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100 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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ablation
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removal or destruction of brain tissue in a surgical procedure
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absolute threshold
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intensity level at which one can detect a stimulus 50% of the time
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accomodation
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the process of modifying a schema to account for new information; the process of the eye lens changing shape in order to focus on distant or near objects
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acetylcholine (ACh)
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a neurotransmitter involved in learning, memory and muscle movement
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need for achievement
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desire for accomplishment, mastery of people, ideas, things, desire for reaching a high standard
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achievement test
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a test that assesses what one has learned
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acquisition
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a process in classical conditioning by which the association of a neutral stimulus with a natural stimulus is first established
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action potential
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the electrical process by which information is transmitted the length of an axon
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activation synthesis
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the idea that dreams are the result of the cerebral cortex interpreting and organizing random flashes of brain activity, originating in the lower brain structures, especially the pons
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adrenal gland
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source of the hormone norepinephrine which affects arousal
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affective disorders
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psychological disturbances of mood
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need for affiliation
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desire to associate with others, to be part of a group, to form close and intimate relationships
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after image
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an image that remains after a stimulus is removed, especially one in which the colors are reversed
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agonists
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drugs which mimic the activity of neurotransmitters
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alcohol
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the most frequently used and abused CNS depressant in most cultures; its use affects mood, judgment, cognition
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all-or-nothing
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description of the action of neurons when firing
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alpha waves
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seen when an individual is in a relaxed, unfocused, yet still awake state
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amygdala
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limbic system component associated with emotion, particularly fear and anger
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anal stage
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Freud's pychosexual period during which a child learns to control his bodily excretions
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anorexia (nervosa)
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an eating disorder in which one starves oneself even though significantly underweight
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antagonist
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drug which blocks the activity of neurotransmitters
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anterograde amnesia
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loss of memory for events that occur after the onset of the amnesia; eg, see in a boxer who suffers a severe blow to the head and loses memory for events after the blow
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retrograde amnesia
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loss of memory for events that occurred before the onset of amnesia; eg a soldier's forgetting events immediately before a shell burst nearby, injuring him
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antisocial personality disorder
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psychological disorder in which one demonstrates a lack of conscience
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anvil
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the middle of the three ossicles
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aphasia
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impairment of language usually caused by damage to the left hemisphere
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arousal
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condition in which the sympathetic nervous system is in control
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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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assimilation
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interpreting new experiences in terms of existing schema
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association areas
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areas of the cerebral cortex which have no specific motor or sensory repsonsibilities, but rather are involved in thinking, memory and judgment
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associative learning
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learning in which an organism learns that certain events occur together, such as my cat knowing that she will be fed when I get home from work
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attachment
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theory developed by Harlow; types include secure and insecure
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attitude
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a relatively enduring evaluation of a person or thing; Asch demonstrated that this doesn't always match one's behavior
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attraction
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feeling of being drawn toward another and desiring the company of a person
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attribution theory
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a way of explaining others' behavior by either one's disposition or one's situation
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a way of explaining others' behavior by either one's disposition or one's situation
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the area that sound waves pass through to reach the eardrum
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authoritarian
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style of parenting in which the parent creates strict rules for the child and the child has little or no input into determining the rules
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autonomic nervous system
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division of the nervous system that control the glands and organs; its divisions arouse or calm
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autonomy vs. shame and doubt
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autonomy vs. shame and doubt
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availability heuristic
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this cognitive shortcut features the idea that events which are vividly in memory seem to be more common
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axon
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extension of the neuron which carries, via an action potential, information that will be sent on to other neurons, muscles or glands
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babbling
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stage of language development at about 4 months when an infant spontaneously utters nonsense sounds
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basic research
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scientific investigations intended to expand the knowledge base
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applied research
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scientific investigations intended to solve practical problems
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behavioral
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perspective on psychology that sees psychology as an objective science without reference to mental states
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belief perseverance
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situation in which one's beliefs continue despite the fact that the ground for the beliefs have been discredited
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big 5 personality factors
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(OCEAN) openness to new experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism
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OCEAN
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openness to new experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism
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binocular cues
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retinal disparity and convergence which enable people to determine depth using both eyes
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biological
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perspective that stresses links between biology and behavior
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bipolar cells
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eye neurons that receive information from the retinal cells and distribute information to the ganglion cells
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bipolar disorder
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mood disorder in one experiences both manic and depressed episodes
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blind spot
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point in the retinal where the optic nerve leaves the retina so there are no rods or cones there
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bottom-up processing
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analysis that begins with sensory receptors and works its way up to the brain's integration of sensory information
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hemispheres
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we have two, right and left, and some brain functions seem to centered in one or the other
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brainstem
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oldest part of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells upon entering the skull; controls fundamental survival processes like heart rate and breathing
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bulimia
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eating disorder characterized by excessive eating followed by purging
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bystander effect
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the tendency to not offer help when needed if others are present who do not offer help
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Cannon-Baird
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theory of emotion that says that a stimulus causes simultaneously physiological arousal and the subjective experience of an emotion
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case study
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scientific investigation in which a single subject is studied in great detail
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CAT scan
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a method of creating static images of the brain through computerized axial tomography
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catatonic
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a form of schizophrenia in which the patient has muscle immobility and does not move
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catharsis
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release of aggressive energy through activity or fantasy
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Central Nervous System
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consists of the brain and the spinal cord
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cerebellum
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brain structure that controls well-learned motor activities like riding a bike
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erebral cortex
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the fabric of interconnecting cells that blankets the brain hemispheres; the brain's center for information processing and control
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chaining
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using operant conditioning to teach a complex response by linking together less complex skills
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circadian rhythm
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the daily biological rhythms that occur in a 24-hour period
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cochlea
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this coiled structure in the inner ear is fluid-filled and in it the energy from sound waves stimulate hair cells
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cognitive dissonance theory
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this says that we will suffer discomfort and act to change the situation when our thoughts and actions seem to be inconsistent
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cognitive therapy
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treatment for psychological disorders that centers on changing self-defeating thinking
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collectivist
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this adjective describes cultures in which the individual is less important than the group
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concrete operations
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Piaget's stage in which children learn such concepts as conservation and mathematical transformations; about 7 - 11 years of age
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concurrent validity
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the extent to which two measures of the same trait or ability agree
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conduction
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one type of hearing impairment caused by mechanical problems in the ear structures
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confounding variable
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extraneous factor that interferes with the action of the independent variable on the dependent variable
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convergent thinking
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a type of critical thinking in which one evaluates existing possible solutions to a problem to choose the best one
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cornea
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the transparent outer covering of the eye
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corpus callosum
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the fibers that connect the right and left hemispheres, enabling them to communicate
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correlation coefficient
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a positive one near 1.0 indicates two variable are positively related; a negative number indicates a negative relationship; zero indicates no relationship
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cross-sectional
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type of study that measures a variable across several age groups at the same time
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deinstitutionalization
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moving people with psychological or developmental disabilities from highly structured institutions to home- or community-based settings
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delta waves
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largest brain waves, associated with deep, dreamless sleep
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dendrite
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a branch off the cell body of a neuron that receives new information from other neurons
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dispositional attribution
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assuming that another's behavior is due to personality factors, not situational ones
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dissociative identity disorder
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also called multiple personality disorder
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dopamine
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a neurotransmitter that is associated with Parkinson's disease (too little of it) and schizophrenia (too much of it)
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DSM
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initials of the American Psychiatric Association's book that lists diagnostic criteria for many psychological disorders
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echoic
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term that describes memory of sounds
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EEG
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initials of a method of representation of brain waves
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Electra complex
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counterpart to the Oedipus complex for females
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endocrine system
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the slow messenger system of the body; produces hormones that affect many bodily functions
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episodic
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describes a type of memory that includes specific events that one has personally experienced
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external locus of control
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this term describes what you have if your behaviors are driven mainly by outside forces
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extraversion
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one of the Big 5, a personality trait orients one's interests toward the outside world and other people, rather than inward
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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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fixed interval
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describes the schedule of reinforcement wherein a worker receives a paycheck every Friday
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fixed ratio
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describes a schedule of reinforcement wherein a worker is paid for a certain sum for each product produced
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fluid
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term describes a type of intelligence used to cope with novel situations and problems
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crystallized
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term describes a type of intelligence which applies cultural knowledge to solving problems
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