| Terms |
Definitions |
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phobia
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fear
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Daily Hassles
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everyday annoyances
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endorphins
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natural, opiatelike neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure
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echoic memory
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memory for sounds
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retrieval
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the act of retrieving.
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Genes
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The basic physiological building blocks for the hereditary transmission of our biological traits.
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Chunking
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organizing items into familiar, manageable units; often occurs automatically
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Neurons
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Transmit and receive information throughout the nervous system through the conduction of electrical and chemical impulses
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memes
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self-replicating ideas, fashions, and innovations passed from person to person
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Relearning
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Requires subjects to memorize information a second time to determine how much time or how many practice trials are saved by having leanrned it before.
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meta-analysis
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procedure for statistically combining the results of many different research studies
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Withdrawal Symptoms
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Unpleasant physical reactions, combined with intense drug cravings, that occur when a person abstains from a drug on which he or she is physically dependent
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B.F. Skinner
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behaviorism; pioneer in operant conditioning; behavior is based on an organism's reinforcement history; worked with pigeons
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Rehearsal
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is the conscious, effortful repetition of information that you are trying either to maintain in consciousness or to encode for storage.
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factor analysis
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a statistical procedure that identifies clusters of related items (called factors) on a test; used to identify different dimensions of performance that underlie one's total score.
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reuptake
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the process by which neurotransmitters are reabsorbed by the transmitting neuron
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.05
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Usual criterion of significance; makes probability of "false positive" (publishing incorrect results) 1 in 20
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extrinsic
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term that describes motivations that drive behavior in order to gain rewards from outside forces
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Social Psychology
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Concerned with persuasion, obedience, group dynamics, prejudice, culture formation, and stereotyping.
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withdrawl
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the discomfort and distress that follow discontinuing the use of an addictive drug
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unconscious
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level of consciousness that includes unacceptable feelings, wishes, and thoughts not directly available to conscious awareness
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Nervous system
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the body's speedy, electrochemical communication system, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems.
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Conservation
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the principle (which Piaget believed to be a part of concrete operational reasoning) that properties such as mass, volume, and number remain the same despite changes in the forms of objects. (Myers Psychology 8e p. 150)
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intensity
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The density of vibrating air molecules, which determines the loudness of sound.
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Hawthorne effect: an increase in worker productivity produced by the psychological stimulus of being singled out and made to feel important
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Nerves
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neural "cables" containing many axons. These bundled axons, which are part of the peripheral nervous system, connect the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs
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Immanuel Kant
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Rationalist, Empiricist, mental powers (reason, understanding, senses)
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Autonomic Nervous System
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controls automic, involuntary functions of our bodies(heart, lungs, internal organs, etc.); 2 categories of sympathetic and parasympathetic
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aerobic exercise
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sustained exercise that increases heart and lung fitness; may also alleviate depression and anxiety.
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Broca's area
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controls language expression---an area of the frontal lobe, usually in the left hemisphere, that directs the muslce movements involved in speech
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introspection
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a person's description and analysis of what he or she is thinking and feeling or what he or she has just thought about
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free association
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in psychoanalysis, a method of exploring the unconscious in which the person relaxes and says whatever comes to mind, no matter how trivial or embarrassing when prompted by therapist
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Artificial Intelligence
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a subdiscipline of computer science that attempts to simulate human thinking
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Wernike's Area
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controls language reception- a brain area involved in language comprehension and expression; usually in the left temporal lobe.
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teratogens
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agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm
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delusions
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fixed but patently false beliefs, such as believing that one is being hounded by demons
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Reductionism
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Trying to explain human behavior only in terms of neuroscience/physiology/biology.
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Belief Perseverance
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clinging to one's initial conceptions after the basis on which they were formed has been discredited
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median
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the middle score in a distribution; half the scores are above it and half are below it
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dependent variable
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the variable that the experimenter measures at the end of the experiment
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Dendrite
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a neuron fiber that receives signals from the axons of other neurons and carries those signals to the cell body
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interference
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the suppression of one bit of information by another
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Psychophysics
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The study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity, and our psychological experience of them.
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operational definition
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a statement of the procedures (operations) used to define research variables. For example, human intelligence may be operationally defined as what an intelligence test measures.
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two-factor theory
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Schacter's theory that to experience emotion one must 1) by physically aroused and 2) cognitively label the arousal
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basic concept
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-smaller and more specific (e.g. bread)
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range
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the difference between the highest and lowest scores. (p. 43)
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Stimulus
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Anything in the environment to which one responds.
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Semantic encoding
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emphasizes the meaning of verbal input.
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Color
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the appearance of objects (or light sources) described in terms of a person's perception of their hue and lightness (or brightness) and saturation
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cognition
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the processes of acquiring and using knowledge
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discrimination
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refers to the ability to distinguish the CS from similar stimuli that do not signal a US, for operant it is when you respond differently to stimuli that signal a behavoir will be reinforced or will not be reinforced
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fetal alcohol syndrome
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physical and coginitive abnormalities in children caused by a pregnant woman's heavy drinking; in severe cases, symptoms indlude noticeable facial misproportions.
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engram
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a hypothetical means by which memory traces are stored
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dualism
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separation of world into two part: mind and spirit
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anterograde amnesia
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loss of memory for events and experiences occurring from the time of an amnesia-causing event forward
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Social-Cognitive Perspective
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views behavior as influenced by the interaction btwn persons (and their thinking) and their social context
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Interposition
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A monocular depth cue in which objects appear closer to the viewer because it partially blocks the view of another object.
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morphemes
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The SMALLEST units of MEANING in a language
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top-down processing
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a mode of perceptual processing by which the brain identifies patterns as meaningful wholes or patterns
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lateral hypothalamus
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The part of the hypothalamus that produces hunger signals
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Gestalt Principles
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How brain organizes what you see: figure/ground, proximity (items near each other are grouped together, similarity (similar items are grouped together), continuity, closure (perceive incom;lete object as a whole), connectedness
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Anchoring
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the tendency to be influenced by a suggested reference point pulling our response towards that point
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Cathartic Method
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discussing the painful origins of a psychological problem helps resolve it.
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general adaptation syndrome
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Seylye's concept of the body's adaptive response to stress in three stages--alarm, resistance, exhaustion
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physical dependence
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a physiological need for a drug; marked by unpleasant withdrawl symptoms when the drug is discontinued
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eclectic
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use of techniques and ideas from a variety of approaches
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Retinal Disparity
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a binocular cue for perceiving depth; by comparing images from the two eyeballs, the brain computes distance - the greater the disparity (difference) between the two images, the closer the object
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Relative height
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we perceive objects higher in our field of vision as farther away; because we perceive the lower part of a figure-ground illustration as closer, we perceive it as figure.
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Skinner Box
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Named for its developer, B.F. Skinner, a box that contains a responding mechanism and a device capable of delivering a consequence to an animal in the box whenever it makes the desired response
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absolute threshold
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smallest amount of stimulus you can detect 50% of the time
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Person Positivity Bias
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the tendency to evaluate individuals more positively than groups, including groups to which we belong.
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perception
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is the process by which the brain organizes and interprets sensory information. this is how we interpret sensations
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Inattentional blindness
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failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere.
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Stereotype
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A generalized belief about a group of people.
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collective unconscious
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Carl Jung's concept of a shared, inherited reservoir of memory traces from our species' history.
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biological psychology
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a branch of psychology concerned with the links between biology and behavior
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operant conditioning
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a type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher.
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electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
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a biomedical therapy for severely depressed patients in which a brief electric current is sent through the brain of an anesthetized patient
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foot-in-the-door phenomenon
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a technique that any salesman knows. If you can get someone to make a small commitment then you can ask them later for a larger commitment. If you give someone a penny to save the whales, they will have better success next time they come knocking asking for a dime, then a quarter, then a dollar.
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spontaneous recovery
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the reappearance, after a pause, of an extinguished conditioned response.
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basal ganglia
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an assemblage of neurons lying in the forebrain that is important in controlling movement and coordination
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Internal Locus of Control
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researched by Julian Rotter; the perception that one controls one's own fate
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experimental group
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the group in an experiment that is exposed to the treatment
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Psychopharmacotherapy (Drug therapy)
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The treatment of mental disorders with medication.
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Normative social influence
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__________ refers to the pressure on individuals to conform in order to avoid rejection or gain social approval, (p. 537)
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X chromosome
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the sex chromosome in both men and women. Females have two, males have one.
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sympathetic nervous system
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the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses teh body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations.
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3 semicircular canals
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fluid-filled tubes in ears that are sensory organs for balance
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grammar
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in a language, a system of rules that enables us to communicate with and understand others.
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Construct Validity
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The extent to which the evidence shows that a test measures a particular hypothetical construct (hypothetical construct: abstract qualities such as creativity). Examines the correlations between test and various measures related to the trait in question.
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Young-Helmholtz trichromatic theory
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the theory that the retina contains three different color receptors--one most sensitive to red, one to green, one to blue--which when stimulated in combination can produce the perception of any color.
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Restless Leg Syndrome {RLS}
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A condition in which unpleasant sensations in the lower legs are accompanied by an irresistable urge to move the legs, temporarily relieving the unpleasant sensation but disrupting sleep
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Wernicke's area
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A part of the brain, located on the temporal lobe, utilized in the processing of the meanings of speech
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Brightness Constancy
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the tendency for a visual object to be perceived as having the same brightness under widely different conditions of illumination
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central route to persuasion
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occurs when interested people focus on the arguments and respond with favorable thoughts
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Olds and Milner
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Studies that led to the discovery of reward difiency syndrome.
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Stages 3 and 4 sleep
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stage of sleep associated with delta waves
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Kohlberg's stages of moral reasoning
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A child doesn't develop his/her own morals until age 7, then preconventional, conventional, and post-conventional stages occur
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Locke
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British philosopher
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Safety, Love/Belongingness
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Maslow's middle-level needs
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One Word Stage
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12 months
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David McClelland
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achievement motivation; developed scoring system for TAT's use in assessing achievement motivation
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thalamus
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the brain's sensory switchboard, located on the top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum
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phoneme
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in language, smallest distinctive sound unit
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Carl Jung
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neo-Freudian, analytic psychology; archetypes; collective unconscious; libido is all types of energy, not just sexual; dream studies/interpretation
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Hormones
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chemical messengers, mostly those manufactured by the endocrine glands, that are produced in one tissue and affect another.
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family studies
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researchers assess hereditary influence by examining blood relatives to see how much they resemble one another on a specific trait
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prosocial behavior
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positive, constructive, helpful behavior. The opposite of antisocial behavior.
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false
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not true or correct; erroneous:
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assimulation
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interpreting one's new experience in terms of one's existing schemas
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Trait
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in respect to personality, a relatively persistent and consistent characteristic or attribute that serves to distinguish one person from another
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perceiving objects as unchanging (having consistent lightness, color, shape, and size) even as illumination and retinal images change.
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perceptual constancy
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Implicit Learning
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Learning without conscious awareness of what is learned.
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Algorithm
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a methodical, logical rule or procedure that guarantees solving a particular problem. Contrasts with the usually speedier -- but also more error-prone -- use of heuristics
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Wilhelm Wundt
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established the first psychology laboratory at University of Leipzig in Germany, philosopher and physiologist
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higher-order
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term describes conditioning in which the CS for one experiment becomes the UCS in another experiment so that another neutral stimulus can be made to elicit the original UCR
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neural networks
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interconnected neural cells. With experience, networks can learn, as feedback strengthens or inhibits connections that produce certain results. Comuter simulations of neural networks show analogous learning
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association areas
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Located throughout the cortex, _____________ of the brain are involved in higher mental functions, such as learning, remembering, and abstract thinking, (p. 55)
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pubesence
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the two-year span preceding puberty marked by the appearance of secondary sex characteristics and by rapid growth
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Milgram's obedience experiment
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Experiment: Shocking the Learner
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shaping
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an operant conditioning technique in which reinforces guide behavior to closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior
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crista
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"float" that detect movement in semicircular canals
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Humanistic approach
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Philosophical tradition of studying the roles of consciousness, free will, and awareness of the human condition
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intelligence
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mental quality consisting of the ability to learn from experience, solve problems, and use knowledge to adapt to new situations
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hypothesis
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a testable prediction, often implied by a theory
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self-serving bias
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readiness to perceive oneself favorably
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levels-of-processing approach
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brain encodes information in different ways or on different levels; deeper processing leads to deeper memory
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continuous reinforcement
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reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs.
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opiates
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opium and its derivatives, such as morphine and heroin; they depress neural activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety
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Memory
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is the persitence of learning over time via the storage and retrieval of information
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Sensation
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the process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment
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Glucose
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Blood sugar; there's less in your blood when you're hungry
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Sexual Disorder
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a problem that consistently impairs sexual arousal or functioning
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fixation
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tendency to repeat wrong solutions and to "fixate" on them, or to become blind to alternatives
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social roles
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widely shared expectations about how people in certain positions are supposed to behave.
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Habituation
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the process by which we become accustomed to a stimulus, and notice it less and less over time
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Elimination of Aspects
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Eliminating alternative decisions by evaluating them on each attribute or aspect in turn. Whenever any alternative fails to satisfy some minimum criterion, it is eliminated from further consideration. Example: Buying a car.
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psychology
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the scientific study of behavior and mental processes
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Cerebellum
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a structure in the hindbrain involved in controlling coordination and balance.
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motive
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an internal mechanism that selects and directs behavior
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Validity
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Measures what the researcher set out to measure.
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proactive interference
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when prior learning disrupts the recall of new information
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Schizophrenia
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a severe and disabling pattern of disturbed thinking, emotion, perception, and behavior
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Retrospective Memory
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Involved remembering events from the past or previously leaned information.
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Aphasia
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inability to speak and or understand language
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social clock
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-culturally preferred timing of key life events: college, career, marriage, parenthood, retirement.
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Nearsighted
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too much curvature of the cornea and/or lens focuses the image in front of the retina so nearby objects are seen more clearly than distant objects
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Medulla
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A structure in the hindbrain involved in regulating basic life functions, such as heartbeat and respiration.
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opponent-process theory
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the theory that opposing retinal processes (red-green, yellow-blue, white-black) enables color vision; for example, some cells are stimulated by green and inhibited by red; others are stimulated by red and inhibited by green.
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attachment
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an emotional tie with another person; shown in young children by their seeking closeness to the caregiver and showing distress on seperation
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norms
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Norms are the unwritten but understood rules of a society or culture for the behaviors that are considered acceptable and expected. For example, in some countries it is the norm to put large piercing through the face as decoration or indication of belonging to a particular group. This same behavior might be considered unacceptable in another place.
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engineering psychologist
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does research on how people function best with machines
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Behaviorism
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the view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes. Most research psychologists today agree with (1) but not with (2)
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Normal Curve
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: graphic presentation of a normal distribution, showing a bell shape.
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Concordance rates
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The percentage of cases where both twins share the same trait or disorder
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frequency
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the number of complete waves that pass a given point in a certain amount of time
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Central Route Persuasion
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uses facts, figures, and other information so listeners can process information ad think about opinion
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latent content
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learning that occurs but is not apparant until there is an increase to demonstrate it
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observational learning
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change in behavior due to watching other people behave
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mental age
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developed by Binet; equal to one's chronological age times the percentage score on an IQ test
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Refractory Period
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a short rest period between action potentials
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illusory correlation
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the perception of a relationship where none exists
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Molecular genetics
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the subfield of biology that studies the molecular structure and function of genes.
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Fundamental Attribution Error
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the tendency for observers, when analyzing another's behavior, to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overstimate the impact of personal disposition
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Hypnosis
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A deep state of relaxation where an individual is more susceptible to suggestions.
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Variable Ratio
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applying a reinforcer after a variable number of responses
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Similarity
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People tend to group stimuli that are similar.
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misattribution effect
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source amnesia, can occur when we confuse the source of info or we remember something we see in the movies/ internet as actually having happened
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Correct Rejection
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not detecting signals when they are absent
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Parietal lobes
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The parts of the cerebral cortex, located on the side of each cerebral hemispheres, that process bodily sensations.
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visual capture
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the tendency for vision to dominate the other senses.
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Descriptive vs inferential statistics
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Descriptive statistics merely describe data, inferential statistics try to infer causation between variables.
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myelin sheath
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a wrapping of myelin around certain nerve axons, serving as an electrical insulator that speeds nerve impulses to muscles and other effectors.
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Gender Schema Theory
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the theory that children learn from their cultures a concept of what it means to be male and female and that they adjust their behavior accordingly
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latent learning
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a change in behavior due to experience acquired without conscious effort
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Pupil
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an opening in the eye, just behind the cornea, through which light passes
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Brainstem
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The "stalk" in the lower part of the brain that connects the spinal cord to higher regions of the brain.
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encoding specificity principle
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retrieval cues are more efficient when they reflect the meaning of the originally encoded information
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Y Chromosome
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sex chromosome found only in men. When paired with an X chromosome from the mother, it produces a male child.
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Sensorineural Deafness
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caused by damage to the cochlea, cilia (hair cells) or to the auditory nerve, less common overall but frequently occurs with age
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Subordinate concepts
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The narrowest level of concepts in a three-level hierarc hy of concepts.
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Fechner's Law
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The magnitude of a stimulus can be estimated by the formula S=klogR, where S = sensation, R = stimulus, and k = a constant that differs for every sensory modality (sight, touch, temperature, etc)
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Fixed Interval
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There’s a set amount of time that must pass after you do a behavior before you get a reward Getting paid every two weeks.
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action potential
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an abrupt change from a negative to a positive charge of a nerve cell, also called a neural impulse
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fetal Alcohol syndrome(FAS)
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A syndrome caused by material use of alcohol during pregnacy in which the child shows developmental delays and facial deformities.
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Sensory Cortex
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the area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations
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lightness constancy (aka brightness constancy)
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perceiving the same lightness for objects, even if retinal image changes; perceived lightness depends on relative luminance
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anticipatory nausea & vomiting (ANV)
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cancer patients may develop nausea and vomit everywhere from minutes to hours before a treatment session
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zone of proximal development
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the range between the level at which a child can solve a problem working alone with difficulty, and the level at which a child can solve a problem with the assistance of adults or children with more skill
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sensiorimotor
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object preformance
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EEG
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measures brain waves
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Congruence
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consistency between self-perceptions and experience
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Authoritative parents
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DEMANDING + RESPONSIVE
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Henry Murray
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1893-1988; Field: intelligence, testing; Contributions: devised Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
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Cornea
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Outermost protective covering of eye
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cognitive maps
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Psychological representations of locations that are created from people's individual ideas and impressions
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serotonin
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a neurotransmitter; associated with improved mood and other positive emotions
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dopamine
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a neurotransmitter that influences movement, learning, attention, and emotion; excess linked to schizophrenia, a dearth linked to Parkinson's disease; part of pleasure/rewards system.
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Edward Bradford Titchener
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Who pioneered structuralism?
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Lawrence Köhlberg
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1927-1987; Field: cognition, moral development; Contributions: 6 stages of moral development (pre-conventional-rewards/punishments, conventional-social acceptance/law or against law, post-conventional-higher sense of morality
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cones
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retinal receptor cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or in well-lit conditions. The cones detect fine detail and give rise to color sensations.
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heritability
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the proportion of variation among individuals that we can attribute to genes
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Alfred Adler
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founder of individual psychology; first major figure to break away from psychoanalysis to form an independent school of psychotherapy and personality theory. He viewed individuals as unique, but characterized by inner harmony and striving to cooperate with fellow humans not selfishly motivated to satisfy their own needs.
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Withdrawal
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The discomfort and distress that follow discontinuing the use of an addictive drug.
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personality
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a consistent pattern of thinking, acting, feeling
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L-dopa
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used to treat catatonic schizophrenia; lowers dopamine
-the same drug can have different effects on people- we will examine in states of consciousness unit
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Object permanence
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______________, which develops during the sensorimotor stage, is the awareness that things do not cease to exist when not perceived, (p. 105)
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Autistic Disorder
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disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior
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long-term potentiation
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-neurons can strengthen connections between each other
-through repeated firings, the connection is strengthened; receiving neuron becomes more sensitive to messages from the sending neuron
-thought to be basis for memory and learning
-scattered across various parts of the frontal and temporal lobe
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insanity
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a legal term describing one's inability to be responsible for one's action due to the condition of the mind
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Skinner
|
language is developed by operant conditioning principles, children are reinforced to use speech and follow the rules
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Assimilation
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the process of regaining cognitive equilibrium by incorporating new information into existing schemes.
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Counterconditioning
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A behavior therapy procedure that conditions new responses to stimuli that trigger unwanted behaviors; based on classical conditioning. Includes exposure therapy and aversive conditioning
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Harry Harlow and Trust(monkey experiment)Insecure attachment
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need love
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Estrogen
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a sex hormone, secreted in greater amts by females than by males, In nonhuman female mammals, estrogen levels peak during ovulation, promoting sexual receptivity.
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Halo effect
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The tendency, when rating an individual on one characteristic, to be influenced by another characteristic of his personality (e.g. physically attractive people are more likely to be judged as intelligent than unattractive people).
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Case Study Method
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research that collects lengthy detailed information
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midbrain
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area of brain that coordinates simple movements with sensory information
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Flow & Diagram
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researched by Csikzentmihalyi; a completely involved, focus state of consciousness with diminished awareness of self and time, resulting from optimal engagement of one's skills
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Token Economy
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A system for distributing symbolic reinforcers that are exchanged later for a variety of genuine reinforcers
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Effortful Processing
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encoding that requires attention and consious effort
|
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hyperthyroidism
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overactive thyroid; person tends to be thin, tense, excitable, nervous
|
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Homeostasis
|
refers to the body's tendency to maintain a balanced or constant internal state, (p. 336)
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Cognitive Psychology
|
The scientific study of thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating.
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Modeling
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the process of observing and imitating a specific behavior
|
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histogram
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a bar graph depicting a frequency distribution. the height of the bars indicates the frequency of a group of scores
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schema
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a collection of basic knowledge about a category of information; serves as a means of organization and interpretation of that information
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associative learning
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learning that certain events occur together. The events may be two stimuli (as in classical conditioning) or a response and its consequences (as in operant conditioning).
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Hormone
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the secretion of an endocrine gland that is transmitted by the blood to the tissue on which it has a specific effect
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experimenter bias
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expectations by the experimenter that might influence the results of an experiment or its interpretation
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group polarization
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the enhancement of a group's prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group.
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• Displacement
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A dream objects physical importance is assigned to an object Water Bottle- actually is your bottled up feelings
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Type B
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laid back, no big goals, lazy
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transfer appropriate processing
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occurs when initial processing of information is similar to the process of retrieval; the better the match, the better the recall
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mere exposure effect
|
the phenomenon that repeated exposure to novel stimuli increases liking of them.
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Temporal Lobes
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the portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each of which receives auditory information primarily from the opposite ear.
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failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere.
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inattentional blindness
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Selective Attention
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the focusing of awareness on stimuli in sensory memory that facilitates encoding into STM
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linear perspective
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parallel lines appear to converge as they move father into the distnace
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MRI
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a technique that enables us to see static images of the brain's structures; uses magnetism to achieve this effect
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Resolved Fear
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A fear that has been spontaneously rediscovered and will reappear.
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somatoform disorder
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any of a group of psychological disturbances characterized by physical symptoms for which there is not a medical cause
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Longitudinal Study
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study compares the same individuals at periodic intervals over an extended perod of time.
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synaptic cleft
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synaptic gap or synaptic space; tiny gap between the terminal of one neuron and the dendrites of another neuron (almost never touch); location of the transfer of an impulse from one neuron to the next
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hippocampus
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a neural center located in the limbic system that helps process explicit memories for storage
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oval window
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membrane at the enterance to the cochlea through which the ossicles transmit vibrations
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semicircular canals
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Three nearly circular tubes in the vestibular organ that inform the brain about tilts of the head and body.
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Functionalism
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A school of psychology based on the belief that psychology should investigate the function or purpose of consciousness, rather than its structure.
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Big-Five Model
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Five trait dimensions found in many factor-analytic studies of personality: Neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness.
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Motor Cortex
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Regions of the cerebral cortex that involve planning, control, and execution of voluntary motor processes
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scatterplot
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a graphed cluster of dots, each of which represents the values of two variables. The slope of the points suggests the direction of the relationship between the two variables. The amount of scatter suggests the strength of the correlation (little scatter indicates high correlation). (Also called a scattergram or scatter diagram.)
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corpus callosum
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the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them
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Clinical psychology
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A branch of psychology that studies, assesses, and test people with psychological disorders
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in-group bias
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tendency to favor one's own group over other groups
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rooting reflex
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a baby's tendency, when touched on the cheek, to open the mouth and search for the nipple
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Place Theory
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in hearing, the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea's membrane is stimulated
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the effect of promising a reward for doing what one already likes to do( the person may now see the reward, rather than intrinsic interest, as the motivation for performing the task)
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Overjustification Effect
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alpha waves
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the relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state
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EEG scan
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provides info in the form of line tracings called "brain waves"
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Rorschach inkblot test
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the most widely used projective test, a set of 10 inkblots, designed by Hermann Rorschach; seeks to identify people's inner feelings by analyzing their interpretations of the blots
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Conditioned Stimulus
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a once neutral event that elicits a given response after a period of training in which it has been paired with an unconditioned stimulus
ex: word Pavlov
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pituitary
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gland that is the master gland of the endocrine system
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Rapid-Eye-Movement (REM) Sleep
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The stage of sleep most closely associated with daydreaming
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Germ cells
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Sperm and egg cells from which new life develops.
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Decay theory
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theory that argues that the passage of time causes forgetting.
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Social Interactivist Perspective -- Language
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babies are biologically equipped for learning language, may be activated or constrained by experience
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reticular formation (RF) (RES)
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netlike system of neurons that weaves through limbic system and plays an important role in attention, arousal, and alert functions; arouses and alerts higher parts of the brain; anesthetics work by temporary shutting off RF system
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MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
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a technique that uses magnetic fields to produce computer images that show the structure of the brain.
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Temperament
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Early-emerging and long-lasting individual differences in disposition and in the intensity and especially the quality of emotional reactions
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Parallel Processing
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simultaneous analyzing different elements of sensory information such as color, brightness, shape, size, etc
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amygdala
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limbic system component associated with emotion, particularly fear and anger
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menarche
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The first occurence of menstration
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Aaron Beck
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1921-present; Field: cognitive; Contributions: father of Cognitive Therapy, created Beck Scales-depression inventory, hopelessness scale, suicidal ideation, anxiety inventory, and youth inventories
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Accommodation
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(physiology) the automatic adjustment in focal length of the lens of the eye
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dominant responses
|
intuitive assumptions regarding stereotypes of group, may not be correct
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forensic psychologist
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applies psychological concepts to legal issues
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Sensory Neurons
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neurons that carry incoming information from the sense recptors to the central nervous system
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Occipital Lobe
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Home of the visual processing.
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Stereotypes
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Typical perceptions of the main characteristics of a particular social category, which are usually based on the assumption that the typical example represents all others.
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Joseph Wolpe
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Came up with systematic desensitization therapy.
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repression
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in psychoanalytic theory, the basic defense mechanism that banishes from consciousness anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories.
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placebo effect
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experimental results caused by expectations alone; any effect on behavior caused by the administration of an inert substance or condition, which is assumed to be an active agent.
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Syllogism
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Aristotle's theory of reasoning where two true statements are followed by a single logical conclusion.
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Aggression
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physical of verbal behavior intended to hurt someone
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Bottom-up processing
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information processing that begins with sensory receptors and works up to the brain's integration of sensory information to construct perceptions; data-driven
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neurotransmitters
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chemical messengers that traverse the synaptic gap between neurons; when released by the sending neuron, these travel across the synapse and bind the receptor sites on the receving neuron, thereby influencing whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse.
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Physiology
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the science of the bodies machinery
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Long-Term Memory
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the relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system. Includes knowledge, skills, and experiances.
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Theory
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an explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes and predicts observations
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Cerebral cortex
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The outer covering of the cerebrum
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Structuralism
|
an early school of psychology that used introspection to explore the elemental structure of the human mind
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Working Memory
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a newer understanding of short-term memory that involves conscious, active processing of incoming auditory and visual-spatial information, and of information retrieved from long-term memory
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all-or-nothing
|
description of the action of neurons when firing
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long term memory
|
the relatively permanent and limitless-house system, includes knowledge, skills and experiences
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permissive
|
describes a parenting style that is characterized by the parent making few demands on the child
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near-death experience
|
an altered state of consciousness reported after a close brush with death; often similar to drug-induced hallucinations
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ethics
|
rules of proper and acceptable conduct that investigators use to guide psychological research
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Behavior therapy
|
_________ is therapy that applies learnin principles to the elimination of problem behav iors. (p. 502)
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ego
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the Latin for "I"; in Freud's theories, the mediator between the demands of the id and the superego
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Circadian Rhythm
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The biological clock; regular rhythms that occuron a 24 hour cycle.
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Menopause
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the time of natural cessation of menstruation; also refers to the biological changes a woman experiences as her ability to reproduce declines.
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Migraine headache
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A prolonged, intense headache brought on by changes in blood flow in the brain's blood vessels.
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Knowing the difference between an experimental condition and a control condition is most relevant to understanding the nature of
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independant variables
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If a person's intelligence increases as their foot size increases, this is an example of what?
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Positive Correlation
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signal detection
|
ability to change absolute threshold, detection point can be dependent on some factors
|
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Flashbulb-Memory
|
A clear memory of an emotionally significant moment or event
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passionate love
|
an aroused state of intense positive absorption in another, usually at the beginning.
|
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morpheme
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in a language, the smallest unit that carries meaning; may be a word or a part of a word (such as a prefix).
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wavelength
|
the distance from the peak of one light or sound wave to the peak of the next. Electromagnetic wavelengths vary from the short blips of cosmic rays to the long pulses of radio transmission.
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parietal lob
|
portion of cerebral cortex lying at top of head and towards rear; recieves sensory input for touch and body position
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interaction
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occurs when the effects of one factor (such as heredity) depends on another factor (such as environment).
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Postconventional Level
|
Judging right/wrong in terms of ethics and personal values: "two wrongs don't make a right"
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respondent behavior
|
behavior that occurs as an automatic response to some stimulus; Skinner's term for behavior learned through classical conditioning
|
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perceptual barriers
|
habits leading to a failure to identify important elements of a problem
|
|
Freud-Dream Theory
|
Freud believed that dreams are the single, best source of information about the unconscious; dreams are highly sufficient, carefully constructed, and always contain a concealed meaning; dreams are not random
|
|
gate-control theory
|
the theory that the spinal cord contains a neurological "gate" that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass on to the brain. The "gate" is opened by the activity of pain signals traveling up small nerve fibers and id closed by activity in larger fibers or by information coming from the brain
|
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The James-Lange theory
|
states that emotional experiences are based on an awareness of the body's responses to emotion-arousing stimuli: a stimulus triggers the body's responses that in turn trigger the experienced emotion, (p. 372)
|
|
fetal stage
|
the prenatal period that lasts from the end of the eighth week through birth
|
|
projective test
|
term describes a personality test in which ambiguous stimuli trigger revelation of inner feelings, thoughts
|
|
control group
|
the condition of an experiment in which subjects are not exposed to the independent variable
|
|
Z score
|
a measure of how many standard deviations you are away from the norm (average or mean)
|
|
savant syndrome
|
condition in which a person otherwise limited in mental ability has an exceptional specific skill, such as in computation or drawing. (Myers Psychology 8e p. 433)
|
|
Social loafing
|
The reduced effort group members put into a task as a result of the size of the group
|
|
Magnetic Resonance Imaging(MRI)
|
detailed computerized images using a magnetic field and pulses of radio waves that displaces hydrogen atoms
|
|
Daniel Goleman's views on emotional intelligence/human competencies
|
Self-awareness, self-discipline, persistence & empathy are of greater consequence than IQ in much of life
|
|
pure research
|
basic; has no immediate application to personal or social problems
|
|
Meditation
|
Any one of a number of sustained concentration techniques that focus attention and heighten awareness
|
|
Placenta
|
A mass of tissue that is attached to the wall f the uterus and connected to the developing fetus by the umbilical cord; it supplies nutrients and eliminates waste products
|
|
Population
|
all the cases in a group, from which samples may be drawn for a study
|
|
Natural Selection
|
The principle that, among the range of inherited trait variations, those contributing to reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations
|
|
cerebrospinal fluid CSF
|
liquid similar to blood serum, found in the ventricles of the brain and in the central canal of the spinal cord
|
|
opiates (AKA narcotics)
|
Drugs derived from the opium poppy, including opium, morphine, and heroin
|
|
External Hunger Cues
|
Some people have their hunger turned on by the sight or smell of food, or seeing other people eat. People who are fed the same # of calories intravenously are not as satisfied as those who ingest is through the mouth.
|
|
legitimization of authority
|
the tendency to grant legitimacy to the orders or commands or persons in authority
|
|
systems approach to abnormal behavior
|
biopsychosocial (made up word!) approach
|
|
Muller Lyer Illusion
|
two lines cast equally long retinal images but one seems closer, then it is assumed shorter
|
|
proximity
(effects on relationship)
|
Proximity = closeness (person has to have contact with someone before they can develop a relationship with them)
|
|
cross cultural studies
|
Studies in which researchers try to figure out whether a certain behavior, belief, practice, etc. transcends cultural boundaries or differs from culture to culture
|
|
Social Exchange Theory
|
the theory that our social behavior is an exchange process, the aim of which is to maximize benefits and minimize costs
|
|
pituitary gland
|
gland that is the master gland of the endocrine system
|
|
David Hubel and Torste Wiesel
|
-feature detectors: groups of neurons that respond to different visual images (e.g. vertical lines, horizontal lines, curves, etc)
-our brains process this info simultaneously (Parallel Processing, includes color, shape and texture)
|
|
Frontal lobe
|
The lobe at the front of the brain associated with movement, speech, and impulse behavior
|
|
Genetic Predisposition to Schizophrenia
|
Those with a parent or sibling with schizophrenia have a 1/10 chance of also getting it. Those with an identical twin have a 1/2 chance of getting it.
|
|
Intimacy and Solidarity vs. Isolation
|
As we try to find mutually satisfying relationships, primarily through marriage and friends, we generally also begin to start a family. If this fails, we begin isolate ourselves from everyone
|
|
maturation
|
biological growth processes that enables orderly changes in behavior, relatively uninfluenced by experience
|
|
inappropriate affect
|
having inappropriate responses to situations
|
|
correlation coefficient
|
the strength of a correlation
|
|
recall
|
retrieving a memory with an external cue
|
|
Random Assignment
|
constitution of groups that all subjects have an equal chance of being assigned to any group or condition.
|
|
resistance
|
hormones are released to maintain the state of readiness
|
|
projection
|
a defense mechanism that works by believing that the feelings one has toward someone else are actually held by the other person and directed at oneself
|
|
Max Wertheimer
|
a gestalt psychologist who argued against dividing human thought and behavior into discrete structures
|
|
hindsight bias
|
the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it. (Also known as the I-knew-it-all-along phenomenon)
|
|
chaining
|
a process in which the subjects are taught to perform a number of responses in order to get a reward
|
|
phonemes
|
smallest units of sound used in a language
|
|
dendrites
|
rootlike parts of the cell that make connections with other neurons
|
|
approach-approach conflict
|
occurs when you must choose between two desirable outcomes
|
|
Barnum effect
|
the tendency of people to see themselves in vague, stock descriptions of personality
|
|
out-group homogeneity
|
tendency for people to see members of their own group as more diverse than members of other groups
|
|
procedural memory
|
memories of skills and how to perform them
|
|
multiple approach-avoidance conflict
|
must choose between two or more things, each of which has both desirable and undesirable features
|
|
standard deviation
|
a computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean score.
|
|
Martin Seligman
|
he came up with the idea of learned helplessness
|
|
external locus of control
|
people with this believe that luck and other forces outside of their own control determine their destinies
|
