AP Psychology Flashcards: The Brain
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 34 cards to help you master important concepts.
What does an fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scan show?
An fMRI scan measures brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow, allowing researchers to see which brain areas are active during a specific task.
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What does an fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scan show?
An fMRI scan measures brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow, allowing researchers to see which brain areas are active during a specific task.
What is the corpus callosum?
The corpus callosum is a large bundle of nerve fibers that connects the two cerebral hemispheres, allowing them to communicate with each other.
What are the main functions of the temporal lobes?
The temporal lobes generally control auditory processing (hearing) and linguistic processing (understanding language).
What is the principle of contralateral organization in the brain?
Contralateral organization means that the left hemisphere of the brain controls the right side of the body, and the right hemisphere controls the left side of the body.
Where are the primary language areas, Broca's and Wernicke's, typically located?
The main language areas, Broca's area and Wernicke's area, are typically located in the left hemisphere of the brain.
How do researchers use contralateral organization to study brain specialization?
Researchers present sensory information to one side of the body (e.g., the left visual field) to isolate and test the functions of the opposite brain hemisphere (the right hemisphere).
What is the relationship between the cerebral cortex and the lobes?
The lobes (frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal) are the major divisions of the cerebral cortex in each hemisphere.
After a severe car accident, a student has trouble making plans for their homework and often acts on impulse. Which lobes were most likely damaged?
The frontal lobes, which control higher-order thinking and executive functioning, were most likely damaged in the accident.
What is the specific function of Broca's area?
Broca's area is primarily involved in speech production, controlling the muscle movements required to form words.
What does an EEG (electroencephalogram) measure?
An EEG records the electrical activity of the brain through electrodes placed on the scalp, showing brain wave patterns.
A child who loses their sight at a young age develops an exceptionally sharp sense of hearing. What brain principle does this demonstrate?
This demonstrates brain plasticity, as the area of the brain that would have processed visual information has likely been rewired to enhance auditory processing.
What is meant by 'executive functioning' as it relates to the frontal lobes?
Executive functioning refers to a set of higher-order mental processes, including planning, problem-solving, and impulse control, that are managed by the frontal lobes.
Besides motor control, what type of learning is associated with the cerebellum?
The cerebellum is also associated with procedural learning, which involves acquiring skills through practice, like riding a bicycle.
How do case studies, like that of Phineas Gage, contribute to our understanding of the brain?
Case studies of individuals with specific brain damage help researchers link particular brain regions to specific functions, such as the frontal lobe's role in personality and decision-making.
A split-brain patient is shown the word 'ART' in their left visual field and 'HE' in their right visual field. What word will they say they saw?
They will say they saw the word 'HE' because it was processed by the left hemisphere, which typically controls language and speech.
What is the primary function of the occipital lobes?
The occipital lobes are primarily responsible for processing visual information received from the eyes.
What is the primary function of the brain stem?
The brain stem, which includes the medulla, generally controls basic life-sustaining functions such as breathing and heart rate.
What is the fundamental relationship between the brain's structures and functions, and human experience?
The brain's various structures and their specific functions are directly responsible for and apply to all human behaviors and mental processes.
Which brain structures are primarily involved in learning, emotion, and voluntary movement?
The reticular activating system and the brain's reward center are two key systems that generally control these functions.
What is the main finding from split-brain research?
Split-brain research reveals that the brain's right and left hemispheres may have specialized functions, a concept known as lateralization.
What are the primary functions of the cerebellum?
The cerebellum is generally responsible for controlling muscle coordination, maintaining balance, and some forms of procedural learning.
If a patient can hear words clearly but cannot make sense of what is being said, which lobes might be damaged?
Damage to the temporal lobes, which are responsible for auditory and linguistic processing, could cause this deficit.
A professional dancer's ability to execute precise, coordinated movements relies heavily on which part of the brain?
The dancer's ability to perform coordinated movements and maintain balance is heavily dependent on a well-functioning cerebellum.
What are the primary functions of the parietal lobes?
The parietal lobes contain association areas and the somatosensory cortex, which processes the sense of touch.
Define brain plasticity.
Brain plasticity is the brain's ability to change and adapt by reorganizing its structure, creating new neural connections, or re-wiring itself, often in response to experience or injury.
A person experiences flashes of light and distorted vision after a blow to the back of their head. Which lobes were likely affected?
The occipital lobes, which control visual information processing, were likely affected by the blow to the back of the head.
What are the major functions of the frontal lobes?
The frontal lobes generally control linguistic processing, higher-order thinking, and executive functioning like planning and decision-making.
What is the somatosensory cortex?
Located in the parietal lobes, the somatosensory cortex is the area of the brain that processes sensory input from the skin, muscles, and joints, such as touch, pressure, and pain.
Name three general methods researchers use to understand brain structure and function.
Researchers use brain scans (like EEG and fMRI), case studies of brain-damaged individuals, and surgical procedures to understand the brain.
What is the cerebral cortex?
The cerebral cortex is the outer layer of the brain, divided into two hemispheres, and it includes structures like the limbic system, corpus callosum, and various lobes.
What is the general function of the brain's reward center?
The brain's reward center is a system that controls responses to pleasurable stimuli, playing a key role in learning, motivation, and emotion.
What is the specific function of Wernicke's area?
Wernicke's area is primarily involved in language comprehension, or the ability to understand spoken and written language.
What is the general function of the reticular activating system?
The reticular activating system is involved in controlling arousal, consciousness, and some voluntary movements.
If a patient's medulla is damaged, what critical bodily functions would be most at risk?
Damage to the medulla would most directly risk the automatic control of basic functions like breathing and heart rate.