Understanding Psychological Research Terms

What is the term for a chemical messenger that carries signals between neurons?

• Hormone

• Neurotransmitter

• Pheromone

• Agonist

Which part of the brain is believed to play a key role in emotion and memory?

• Hippocampus

• Amygdala

• Cortex

• Cerebellum

What is the term for a study that attempts to find a correlation between two variables by collecting data early in the life of participants and then continuing to test them over time?

• Retrospective research

• Cross-sectional design

• Prospective research

• Longitudinal study

What is the clinical term for fraternal twins?

• Monozygotic twins

• Dizygotic twins

• Identical twins

• Genetic twins

Which neurotransmitter is linked to mood, appetite, and sleep regulation?

• Acetylcholine

• Dopamine

• Serotonin

• Cortisol

What is the process called when extra neurons and synaptic connections are eliminated to increase the efficiency of neuronal transmissions?

• Neuroplasticity

• Neural pruning

• Synaptic growth

• Neurogenesis

What is the term for a genetic variation resulting in the occurrence of several different forms or types of individuals among the members of a single species?

• Polymorphism

• Mutation

• Genetic drift

• Natural selection

Which hormone is responsible for the breakdown of glucose in the fight-or-flight response?

• Serotonin

• Cortisol

• Dopamine

• Acetylcholine

What is the term for the probability that the same trait will be present in both members of a pair of twins?

• Genetic similarity

• Concordance rate

• Heritability

• Twin correlation

What is the term for the theory that specific behaviours may have their origin in specific parts of the brain?

• Neuroplasticity

• Localization of function

• Neural network

• Brain mapping