex and their functions?

  • Frontal Lobe: fine motor movement, thinking, speech production
  • Occipital Lobe: vision
  • Temporal Lobe: hearing, understanding language
  • Parietal Lobe: contains sensory cortex
• What is a neuron?

  An electrically excitable cell in the nervous system.
• What do dendrites do in a neuron?

  They bring information to the cell body.
• What does the cell body of a neuron contain?

  A nucleus with the message to be passed on.
• How do neurotransmitters travel in a neuron?

  They travel down the axon to axon terminals.
• What is a synapse?

  A junction between neurons with a minute gap.
• What is released from pre-synaptic vesicles?

  Neurotransmitters.
• What are the components of a synapse?

  Presynaptic ending, postsynaptic ending, synaptic cleft.
• What do mitochondria do in a cell?

  They create energy-rich molecules for the cell.
• What is cellular respiration?

  The biochemical processes that produce energy.
• What type of synapse is most common?

  Axodendritic synapse.
• Can neurons release more than one type of neurotransmitter?

  Yes, they can release multiple neurotransmitters.
• What happens when a neurotransmitter binds to a receptor?

  It changes the postsynaptic cell's excitability.
• What can cause an action potential in a postsynaptic cell?

  A large number of excitatory postsynaptic events.
• What are the effects of different neurotransmitters?

  • Glutamate: builds memory, regulates awareness
  • GABA: involved in sleep, reduces anxiety
  • Serotonin: regulates mood, appetite, sleep
  • Noradrenaline: raises alertness, blood pressure
  • Dopamine: creates motivation and drive
  • Acetylcholine: regulates sleep and alertness
  • Endorphins: creates pleasure, reduces pain
  • Melatonin: regulates sleep and wake cycles
• Lobes of Brain

  
• The frontal lobes are important for voluntary movement, expressive language and for managing higher level executive functions. 
• The parietal lobe processes your sense of touch and assembles input from your other senses into a form you can use. 
• The occipital lobes sit at the back of the head and are responsible for visual perception, including colour, form and motion.
• The temporal lobe of your brain is a pair of areas on your brain's left and right sides. These areas, which are inside your skull near your temples and ears, play a role in managing your emotions, processing information from your senses, storing and retrieving memories, and understanding language.
• Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that your body can't function without. Their job is to carry chemical signals (“messages”) from one neuron (nerve cell) to the next target cell.