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Unit 3:1 - Divisions of the nervous system and parts of the brain

 
Description of the nervous system
"Nerves are cylindrical bundles of fibers that start at the brain and central cord and branch out to every other part of the body, according to the University of Michigan Medical School. 
Neurons send signals to other cells through thin fibers called axons, which cause chemicals known as neurotransmitters to be released at junctions called synapses, the NIH noted. A synapse gives a command to the cell and the entire communication process typically takes only a fraction of a millisecond.
Sensory neurons react to physical stimuli such as light, sound and touch and send feedback to the central nervous system about the body’s surrounding environment, according to the American Psychological Association. Motor neurons, located in the central nervous system or in peripheral ganglia, transmit signals to activate the muscles or glands.
Glial cells, derived from the Greek word for "glue," are specialized cells that support, protect or nourish nerve cells, according to the National Institute on Aging."
 
 
 
 

Unit 3:2 - Perception and memory

 
 
Perception can also be influenced by an individual's expectations, motives, and interests. The term perceptual set refers to the tendency to perceive objects or situations from a particular frame of reference. Perceptual sets usually lead us to reasonably accurate conclusions.
 
Perceptual set theory stresses the idea of perception as an active process involving selection, inference and interpretation.
The concept of perceptual set is important to the active process of perception.  Allport (1955) defined perceptual set as:

Perceptual set is a tendency to perceive or notice some aspects of the available sensory data and ignore others.  According to Vernon, 1955 perceptual set works in two ways:
(1) The perceiver has certain expectations and focuses attention on particular aspects of the sensory data: This he calls a Selector'.
(2) The perceiver knows how to classify, understand and name selected data and what inferences to draw from it. This she calls an 'Interpreter'.
It has been found that a number of variables, or factors, influence perceptual set, and set in turn influences perception. The factors include:
• Expectations
• Emotion
• Motivation
• Culture 
 

Unit 3:3 - The cells of the nervous system and neurotransmitters at synapses

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/add_ocr_pre_2011/brain_mind/informationrev1.shtml

 
 
Other synapses are electrical; in these synapses, ions flow directly between cells. At a chemical synapse, an action potential triggers the presynaptic neuron to release neurotransmitters. These molecules bind to receptors on the postsynaptic cell and make it more or less likely to fire an action potential.
 
 
 
 

Unit 3:4 - Communication and social behaviour

 
 
Permissive Parenting
Excessively lenient parenting
 
Authoritarian Parenting
Unreasonable strict parenting
 
Authoritative Parenting
Demanding but responsive parenting
 
Securely Attached
Plays with mother, Distressed when mother leaves, resists comfort from strange & runs to mother for comfort when she returns
 
Insecurely Attached - Detached
Hardly plays, indifferent/mild distress when mother leaves, takes comfort from stranger if required. Ignores mother when returns
 
Insecurely Attached - Resistant
Does not play with toys, distressed when mother leaves, resists comfort from the stranger. When mother returns behaviour is inconsistent by seeking and resisting comfort at the same time (signs of anger and resentment.
 
Behavioural Skills
Ability to react appropriately in social situations
 
Emotional Skills
Ability to form stable relationships and demonstrate feeling towards each other
 
Cognitive Skills
Ability to gain knowledge and develop the problem solving skills necessarey to funtion effectively
 
Non-Verbal Communication in Infants
Smiling makes the baby appealing and loveable. This is done for survival to ensure food, care and attention is received from caregiver.
 
How language help human in the Short Term
Allows humans to convey necessary info for day to day living
 
How language help human in the Long Term
Transfer and receipt of info from generation to generation
 
Learning - Practice on motor skills
Repeated use of a motor skill promotes the establishment of a motor pathway by increasing the number of synaptic connections being formed between neurons in the pathways.
 
Imitation
A great deal of human behaviour is learned by observing and copying the behaviour of others