The cerebral cortex is the outermost layer of the brain, composed of folded gray matter. It plays a crucial role in various complex cognitive processes including thought, perception, language, memory, attention, consciousness, and advanced motor functions.| Simply Psychology
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition characterized by persistent, unwanted thoughts, urges, or images (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions) that an individual feels driven to perform to relieve anxiety or distress caused by these obsessions.| Simply Psychology
The nucleus accumbens (NAcc) is a small but powerful structure in the brain’s basal forebrain. It acts as a hub for processing reward, motivation, and pleasure. Think of it as the brain’s motivational switchboard—it helps us decide what feels good, what’s worth pursuing, and what behaviors to repeat.| Simply Psychology
In psychology, the hippocampus is a crucial structure within the brain's medial temporal lobe. It plays a vital role in forming and retrieving memories, spatial navigation, and emotional responses. Damage to the hippocampus can lead to memory impairments and difficulty forming new memories, highlighting its importance in learning and cognition.| Simply Psychology
Episodic memory is a type of long-term, declarative memory that involves the recollection of personal experiences or events, including the time and place they occurred. It allows you to travel back in time to relive past experiences, like remembering your first day at school.| Simply Psychology
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of talking therapy that can be used to treat people with a wide range of mental health problems, including anxiety disorders (e.g., generalized anxiety, social anxiety) or depression.| Simply Psychology
Neurogenesis is the process by which new neurons are formed in the brain through pre-natal development and as adults. This phenomenon primarily occurs in the hippocampus playing a crucial role in learning, memory, and cognitive flexibility. Factors like exercise, enriched environments, and certain drugs can promote neurogenesis, while stress and aging may inhibit it.| Simply Psychology
The amygdala is a complex structure of cells nestled in the middle of the brain, adjacent to the hippocampus (which is associated with memory formation). It is part of the limbic system and plays a key role in processing emotions and emotional reactions.| Simply Psychology
A neuron is a nerve cell that processes and transmits information through electrical and chemical signals in the nervous system. Neurons consist of a cell body, dendrites (which receive signals), and an axon (which sends signals). Synaptic connections allow communication between neurons, facilitating the relay of information throughout the body.| Simply Psychology
Operant conditioning is a method of learning that occurs through rewards and punishments for behavior. Through operant conditioning, an individual makes an association between a particular behavior and a consequence. B.F Skinner is regarded as the father of operant conditioning and introduced a new term to behavioral psychology, reinforcement.| Simply Psychology
The fight or flight response is a physiological reaction that occurs in response to a perceived harmful event, attack, or threat to survival. It prepares your body to either confront or flee from the threat by triggering changes like increased heart rate, quickened breathing, and heightened alertness.| Simply Psychology
