UNIT OUTLINE/ASSIGNMENTS/TERMS TO KNOW FOR
AP PSYCHOLOGY UNIT 2 – BIOLOGICAL BASES OF BEHAVIOR
WEITEN, CHAPTER 3
Biological Bases of Behavior
An effective introduction to the relationship between physiological processes and behavior —
including the influence of neural function, the nervous system and the brain, and genetic contributions
to behavior — is an important element in the AP course.
UNIT 2 OBJECTIVES
 Identify basic processes and systems in the biological bases of behavior, including parts of the
neuron and the process of transmission of a signal between neurons.
 Discuss the influence of drugs on neurotransmitters (e.g., reuptake mechanisms, agonists,
antagonists).
 Discuss the effect of the endocrine system on behavior.
 Describe the nervous system and its subdivisions and functions:
— central and peripheral nervous systems;
— major brain regions, lobes, and cortical areas;
— brain lateralization and hemispheric specialization.
 Discuss the role of neuroplasticity in traumatic brain injury.
 Recount historic and contemporary research strategies and technologies that support research
(e.g., case studies, split-brain research, imaging techniques).
 Discuss psychology’s abiding interest in how heredity, environment, and evolution work
together to shape behavior.
 Predict how traits and behavior can be selected for their adaptive value.
 Identify key contributors (e.g., Paul Broca, Charles Darwin, Michael Gazzaniga, Roger Sperry,
Carl Wernicke).
Date
Monday, February 2
Tuesday, February 3
Wednesday, February 4
Thursday, February 5
Friday, February 6
Monday, February 9
Tuesday, February 10
Wednesday, February 11
Thursday, February 12
Friday, February 13
Topics Discussed/Assignments Due
 Unit 1 Test
 Psychology in the News: (opportunity to earn up to 10 points
on each unit test)
 Unit 2 Outline – Terms assigned
 Neurons – Building a Model
 Neurotransmitters and Behavior
 Neurotransmitters and Behavior cont.
 Peripheral and Central Nervous Systems
 Brain Research
 Celebrity Brain Project
 Unit 2 Quiz, terms #1-37
 Articles for extra points on unit 1 test due
 Celebrity Brain Project cont.
 Presentations – Celebrity Brain Project Due
 Video & Discussion: How Does the Brain Work?
 Right Brain/Left Brain
 Endocrine System
 Heredity and Behavior
 Evolutionary Bases of Behavior
 Review for Unit 2 Test
 Unit 2 Test – Weiten, Chapter 3
Unit 2 Terms to Know
1. Phrenology
2. Neurons
3. Dendrite
4. Axon
5. Myelin sheath
6. Glial cells
7. Action potential
8. Resting potential
9. Refractory period
10. Threshold
11. All-or-none response
12. Synapse
13. Neurotransmitters
14. Reuptake
15. Acetylcholine
16. Dopamine
17. Serotonin
18. Norepinephrine
19. Endorphins
20. Agonist
21. Antagonists
22. Central nervous system
23. Peripheral nervous system
24. Nerves
25. Sensory neurons
26. Motor neurons
27. Interneurons
28. Somatic nervous system
29. Autonomic nervous system
30. Sympathetic nervous system
31. Parasympathetic nervous system
32. Reflexes
33. Endocrine system
34. Hormones
35. Adrenal glands
36. Fight-or-flight response
37. Pituitary glands
38. Lesion
39. EEG
40. CT scan
41. PET scan
42. MRI
43. fMRI
44. brainstem
45. medulla
46. thalamus
47. reticular formation
48. cerebellum
49. limbic system
50. amygdala
51. hypothalamus
52. hippocampus
53. cerebral cortex
54. frontal lobes
55. parietal lobes
56. occipital lobes
57. temporal lobes
58. motor cortex
59. somatosensory cortex
60. Broca’s area
61. Wernicke’s area
62. Plasticity
63. Neurogenesis
64. Corpus callosum
65. Split brains
66. Cognitive neuroscience
67. Dual processing
68. Identical twins
69. Fraternal twins
70. Molecular genetics
71. Heritability