General Psy 200 Chapter 1-3

Front 1

Absolute Threshold

Back 1

the lowest level of stimulation that a person can consciously detect 50 percent of the time the stimulation is

Front 2

Accommodation

Back 2

as a monocular cue, the brain's use of information about the changing thickness of the lens of the eye in response to looking at objects that are close or far away.

Front 3

Action Potential

Back 3

the release of the neural impulse, consisting of a reversal of the electrical charge within the axon.

Front 4

Action Therapy

Back 4

therapy in which the main goal is to change disordered or inappropriate behavior directly

Front 5

Adrenal Glands

Back 5

endocrine glands located on top of each kidney that secrete over 30 different hormones to deal with stress, regulate salt intake, and provide a secondary source of sex hormones affecting the sexual changes that occur during adolescence.

Front 6

Aerial (Atmospheric) Perspective

Back 6

the haziness that surrounds objects that are farther away from the viewer, causing the distance to be perceived as greater.

Front 7

Afferent (Sensory) Neuron

Back 7

a neuron that carries information from the senses to the central nervous system.

Front 8

Afterimages

Back 8

images that occur when a visual sensation persists for a brief time even after the original stimulus is removed.

Front 9

Agonists

Back 9

chemical substances that mimic or enhance the effects of a neurotransmitter on the receptor sites of the next cell, increasing or decreasing the activity of that cell.

Front 10

All-Or-None

Back 10

referring to the fact that a neuron either fires completely or does not fire at all.

Front 11

Amygdala

Back 11

brain structure located near the hippocampus, responsible for fear responses and memory of fear.

Front 12

Antagonists

Back 12

chemical substances that block or reduce a cell's response to the action of other chemicals or neurotransmitters.

Front 13

Antianxiety Drugs

Back 13

drugs used to treat and calm anxiety reactions, typically minor tranquilizers.

Front 14

Antidepressant

Back 14

drugs drugs used to treat depression and anxiety.

Front 15

Antipsychotic Drugs

Back 15

drugs used to treat psychotic symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, and other bizarre behavior.

Front 16

Applied Behavior Analysis

Back 16

modern term for a form of functional analysis and behavior modification that uses a variety of behavioral techniques to mold a desired behavior or response.

Front 17

Applied Research

Back 17

research focused on finding practical solutions to real-world problems

Front 18

Association Areas

Back 18

areas within each lobe of the cortex responsible for the coordination and interpretation of information, as well as higher mental processing

Front 19

Auditory Canal

Back 19

short tunnel that runs from the pinna to the eardrum.

Front 20

Auditory Nerve

Back 20

bundle of axons from the hair cells in the inner ear.

Front 21

Authenticity

Back 21

the genuine, open, and honest response of the therapist to the client.

Front 22

Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)

Back 22

division of the PNS consisting of nerves that control all of the involuntary muscles, organs, and glands.

Front 23

Aversion Therapy

Back 23

form of behavioral therapy in which an undesirable behavior is paired with an aversive stimulus to reduce the frequency of the behavior.

Front 24

Axon

Back 24

tubelike structure of neuron that carries the neural message from the cell body to the axon terminals, for communication with other cells.

Front 25

Axon Terminals

Back 25

enlarged ends of axonal branches of the neuron, specialized for communication between cells.

Front 26

Basic Research

Back 26

research focused on adding information to the scientific knowledge base.

Front 27

Behavior Modification

Back 27

or applied behavior analysis the use of learning techniques to modify or change undesirable behavior and increase desirable behavior

Front 28

Behavior Therapies

Back 28

action therapies based on the principles of classical and operant conditioning and aimed at changing disordered behavior without concern for the original causes of such behavior.

Front 29

Behaviorism

Back 29

the science of behavior that focuses on observable behavior only.

Front 30

Bilateral Anterior Cingulotomy

Back 30

psychosurgical technique in which an electrode wire is inserted into the anterior cingulate gyrus, with the guidance of magnetic resonance imaging, to destroy a very small portion of that brain area with electric current.

Front 31

Bimodal

Back 31

condition in which a distribution has two modes

Front 32

Bimodal Distribution

Back 32

frequency distribution in which there are two high points rather than one

Front 33

Binocular Cues

Back 33

cues for perceiving depth based on both eyes.

Front 34

Binocular Disparity

Back 34

the difference in images between the two eyes, which is greater for objects that are close and smaller for distant objects.

Front 35

Biological Psychology (Or Behavioral Neuroscience)

Back 35

branch of neuroscience that focuses on the biological bases of psychological processes, behavior, and learning.

Front 36

Biomedical Therapy

Back 36

therapy for mental disorders in which a person with a problem is treated with biological or medical methods to relieve symptoms.

Front 37

Biopsychological Perspective

Back 37

perspective that attributes human and animal behavior to biological events occurring in the body, such as genetic influences, hormones, and the activity of the nervous system.

Front 38

Blind Spot

Back 38

area in the retina where the axons of the three layers of retinal cells exit the eye to form the optic nerve, insensitive to light.

Front 39

Bottom-Up Processing

Back 39

the analysis of the smaller features to build up to a complete perception.

Front 40

Brightness Constancy

Back 40

the tendency to perceive the apparent brightness of an object as the same even when the light conditions change.

Front 41

Broca's Aphasia

Back 41

condition resulting from damage to Broca's area, causing the affected person to be unable to speak fluently, to mispronounce words, and to speak haltingly.

Front 42

Case Study

Back 42

study of one individual in great detail.

Front 43

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Back 43

part of the nervous system consisting of the brain and spinal cord.

Front 44

Cerebellum

Back 44

part of the lower brain located behind the pons that controls and coordinates involuntary, rapid, fine motor movement, and may have some cognitive functions

Front 45

Cerebral Hemispheres

Back 45

the two sections of the cortex on the left and right sides of the brain.

Front 46

Cerebrum

Back 46

the upper part of the brain consisting of the two hemispheres and the structures that connect them.

Front 47

Closure

Back 47

the tendency to complete figures that are incomplete

Front 48

Cochlea

Back 48

snail-shaped structure of the inner ear that is filled with fluid.

Front 49

Cognitive Neuroscience

Back 49

study of the physical changes in the brain and nervous system during thinking.

Front 50

Cognitive Perspective

Back 50

modern perspective that focuses on memory, intelligence, perception, problem solving, and learning.

Front 51

Cognitive Therapy

Back 51

therapy in which the focus is on helping clients recognize distortions in their thinking and replacing distorted, unrealistic beliefs with more realistic, helpful thoughts.

Front 52

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Back 52

action therapy in which the goal is to help clients overcome problems by learning to think more rationally and logically, which in turn will impact their behavior.

Front 53

Computed Tomography (CT)

Back 53

brain-imaging method using computer-controlled X-rays of the brain.

Front 54

Concept Map

Back 54

an organized visual representation of knowledge consisting of concepts and their relationships to other concepts.

Front 55

Cones

Back 55

visual sensory receptors found at the back of the retina, responsible for color vision and sharpness of vision.

Front 56

Contiguity

Back 56

the tendency to perceive two things that happen close together in time as being related

Front 57

Contingency Contract

Back 57

a formal, written agreement between the therapist and client (or teacher and student) in which goals for behavioral change, reinforcements, and penalties are clearly stated.

Front 58

Continuity

Back 58

the tendency to perceive things as simply as possible with a continuous pattern rather than with a complex, broken-up pattern.

Front 59

Control Group

Back 59

subjects in an experiment who are not subjected to the independent variable and who may receive a placebo treatment.

Front 60

Convergence

Back 60

the rotation of the two eyes in their sockets to focus on a single object, resulting in greater convergence for closer objects and lesser convergence if objects are distant.

Front 61

Corpus Callosum

Back 61

thick band of neurons that connects the right and left cerebral hemispheres.

Front 62

Correlation

Back 62

a measure of the relationship between two variables.

Front 63

Correlation Coefficient

Back 63

a number that represents the strength and direction of a relationship existing between two variables.

Front 64

Correlation Coefficient

Back 64

a number that represents the strength and direction of a relationship existing between two variables.

Front 65

Cortex

Back 65

outermost covering of the brain consisting of densely packed neurons, responsible for higher thought processes and interpretation of sensory input.

Front 66

Critical Thinking

Back 66

making reasoned judgments about claims.

Front 67

Cybertherapy

Back 67

psychotherapy that is offered on the Internet. Also called online, Internet, or Web therapy or counseling

Front 68

Dark Adaptation

Back 68

the recovery of the eye's sensitivity to visual stimuli in darkness after exposure to bright lights.

Front 69

Dendrites

Back 69

branchlike structures of a neuron that receive messages from other neurons.

Front 70

Dependent Variable

Back 70

variable in an experiment that represents the measurable response or behavior of the subjects in the experiment.

Front 71

Depth Perception

Back 71

the ability to perceive the world in three dimensions..

Front 72

Descriptive Statistics

Back 72

a way of organizing numbers and summarizing them so that patterns can be determined

Front 73

Diffusion

Back 73

process of molecules moving from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration.

Front 74

Directive Therapy

Back 74

in which the therapist actively gives interpretations of a client's statements and may suggest certain behavior or actions

Front 75

Double-Blind Study

Back 75

study in which neither the experimenter nor the subjects know if the subjects are in the experimental or the control group.

Front 76

Eclectic

Back 76

approach to therapy that results from combining elements of several different approaches or techniques.

Front 77

Efferent (Motor) Neurons

Back 77

neuron that carries messages from the central nervous system to the muscles of the body.

Front 78

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

Back 78

form of biomedical therapy to treat severe depression in which electrodes are placed on either one or both sides of a person's head and an electric current is passed through the electrodes that is strong enough to cause a seizure or convulsion.

Front 79

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

Back 79

a recording of the electrical activity of large groups of cortical neurons just below the skull, most often using scalp electrodes.

Front 80

Electroencephalograph

Back 80

machine designed to record the electroencephalogram.

Front 81

Empathy

Back 81

the ability of the therapist to understand the feelings of the client

Front 82

Endocrine Glands

Back 82

glands that secrete chemicals called hormones directly into the bloodstream.

Front 83

Enzymatic Degradation

Back 83

process by which the structure of a neurotransmitter is altered so it can no longer act on a receptor.

Front 84

Evidence-Based Treatment

Back 84

also called empirically supported treatment, refers to interventions, strategies, or techniques that have been found to produce therapeutic and desired changes during controlled research studies.

Front 85

Evolutionary Perspective

Back 85

perspective that focuses on the biological bases of universal mental characteristics that all humans share

Front 86

Excitatory Synapses

Back 86

ynapse at which a neurotransmitter causes the receiving cell to fire

Front 87

Experiment

Back 87

a deliberate manipulation of a variable to see if corresponding changes in behavior result, allowing the determination of cause-and-effect relationships.

Front 88

Experimental Group

Back 88

subjects in an experiment who are subjected to the independent variable.

Front 89

Experimenter Effect

Back 89

tendency of the experimenter's expectations for a study to unintentionally influence the results of the study.

Front 90

Exposure Therapies

Back 90

behavioral techniques that expose individuals to anxiety- or fear-related stimuli, under carefully controlled conditions, to promote new learning.

Front 91

Family Counseling (Family Therapy)

Back 91

a form of group therapy in which family members meet together with a counselor or therapist to resolve problems that affect the entire family.

Front 92

Figure-Ground

Back 92

the tendency to perceive objects, or figures, as existing on a background.

Front 93

Flooding

Back 93

technique for treating phobias and other stress disorders in which the person is rapidly and intensely exposed to the fear-provoking situation or object and prevented from making the usual avoidance or escape response.

Front 94

Free Association

Back 94

psychoanalytic technique in which a patient was encouraged to talk about anything that came to mind without fear of negative evaluations.

Front 95

Frequency Distribution

Back 95

a table or graph that shows how often different numbers or scores appear in a particular set of scores.

Front 96

Frequency Theory

Back 96

theory of pitch that states that pitch is related to the speed of vibrations in the basilar membrane.

Front 97

Frontal Lobes

Back 97

areas of the brain located in the front and top, responsible for higher mental processes and decision making as well as the production of fluent speech.

Front 98

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (FMRI)

Back 98

MRI-based brain-imaging method that allows for functional examination of brain areas through changes in brain oxygenation.

Front 99

Functionalism

Back 99

early perspective in psychology associated with William James, in which the focus of study is how the mind allows people to adapt, live, work, and play.

Front 100

Gestalt Psychology

Back 100

early perspective in psychology focusing on perception and sensation, particularly the perception of patterns and whole figures.

Front 101

Gestalt Therapy

Back 101

form of directive insight therapy in which the therapist helps clients to accept all parts of their feelings and subjective experiences, using leading questions and planned experiences such as role-playing.

Front 102

Glial Cells

Back 102

cells that provide support for the neurons to grow on and around, deliver nutrients to neurons, produce myelin to coat axons, clean up waste products and dead neurons, influence information processing, and, during prenatal development, influence the gener

Front 103

Gonads

Back 103

sex glands; secrete hormones that regulate sexual development and behavior as well as reproduction

Front 104

Group Therapy

Back 104

form of therapy or treatment during which a small group of clients with similar concerns meet together with a therapist to address their issues.

Front 105

Habituation

Back 105

tendency of the brain to stop attending to constant, unchanging information.

Front 106

Hertz (Hz)

Back 106

cycles or waves per second, a measurement of frequency.

Front 107

Hippocampus

Back 107

curved structure located within each temporal lobe, responsible for the formation of long-term declarative memories.

Front 108

Histogram

Back 108

a bar graph showing a frequency distribution.

Front 109

Hormones

Back 109

chemicals released into the bloodstream by endocrine glands.

Front 110

Hypothalamus

Back 110

small structure in the brain located below the thalamus and directly above the pituitary gland, responsible for motivational behavior such as sleep, hunger, thirst, and sex

Front 111

Hypothesis

Back 111

tentative explanation of a phenomenon based on observations.

Front 112

Independent Variable

Back 112

variable in an experiment that is manipulated by the experimenter.

Front 113

Inferential Statistics

Back 113

statistical analysis of two or more sets of numerical data to reduce the possibility of error in measurement and to determine if the differences between the data sets are greater than chance variation would predict.

Front 114

Inhibitory Synapses

Back 114

ynapse at which a neurotransmitter causes the receiving cell to stop firing.

Front 115

Insight Therapies

Back 115

therapies in which the main goal is helping people to gain insight with respect to their behavior, thoughts, and feelings.

Front 116

Interneuron

Back 116

a neuron found in the center of the spinal cord that receives information from the afferent neurons and sends commands to the muscles through the efferent neurons. Interneurons also make up the bulk of the neurons in the brain.

Front 117

Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)

Back 117

f therapy for depression which incorporates multiple approaches and focuses on interpersonal problems.

Front 118

Just Noticeable Differences (Jnd, Or The Difference Threshold)

Back 118

e smallest difference between two stimuli that is detectable 50 percent of the time.

Front 119

Kinesthetic Sense

Back 119

sense of the location of body parts in relation to the ground and each other.

Front 120

Latent Content

Back 120

the symbolic or hidden meaning of dreams

Front 121

Lesioning

Back 121

insertion of a thin, insulated electrode into the brain through which an electrical current is sent, destroying the brain cells at the tip of the wire.

Front 122

Light Adaptation

Back 122

the recovery of the eye's sensitivity to visual stimuli in light after exposure to darkness.

Front 123

Limbic System

Back 123

a group of several brain structures located primarily under the cortex and involved in learning, emotion, memory, and motivation.

Front 124

Linear Perspective

Back 124

the tendency for parallel lines to appear to converge on each other.

Front 125

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Back 125

brain-imaging method using radio waves and magnetic fields of the body to produce detailed images of the brain.

Front 126

Mean

Back 126

the arithmetic average of a distribution of numbers.

Front 127

Measure Of Central Tendency

Back 127

numbers that best represent the most typical score of a frequency distribution.

Front 128

Measures Of Variability

Back 128

measurement of the degree of differences within a distribution or how the scores are spread out.

Front 129

Median

Back 129

the middle score in an ordered distribution of scores, or the mean of the two middle numbers; the 50th percentile.

Front 130

Medulla

Back 130

the first large swelling at the top of the spinal cord, forming the lowest part of the brain, which is responsible for life-sustaining functions such as breathing, swallowing, and heart rate.

Front 131

Mirror Neurons

Back 131

neurons that fire when an animal or person performs an action and also when an animal or person observes that same action being performed by another.

Front 132

MLler-Lyer Illusion

Back 132

illusion of line length that is distorted by inward-turning or outward-turning corners on the ends of the lines, causing lines of equal length to appear to be different.

Front 133

Mnemonic

Back 133

a strategy or trick for aiding memory.

Front 134

Mode

Back 134

the most frequent score in a distribution of scores.

Front 135

Modeling

Back 135

learning through the observation and imitation of others.

Front 136

Monocular Cues (Pictorial Depth Cues)

Back 136

cues for perceiving depth based on one eye only.

Front 137

Motion Parallax

Back 137

the perception of motion of objects in which close objects appear to move more quickly than objects that are farther away.

Front 138

Motor Cortex

Back 138

rear section of the frontal lobe, responsible for sending motor commands to the muscles of the somatic nervous system.

Front 139

Motor Pathway

Back 139

nerves coming from the CNS to the voluntary muscles, consisting of efferent neurons.

Front 140

Myelin

Back 140

fatty substances produced by certain glial cells that coat the axons of neurons to insulate, protect, and speed up the neural impulse.

Front 141

Negatively Skewed

Back 141

a distribution of scores in which scores are concentrated in the high end of the distribution.

Front 142

Nerves

Back 142

bundles of axons coated in myelin that travel together through the body.

Front 143

Nervous System

Back 143

an extensive network of specialized cells that carries information to and from all parts of the body.

Front 144

Neuron

Back 144

the basic cell that makes up the nervous system and that receives and sends messages within that system.

Front 145

Neuroplasticity

Back 145

the ability within the brain to constantly change both the structure and function of many cells in response to experience or trauma.

Front 146

Neuroscience

Back 146

a branch of the life sciences that deals with the structure and function of neurons, nerves, and nervous tissue.

Front 147

Neurotransmitter

Back 147

chemical found in the synaptic vesicles that, when released, has an effect on the next cell.

Front 148

Nondirective

Back 148

therapy style in which the therapist remains relatively neutral and does not interpret or take direct actions with regard to the client, instead remaining a calm, nonjudgmental listener while the client talks.

Front 149

Normal Curve

Back 149

a special frequency polygon, shaped like a bell, in which the scores are symmetrically distributed around the mean, and the mean, median, and mode are all located on the same point on the curve with scores decreasing as the curve extends from the mean.

Front 150

Objective Introspection

Back 150

the process of examining and measuring one's own thoughts and mental activities.

Front 151

Observer Bias

Back 151

tendency of observers to see what they expect to see

Front 152

Observer Effect

Back 152

tendency of people or animals to behave differently from normal when they know they are being observed.

Front 153

Occipital Lobe

Back 153

section of the brain located at the rear and bottom of each cerebral hemisphere containing the primary visual centers of the brain.

Front 154

Olfaction (Olfactory Sense)

Back 154

the sensation of smell.

Front 155

Olfactory Bulbs

Back 155

areas of the brain located just above the sinus cavity and just below the frontal lobes that receive information from the olfactory receptor cells.

Front 156

Olfactory Bulbs

Back 156

two bulb-like projections just under the front of the brain that receive information from the receptors in the nose

Front 157

Operational Definition

Back 157

definition of a variable of interest that allows it to be measured.

Front 158

Opponent-Process Theory

Back 158

theory of color vision that proposes visual neurons (or groups of neurons) are stimulated by light of one color and inhibited by light of another color.

Front 159

Ovaries

Back 159

the female gonads

Front 160

Overlap (Interposition)

Back 160

the assumption that an object that appears to be blocking part of another object is in front of the second object and closer to the viewer.

Front 161

Oxytocin

Back 161

hormone released by the posterior pituitary gland that is involved in reproductive and parental behaviors.

Front 162

Pancreas

Back 162

endocrine gland; controls the levels of sugar in the blood.

Front 163

Parasympathetic Division

Back 163

(eat-drink-and-rest system) part of the ANS that restores the body to normal functioning after arousal and is responsible for the day-to-day functioning of the organs and glands.

Front 164

Parietal Lobes

Back 164

sections of the brain located at the top and back of each cerebral hemisphere containing the centers for touch, temperature, and body position.

Front 165

Participant Modeling

Back 165

technique in which a model demonstrates the desired behavior in a step-by-step, gradual process while the client is encouraged to imitate the model.

Front 166

Participant Observation

Back 166

a naturalistic observation in which the observer becomes a participant in the group being observed

Front 167

Perception

Back 167

the method by which the sensations experienced at any given moment are interpreted and organized in some meaningful fashion.

Front 168

Perceptual Set (Perceptual Expectancy)

Back 168

the tendency to perceive things a certain way because previous experiences or expectations influence those perceptions.

Front 169

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

Back 169

all nerves and neurons that are not contained in the brain and spinal cord but that run through the body itself

Front 170

Person-Centered Therapy

Back 170

a nondirective insight therapy based on the work of Carl Rogers in which the client does all the talking and the therapist listens.

Front 171

Pineal Gland

Back 171

endocrine gland located near the base of the cerebrum; secretes melatonin

Front 172

Pinna

Back 172

the visible part of the ear.

Front 173

Pitch

Back 173

psychological experience of sound that corresponds to the frequency of the sound waves; higher frequencies are perceived as higher pitches.

Front 174

Pituitary Gland

Back 174

gland located in the brain that secretes human growth hormone and influences all other hormone-secreting glands (also known as the master gland)

Front 175

Place Theory

Back 175

theory of pitch that states that different pitches are experienced by the stimulation of hair cells in different locations on the organ of Corti.

Front 176

Placebo Effect

Back 176

the phenomenon in which the expectations of the participants in a study can influence their behavior.

Front 177

Plagiarism

Back 177

the copying of someone else's exact words (or a close imitation of the words) and presenting them as your own.

Front 178

Polygon

Back 178

line graph showing a frequency distribution.

Front 179

Pons

Back 179

the larger swelling above the medulla that connects the top of the brain to the bottom and that plays a part in sleep, dreaming, left-right body coordination, and arousal.

Front 180

Population

Back 180

the entire group of people or animals in which the researcher is interested.

Front 181

Positively Skewed

Back 181

a distribution of scores in which scores are concentrated in the low end of the distribution.

Front 182

Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

Back 182

brain-imaging method in which a radioactive sugar is injected into the subject and a computer compiles a color-coded image of the activity of the brain.

Front 183

Prefrontal Lobotomy

Back 183

psychosurgery in which the connections of the prefrontal cortex to other areas of the brain are severed.

Front 184

Proximity

Back 184

the tendency to perceive objects that are close to each other as part of the same grouping.

Front 185

Psychiatric Social Worker

Back 185

a social worker with some training in therapy methods who focuses on the environmental conditions that can have an impact on mental disorders, such as poverty, overcrowding, stress, and drug abuse

Front 186

Psychiatrist

Back 186

a medical doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders.

Front 187

Psychoanalysis

Back 187

the theory and therapy based on the work of Sigmund Freud.

Front 188

Psychoanalysis

Back 188

an insight therapy based on the theory of Freud, emphasizing the revealing of unconscious conflicts.

Front 189

Psychodynamic Perspective

Back 189

modern version of psychoanalysis that is more focused on the development of a sense of self and the discovery of motivations behind a person's behavior other than sexual motivations.

Front 190

Psychodynamic Therapy

Back 190

a newer and more general term for therapies based on psychoanalysis with an emphasis on transference, shorter treatment times, and a more direct therapeutic approach.

Front 191

Psychologist

Back 191

a professional with an academic degree and specialized training in one or more areas of psychology.

Front 192

Psychology

Back 192

scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

Front 193

Psychopharmacology

Back 193

the use of drugs to control or relieve the symptoms of psychological disorders.

Front 194

Psychosurgery

Back 194

surgery performed on brain tissue to relieve or control severe psychological disorders.

Front 195

Psychotherapy

Back 195

therapy for mental disorders in which a person with a problem talks with a psychological professional.

Front 196

Random Assignment

Back 196

process of assigning subjects to the experimental or control groups randomly, so that each subject has an equal chance of being in either group

Front 197

Range

Back 197

the difference between the highest and lowest scores in a distribution

Front 198

Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT)

Back 198

gnitive behavioral therapy in which clients are directly challenged in their irrational beliefs and helped to restructure their thinking into more rational belief statements

Front 199

Receptor Sites

Back 199

three-dimensional proteins on the surface of the dendrites or certain cells of the muscles and glands, which are shaped to fit only certain neurotransmitters.

Front 200

Reflection

Back 200

therapy technique in which the therapist restates what the client says rather than interpreting those statements.

Front 201

Reflex Arc

Back 201

the connection of the afferent neurons to the interneurons to the efferent neurons, resulting in a reflex action.

Front 202

Relative Size

Back 202

perception that occurs when objects that a person expects to be of a certain size appear to be small and are, therefore, assumed to be much farther away

Front 203

Replicate

Back 203

in research, repeating a study or experiment to see if the same results will be obtained in an effort to demonstrate reliability of results.

Front 204

Representative Sample

Back 204

randomly selected sample of subjects from a larger population of subjects

Front 205

Resistance

Back 205

occurring when a patient becomes reluctant to talk about a certain topic, by either changing the subject or becoming silent.

Front 206

Resting Potential

Back 206

the state of the neuron when not firing a neural impulse.

Front 207

Reticular Formation (RF)

Back 207

an area of neurons running through the middle of the medulla and the pons and slightly beyond that is responsible for general attention, alertness, and arousal.

Front 208

Reuptake

Back 208

process by which neurotransmitters are taken back into the synaptic vesicles.

Front 209

Reversible Figures

Back 209

visual illusions in which the figure and ground can be reversed.

Front 210

Rods

Back 210

visual sensory receptors found at the back of the retina, responsible for noncolor sensitivity to low levels of light.

Front 211

Sample

Back 211

group of subjects selected from a larger population of subjects, usually selected randomly.

Front 212

Scientific Method

Back 212

system of gathering data so that bias and error in measurement are reduced.

Front 213

Self-Help Groups Or Support Groups

Back 213

group composed of people who have similar problems and who meet together without a therapist or counselor for the purpose of discussion, problem solving, and social and emotional support.

Front 214

Sensation

Back 214

the process that occurs when special receptors in the sense organs are activated, allowing various forms of outside stimuli to become neural signals in the brain.

Front 215

Sensory Adaptation

Back 215

tendency of sensory receptor cells to become less responsive to a stimulus that is unchanging.

Front 216

Sensory Conflict Theory

Back 216

an explanation of motion sickness in which the information from the eyes conflicts with the information from the vestibular senses, resulting in dizziness, nausea, and other physical discomfort.

Front 217

Sensory Pathway

Back 217

nerves coming from the sensory organs to the CNS consisting of afferent neurons.

Front 218

Shape Constancy

Back 218

the tendency to interpret the shape of an object as being constant, even when its shape changes on the retin

Front 219

Significant Difference

Back 219

a difference between groups of numerical data that is considered large enough to be due to factors other than chance variation.

Front 220

Similarity

Back 220

the tendency to perceive things that look similar to each other as being part of the same group

Front 221

Single-Blind Study

Back 221

study in which the subjects do not know if they are in the experimental or the control group.

Front 222

Size Constancy

Back 222

the tendency to interpret an object as always being the same actual size, regardless of its distance.

Front 223

Skewed Distribution

Back 223

frequency distribution in which most of the scores fall to one side or the other of the distribution.

Front 224

Skin Senses

Back 224

the sensations of touch, pressure, temperature, and pain.

Front 225

Sociocultural Perspective

Back 225

perspective that focuses on the relationship between social behavior and culture.

Front 226

Soma

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the cell body of the neuron responsible for maintaining the life of the cell.

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Somatic Nervous System

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division of the PNS consisting of nerves that carry information from the senses to the CNS and from the CNS to the voluntary muscles of the body.

Front 228

Somatosensory Cortex

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area of cortex at the front of the parietal lobes responsible for processing information from the skin and internal body receptors for touch, temperature, and body position.

Front 229

Somesthetic Senses

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the body senses consisting of the skin senses, the kinesthetic sense, and the vestibular senses.

Front 230

Spatial Neglect

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condition produced most often by damage to the parietal lobe association areas of the right hemisphere, resulting in an inability to recognize objects or body parts in the left visual field.

Front 231

Spinal Cord

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a long bundle of neurons that carries messages between the body and the brain and is responsible for very fast, lifesaving reflexes.

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Standard Deviation

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the square root of the average squared deviations from the mean of scores in a distribution; a measure of variability.

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Statistically Significant

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referring to differences in data sets that are larger than chance variation would predict

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Statistics

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branch of mathematics concerned with the collection and interpretation of numerical data.

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Stem Cells

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special cells found in all the tissues of the body that are capable of becoming other cell types when those cells need to be replaced due to damage or wear and tear.

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Structuralism

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early perspective in psychology associated with Wilhelm Wundt and Edward Titchener, in which the focus of study is the structure or basic elements of the mind.

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Sympathetic Division

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(fight-or-flight system) part of the ANS that is responsible for reacting to stressful events and bodily arousal.

Front 238

Synapse (Synaptic Gap)

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microscopic fluid-filled space between the axon terminal of one cell and the dendrites or surface of the next cell.

Front 239

Synaptic Vesicles

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saclike structures found inside the synaptic knob containing chemicals.

Front 240

Synesthesia

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disorder in which the signals from the various sensory organs are processed in the wrong cortical areas, resulting in the sense information being interpreted as more than one sensation.

Front 241

Systematic Desensitization

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behavior technique used to treat phobias, in which a client is asked to make a list of ordered fears and taught to relax while concentrating on those fears

Front 242

Temporal Lobes

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areas of the cortex located along the side of the brain, starting just behind the temples, containing the neurons responsible for the sense of hearing and meaningful speech.

Front 243

Testes

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the male gonads.

Front 244

Texture Gradient

Back 244

the tendency for textured surfaces to appear to become smaller and finer as distance from the viewer increases.

Front 245

Thalamus

Back 245

part of the limbic system located in the center of the brain, this structure relays sensory information from the lower part of the brain to the proper areas of the cortex and processes some sensory information before sending it to its proper area.

Front 246

Therapeutic Alliance

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the relationship between therapist and client that develops as a warm, caring, accepting relationship characterized by empathy, mutual respect, and understanding.

Front 247

Therapy

Back 247

treatment methods aimed at making people feel better and function more effectively.

Front 248

Thyroid Gland

Back 248

endocrine gland found in the neck; regulates metabolism.

Front 249

Time-Out

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an extinction process in which a person is removed from the situation that provides reinforcement for undesirable behavior, usually by being placed in a quiet corner or room away from possible attention and reinforcement opportunities.

Front 250

Token Economy

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type of behavior modification in which desired behavior is rewarded with tokens.

Front 251

Top-Down Processing

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the use of preexisting knowledge to organize individual features into a unified whole

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Transduction

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the process of converting outside stimuli, such as light, into neural activity.

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Transference

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in psychoanalysis, the tendency for a patient or client to project positive or negative feelings for important people from the past onto the therapist.

Front 254

Trichromatic ("Three Colors") Theory

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theory of color vision that proposes three types of cones: red, blue, and green.

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T-Test

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type of inferential statistical analysis typically used when two means are compared to see if they are significantly different.

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Unconditional Positive Regard

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referring to the warmth, respect, and accepting atmosphere created by the therapist for the client in person-centered therapy.

Front 257

Vestibular Senses

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the sensations of movement, balance, and body position.

Front 258

Visual Accommodation

Back 258

the change in the thickness of the lens as the eye focuses on objects that are far away or close.

Front 259

Volley Principle

Back 259

theory of pitch that states that frequencies from about 400 Hz to 4000 Hz cause the hair cells (auditory neurons) to fire in a volley pattern, or take turns in firing.

Front 260

Wernicke's Aphasia

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condition resulting from damage to Wernicke's area, causing the affected person to be unable to understand or produce meaningful language.

Front 261

Z Score

Back 261

a statistical measure that indicates how far away from the mean a particular score is in terms of the number of standard deviations that exist between the mean and that score.