Ap Psych Vocab

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Abnormal behavior

Back 1

behavior which is statistically unusual, maladaptive, and personally distressing to the individual

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Abstract learning

Back 2

learning in which the relationship between and among stimuli are more important that the physical features of the stimuli

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Accommodation

Back 3

process by which we modify our schemas to fit new information; process of changing the curvature of the lens to focus light rays on the retina of the eye

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Acetylcholine (ACh)

Back 4

a neurotransmitter that causes contraction of skeletal muscles, helps regulate heart muscles, is involved in memory and also transmits messages between the brain and spinal cord. Lack of ACh is associated with Alzheimer's disease

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Achievement motive

Back 5

the desire to accomplish something, to excel, or reach a standard of excellance

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Achievement tests

Back 6

tests that measure our current mastery of a subject or specific program of study

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Acoustic encoding

Back 7

the encoding of sound, especially the sound of words

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Acquisition

Back 8

learning a new behavior; refers to the initial stage of conditioning in which the new response is established and gradually strengthened

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Action potential

Back 9

also called an impulse, the "firing" of a neuron; a net flow of sodium ions into the cell that causes a rapid change in potential across the membrane when stimulation reaches threshold

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Activation-synthesis theory

Back 10

during REM sleep the brainstem stimulates the forebrain with random neural activity, which we interpret as a dream.

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Active listening

Back 11

Rogers' term for hearing another person with complete attention to what he/she says and means through acknowledging feelings, echoing, restating, and seeking clarification

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Actor-observer bias

Back 12

tendency to focus on our own situations and the other person, rather than his/her situation, when we interpret behavior

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Acuity

Back 13

resolution or sharpness with respect to a visual image

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Adaptations

Back 14

structures or behaviors that increase chances of survival

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Adrenal glands

Back 15

endocrine glands atop kidneys. Adrenal cortex, the outer layer, produces steroid hormones such as cortisol which is a stress hormone. Adrenal medulla, the core, secretes adrenaline (epinephrine) and noradrenaline (norepinephrine) which prepare the body for "fight or flight" like the sympathetic nervous system does.

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Affective (mood) disorder

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disorder characterized by significant shifts or disturbances in mood that affect normal perception, thought, and behavior; depression and bipolar disorders

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Afferent neurons

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also called sensory neuron, nerve cell in our PNS that transmits impulses from receptors to the brain or spinal cord

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Affiliation motive

Back 18

the need to be with others

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Age of viability

Back 19

the end of the second trimester in pregnancy' the point at which there is a reasonable chance the fetus will survive if born prematurely

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Aggression

Back 20

any behavior intended to hurt someone, either physically or psychologically

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Alarm response

Back 21

first stage of Selye's general adaptation syndrome (GAS) to stress; involves increasing activity of the sympathetic nervous system speeding up heart rate, blood pressure and releasing adrenaline

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Albinism

Back 22

recessive train that produces lack of pigment, and involves quivering eyes and inability to perceive depth with both eyes

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Algorithm

Back 23

problem-solving strategy that involves a slow, step-by-step procedure that guarantees a solution to certain types of problems

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All-or-none-principle

Back 24

the law that the neuron either generates an action potential when the stimulation reaches threshold or it doesn't fire when stimulation is below threshold. The strength of the action potential is constant whenever it occurs

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Altruism

Back 25

an unselfish interest in helping others

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Alzheimer's disease

Back 26

a fatal degenerative disease in which brain neurons progressively die, causing loss of memory, reasoning, emotion, control of bodily functions, then death

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Amnesia

Back 27

a loss of memory

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Amygdala

Back 28

part of the limbic system of brain that influences emotions such as aggression, fear and self-protective behaviors; is involved in the storage of emotional memories

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Anal stage

Back 29

Freud's second stage of development in which the child receives pleasure from the anal region especially during elimination

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Analytical

Back 30

one of the three parts of Sternberg's triarchic theory of intelligence; is similar to what is tested by traditional IQ tests and what we are asked to do in school: compare, contrast, analyze, and figure out cause-effect relationships

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Anchoring effect

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the tendency to be influenced by a suggested reference point, pulling our response toward that point

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Androgyny

Back 32

the presence of desirable masculine and feminine characteristics in one individual

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Animism

Back 33

belief of preoperational child that all tings are living just like him/her according to Piaget

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Anorexia nervosa

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eating disorder more common in teh adolescent female characterized by weight less than 85% of normal, abnormally restrictive food consumption, and an unrealistic body image that she is still fat

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Anterograde amnesia

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a disorder caused by brain damage that disrupts a person's ability to form new long-term memories of events that occur after the time of the brain damage

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Antidepressant drugs

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medicines which elevate mood states; three main categories include tricyclics (such as Elavil), MAO inhibitors (such as Nardil), and SSRI inhibitors (such as Prozac)

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Antipsychotic drugs

Back 37

powerful medicines that lessen agitated behavior, reduce tension, decrease hallucinations and delusions, improve social behavior, and produce better sleep behavior especially in schizophrenic patients (aka neuroleptics)

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Antisocial personality disorder

Back 38

a disorder characterized by a failure to conform to standards of decency; repeated lying and stealing; a failure to sustain lasting, loving relationships; low tolerance of boredom; and a complete lack of guilt

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Anxiety hierarchy

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a listing of frightening events in increasing order of severity used by systematic desensitization treatment for phobias

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Anxiolytics

Back 40

anti-anxiety drugs (tranquilizers) such as benzodiazepines including Librium, Valium, Xanax; and Buspirone

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Aphasia

Back 41

impairment of the ability to understand (receptive) or use (expressive) language

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Approach-approach conflict

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a conflict in which the individual must choose between two positive stimuli or circumstances

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Approach-avoidance conflict

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a conflict in which the individual must decide whether or not to choose a circumstance involving single stimulus that has both positive and negative characteristics

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Aptitude test

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test that measure what our potential should be and whether or not we will benefit from some training; predicts our future capacity to learn and develop

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Archetypes

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according to Jung, a number of universal themes that are part of the collective unconscious

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Arousal

Back 46

level of alertness, wakefulness and activation caused by activity in the central nervous system; optimal level varies witht he person and the activity

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Artificial intelligence (AI)

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a field of study in which computer programs are designed to simulate human cognitive abilities such as reasoning, learning, and understanding language

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Artificialism

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the belief of the preoperational child that all objects are made by people

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Assimilation

Back 49

process by which we incorporate new information into our existing cognitive structures or schemas

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Association areas

Back 50

regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have specific sensory or motor functions such as thinking, planning, a communicating

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Atkinson-Shiffrin model of memory

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assumes three different memory systems: sensory memory, short-term memory (STM), and long-term memory (LTM)

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Attachment

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a close emotional bond or relationship between the infant and the caregiver

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Attention

Back 53

a state of focused awareness

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Attention deficit/hyperactive disorder (ADHD)

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a disorder in which the individual is unable to focus attention for a normal length of time, and often shows an elevated level of activity

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Attitude

Back 55

learned predisposition to respond favorably or unfavorably to certain people, objects or events

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Attribution theory

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a study of our causal explanations of behavior. We attribute behavior to the individual's disposition or to the siutation

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Authoritarian parenting style

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parent sets up absolute and restrictive rules accompanied by punishment for disobedience

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Authoritative parenting style

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focuses on flexible rules for which reasons are generally given. Parents are warm and nurture independence within guidelines

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Autism

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a severe childhood disorder characterized by language impairment, lack of social responsiveness, and possibly self-injurious behavior

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Automatic processing

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unconscious encoding of information about space, time, and frequency that occurs without interfering with our thinking about other things

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Autonomic nervous system (ANS)

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subdivision of PNS that includes motor nerves that innervate smooth (involuntary) or heart muscle. Its sympathetic nervous system prepares body for "fight of flight": the parasympathetic nervous system causes bodily changes for maintenance or rest

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Availability heuristic

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a tendency to estimate the probability of certain events in terms of how readily they come to mind.

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Aversive conditioning

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learning involving an unpleasant or harmful unconditioned stimulus or reinforcer; also a form of behavior therapy (aversion therapy) in which the client is trained to associate physical or psychological discomfort with behaviors, thoughts, or situations the client wants to stop or avoid

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Avoidance behavior

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behavior that results in the removal of an ongoing event, or prevents a future event from occurring

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Avoidance-avoidance conflict

Back 65

a conflict in which the individual must choose between two unattractive stimuli or circumstances

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Avoidant attachment

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infant neither seeks support or comfort from nor shows distress towards caregivers in the Strange Situation

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Axon

Back 67

a long, single conducting fiber (usually covered in myelin) extending from the cell body of a neuron that transmits an action potential and that branches and ends in tips called terminal buttons that secrete neurotransmitters