AP Psychology College Board

This subject is broken down into 68 topics in 9 modules:

  1. Biological Bases of Behavior 9 topics
  2. Clinical Psychology 7 topics
  3. Cognitive Psychology 11 topics
  4. Developmental Psychology 7 topics
  5. Learning 4 topics
  6. Motivation, Emotion, and Personality 10 topics
  7. Scientific Foundations of Psychology 6 topics
  8. Sensation and Perception 7 topics
  9. Social Psychology 7 topics
Study this subject in the Adapt App →
  • 9
    modules
  • 68
    topics
  • 24,771
    words of revision content
  • 3+
    hours of audio lessons

This page was last modified on 28 September 2024.

A preview of AP Psychology in the Adapt app

Adapt is a revision planning app with full content coverage and unlimited past paper questions for 1,200+ GCSE and A Level subjects.

Study this subject in the Adapt app →

Psychology

Biological Bases of Behavior

Influenc of Drugs on Neural Firing

🤓 Study

📖 Quiz

Play audio lesson

Influenc of Drugs on Neural Firing

Influence of Drugs on Neural Firing

Neurotransmitters and Drugs

  • Neurotransmitters are the body's natural chemicals that transmit messages between neurons.
  • These messages can be either inhibitory (reducing the likelihood of the neuron firing) or excitatory (increasing the likelihood of the neuron firing).
  • Some drugs can mimic neurotransmitters, essentially fooling neurons into triggering a response.
  • Others can block neurotransmitters, preventing the normal message from getting through.

Opium and Morphine

  • Opium and its active ingredient, morphine, bind to specific neurotransmitter receptors in the brain, the opioid receptors.
  • This decreases the sensation of pain and induces feelings of euphoria.

Psychoactive Drugs

  • Psychoactive drugs, such as LSD and ecstasy, alter consciousness by modifying perceptions and moods.
  • Some of these drugs, like LSD, bind to serotonin receptors, changing the person's sensory perceptions and thought processes.
  • Other drugs, such as ecstasy, increase the release of serotonin while blocking its reabsorption, leading to an elevated mood.

Depressants and Stimulants

  • Depressants, such as alcohol, reduce neural activity and slow body functions by increasing the production of GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter.
  • Stimulants, such as caffeine and nicotine, excite the neurons and speed up body functions. Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors, reducing the feeling of tiredness.
  • Nicotine stimulates the release of dopamine, creating a sense of pleasure and addiction.

Alcohol and GABA receptors

  • Alcohol influences the GABA receptors in the brain, which are responsible for reducing excitability and promoting calm and relaxation.
  • By increasing the effects of GABA, alcohol acts as a central nervous system depressant, slowing down thinking, breathing and heart rate.

To understand the influence of drugs on neural firing, it's important to recognise the role of neurotransmitters and how different types of drugs either mimic, block, or modify the action of these neurotransmitters. Such understanding provides a basis for comprehending the physiological and psychological effects of drugs on the human body and mind.

Course material for Psychology, module Biological Bases of Behavior, topic Influenc of Drugs on Neural Firing

Psychology

Learning

Classical Conditioning

🤓 Study

📖 Quiz

Play audio lesson

Classical Conditioning

Classical Conditioning

Introduction

  • Classical Conditioning refers to a type of learning where a natural response is elicited by a previously neutral stimulus, which is associated with a natural stimulus.

  • Key figures involved in the development of this theory include Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov who conducted important experiments on dogs.

Key Terms

  • Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS): This is a stimulus that naturally or innately triggers a response.

  • Unconditioned Response (UCR): This is the natural or innate response that is triggered by the Unconditioned Stimulus.

  • Conditioned Stimulus (CS): This is a previously neutral stimulus that, after repeated pairing with the UCS, begins to produce a response.

  • Conditioned Response (CR): This is the learned response to the formerly neutral, now Conditioned Stimulus.

Pavlov's Experiment

  • Pavlov is best known for his experiments with dogs, where he used a bell (CS) and food (UCS) to induce salivation (CR).

  • In these experiments, he would ring a bell each time the dogs were given food. Over time, the dogs began to salivate merely in response to the bell, even when no food was present.

Applications of Classical Conditioning

  • Classical Conditioning principles have been applied to many fields, including education, behaviour therapy, advertising and animal training.

  • Some psychological treatments, such as systematic desensitization used for treating phobias, are based on Classical Conditioning principles.

Limitations of Classical Conditioning

  • One limitation of Classical Conditioning is that it can’t account for all types of learning, as it's principally focused on reflexive and automatic responses.

  • Extinction, the weakening of a conditioned response when the UCS is no longer presented with the CS, can occur. After several pairings of the CS without the UCS, the response may decrease or disappear.

  • Classical Conditioning also does not focus on cognitive processes that may be involved in learning, a limitation that led to the development of other learning theories such as Operant Conditioning.

Summary

  • Classical Conditioning is essentially "associative learning" where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a conditioned response.

  • It is one of the key constructs of Learning, although it does have limitations and does not account for all types of learning.

Course material for Psychology, module Learning, topic Classical Conditioning

Can I trust Adapt’s expertise?

Adapt is already used by over 600,000 students and trusted by over 3,000 schools. Our exam-specific content and assessments are meticulously crafted by expert teachers and examiners.

Find out more about the Adapt app →

Planner

An always up-to-date revision timetable.

A personalised, flexible revision timetable that stays up-to-date automatically.

Content

All the exam resources, in one place.

Over 20,000 topics broken down into manageable lessons with teacher-written, exam-specific lessons.

Assessment

Past-paper questions, with instant feedback.

Unlimited past paper questions with instant examiner feedback on how to improve.

Progress

Track progress, together.

Progress tracking to stay motivated, with real-time updates to the Parent Portal.

Download the app today to start revising for free.