Download Vocabulary Glossary

AP Psych Review
1.
ablation: removal or destruction of brain tissue in a surgical procedure
2.
absolute threshold: intensity level at which one can detect a stimulus 50%
of the time
3.
accommodation: the process of modifying a schema to account for new
information; the process of the eyes lens changing shape in order to focus on
distant or near objects
4.
acetylcholine (ACh): a neurotransmitter involved in learning, memory and
muscle movement
5.
achievement test: a test that assesses what one has learned
6.
acquisition: a process in classical conditioning by which the association of a
neutral stimulus with a natural stimulus is first established
7.
action potential: the electrical process by which information is transmitted
the length of an axon
8.
activation synthesis: 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
9.
adrenal gland: source of the hormone norepinephrine which affects arousal
10. affective disorders: psychological disturbances of mood
11.
afferent: in neurons, another name for sensory
12. after image: an image that remains after a stimulus is removed, especially
one in which the colors are reversed
13. agonists: drugs which mimic the activity of neurotransmitters
14. alcohol: the most frequently used and abused CNS depressant in most
cultures; its use affects mood, judgment, cognition
15. all-or-nothing: description of the action of neurons when firing
16.
alpha waves: seen when an individual is in a relaxed, unfocused, yet still
awake state
17.
amygdala: limbic system component associated with emotion, particularly
fear and anger
18.
anal stage: Freud's pychosexual period during which a child learns to control
his bodily excretions
19.
anorexia (nervosa): an eating disorder in which one starves oneself even
though significantly underweight
20.
antagonist: drug which blocks the activity of neurotransmitters
21.
anterograde amnesia: 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
22.
antisocial personality disorder: psychological disorder in which one
demonstrates a lack of conscience
23.
anvil: the middle of the three ossicles
1
24.
aphasia: impairment of language usually caused by damage to the left
hemisphere
25.
applied research: scientific investigations intended to solve practical
problems
26.
arousal: condition in which the sympathetic nervous system is in control
27.
artificial intelligence: a subdiscipline of computer science that attempts to
simulate human thinking
28.
assimilation: interpreting new experiences in terms of existing schema
29.
association areas: areas of the cerebral cortex which have no specific
motor or sensory repsonsibilities, but rather are involved in thinking, memory and
judgment
30.
associative learning: 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
31.
attachment: theory developed by Harlow; types include secure and insecure
32.
attitude: a relatively enduring evaluation of a person or thing; Asch
demonstrated that this doesn't always match one's behavior
33.
attraction: feeling of being drawn toward another and desiring the company
of a person
34.
attribution theory: a way of explaining others' behavior by either one's
disposition or one's situation
35.
auditory canal: the area that sound waves pass through to reach the
eardrum
36.
authoritarian: 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
37.
autonomic nervous system: division of the nervous system that control the
glands and organs; its divisions arouse or calm
38.
autonomy vs. shame and doubt: Erikson's stage in which a toddler learns to
exercise will and to do things independently; failure to do so causes shame and
doubt
39.
availability heuristic: this cognitive shortcut features the idea that events
which are vividly in memory seem to be more common
40.
axon: extension of the neuron which carries, via an action potential,
information that will be sent on to other neurons, muscles or glands
41.
babbling: stage of language development at about 4 months when an infant
spontaneously utters nonsense sounds
42.
basic research: scientific investigations intended to expand the knowledge
base
43.
behavioral: perspective on psychology that sees psychology as an objective
science without reference to mental states
44.
belief perseverance: situation in which one's beliefs continue despite the
fact that the ground for the beliefs have been discredited
2
45.
big 5 personality factors: openness to new experience, conscientiousness,
extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism
46.
binocular cues: retinal disparity and convergence which enable people to
determine depth using both eyes
47.
biological: perspective that stresses links between biology and behavior
48.
bipolar cells: eye neurons that receive information from the retinal cells and
distribute information to the ganglion cells
49.
bipolar disorder: mood disorder in one experiences both manic and
depressed episodes
50.
blind spot: point in the retinal where the optic nerve leaves the retina so
there are no rods or cones there
51.
bottom-up processing: analysis that begins with sensory receptors and
works its way up to the brain's integration of sensory information
52.
brainstem: oldest part of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells
upon entering the skull; controls fundamental survival processes like heartrate and
breathing
53.
bulimia: eating disorder characterized by excessive eating followed by
purging
54.
bystander effect: the tendency to not offer help when needed if others
are present who do not offer help
55.
Cannon-Baird: theory of emotion that says that a stimulus causes
simultaneously psyiological arousal and the subjective experience of an emotion
56.
case study: scientific investigation in which a single subject is studied in
great detail
57.
CAT scan: a method of creating static images of the brain through
computerized axial tomography
58.
catatonic: a form of schizophrenia in which the patient has muscle
immobility and does not move
59.
catharsis: release of aggressive energy through activity or fantasy
60.
Central Nervous System: consists of the brain and the spinal cord
61.
cerebellum: brain structure that controls well-learned motor activities like
riding a bike
62.
cerebral cortex: the fabric of interconnecting cells that blankets the brain
hemispheres; the brain's center for information processing and control
63.
chaining: using operant conditioning to teach a complex response by linking
together less complex skills
64.
chunking: organizing units of information into manageable units such as
memorizing a phone number as three groups of information 248-555-1212
65.
circadian rhythm: the daily biological rhythms that occur in a 24-hour
period
66.
classical conditioning: method of learning in which a neutral stimulus can be
used to elicit a response that is usually a natural response to a stimulus
3
67.
client-centered therapy: developed by Carl Rogers, this humanistic therapy
includes unconditional positive regard
68.
clinical: this type of psychologist studies, assesses and treats those with
psychological disorders
69.
cochlea: this coiled structure in the inner ear is fluid-filled and in it the
energy from sound waves stimulate hair cells
70.
cognitive: perspective on psychology that stresses the importance of mental
activities associated with thinking, remembering, etc
71.
cognitive dissonance theory: this says that we will suffer discomfort and
act to change the situation when our thoughts and actions seem to be inconsistent
72.
cognitive therapy: treatment for psychological disorders that centers on
changing self-defeating thinking
73.
collective unconscious: Jung's theory that we all share an inherited memory
that contains our culture's most basic elements
74.
collectivist: this adjective describes cultures in which the individual is less
important than the group
75.
color blindness: a variety of disorders marked by inability to distinguish
some or all colors
76.
concrete operations: Piaget's stage in which children learn such concepts as
conservation and mathematical transformations; about 7 - 11 years of age
77.
concurrent validity: the extent to which two measures of the same trait or
ability agree
78.
conditioned response: in classical conditioning, the response elicited by the
conditioned stimulus
79.
conditioning: generally, learning in which certain experiences make certain
behaviors more or less likely; there are two forms of this
80.
conduction: one type of hearing impairment caused by mechanical problems
in the ear structures
81.
cones: neurons in the retina that are responsible for color vision
82.
confirmation bias: a tendency to search for information that supports one's
preconceptions
83.
conformity: adjusting behavior to meet a group's standard
84.
confounding variable: extraneous factor that interferes with the action of
the independent variable on the dependent variable
85.
consciousness: one's awareness of one's environment and oneself.
86.
consummate love: includes passion, intimacy and committment
87.
control group: subjects in an experiment who do not receive application of
the independent variable but are measured nonetheless for the dependent variable
88.
convergent thinking: a type of critical thinking in which one evaluates
existing possible solutions to a problem to choose the best one
89.
cornea: the transparent outer covering of the eye
4
90.
corpus callosum: the fibers that connect the right and left hemispheres,
enabling them to communicate
91.
correlation: the degree of relationship between two variables
92.
correlation coefficient: a positive one near 1.0 indicates two variable are
positively related; a negative number indicates a negative relationship; zero
indicates no relationship
93.
cross-sectional: type of study that measures a variable across several age
groups at the same time
94.
crystallized: term describes a type of intelligence which applies cultural
knowledge to solving problems
95.
debriefing: giving participants in a research study a complete explanation of
the study after the study is completed
96.
defense mechanisms: Freud's processes by which individuals express
uncomfortable emotions in disguised ways
97.
deindividuation: when an individual seems to lose himself or herself in the
group's identity
98.
deinstitutionalization: moving people with psychological or developmental
disabilities from highly structured institutions to home- or community-based
settings
99.
delta waves: largest brain waves, associated with deep, dreamless sleep
100.
delusion: irrational, highly improbable belief
101.
dendrite: a branch off the cell body of a neuron that receives new
information from other neurons
102.
denial: a defense mechanism in which unpleasant thought or desires are
ignored or excluded from consciousness
103.
dependent variable: the variable that the experimenter measures at the
end of the experiment
104.
depressant: any agent that reduces the activity of the CNS
105.
depth perception: an ability that we exercise by using both monocular and
binocular cues
106.
difference threshold: also called the jnd; smallest distinction between two
stimuli that can consistently be detected
107.
diffusion of responsibility: reduction in sense of responsibility often felt by
individuals in a group; may be responsible for the bystander effect
108.
discrimination: treating members of different races, religions, ethnic groups
differently; usually associated with prejudice
109.
displacement: defense mechanism in which unwanted feelings are directed
towards a different object
110.
dispositional attribution: assuming that another's behavior is due to
personality factors, not situational ones
111.
dissociative fugue: disorder in which one travels away from home and is
unable to remember details of his past, including often his identity
5
112.
dissociative identity disorder: also called multiple personality disorder
113.
divergent thinking: a type of creative thinking in which one generates new
solutions to problems
114.
dopamine: a neurotransmitter that is associated with Parkinson's disease
(too little of it) and schizophrenia (too much of it)
115.
double blind: this term describes an experiment in which neither the
subjects nor the experimenter knows whether a subject is a member of the
experimental group or the control group
116.
dreams: occur most often during REM sleep; may be caused by activationsynthesis, or may be a way of cementing memories
117.
drive reduction: theory that claims that behavior is driven by a desire to
lessen drives resulting from needs that disrupt homeostasis
118.
DSM: initials of the American Psychiatric Association's book that lists
diagnostic criteria for many psychological disorders
119.
dyslexia: a learning disability that results in difficulty reading and writing
120.
eardrum: also called the tympanic membrane
121.
echoic: term that describes memory of sounds
122.
EEG: initials of a method of representation of brain waves
123.
ego: the Latin for "I"; in Freud's theories, the mediator between the
demands of the id and the superego
124.
egocentrism: in a toddler, the belief that others perceive the world in the
same way that he or she does
125.
eidetic: describes a type of visual memory that is retained for a long time;
photographic
126.
Electra complex: counterpart to the Oedipus complex for females
127.
electroconvulsive therapy: a treatment in which low level electric current is
passed through the brain
128.
embryo: early stage of human development, when cells have begun to
differentiate
129.
emotion theories: James-Lange, Cannon-Baird and Singer-Schachter are
three
130.
encoding: conversion of sensory information into a form that can be retained
as a memory
131.
endocrine system: the slow messenger system of the body; produces
hormones that affect many bodily functions
132.
endorphins: neurotransmitters that give one a feeling of well-being, euphoria
or eliminate pain
133.
episodic: describes a type of memory that includes specific events that one
has personally experienced
134.
evolutionary: perspective that stresses the value of behavior in Darwinian
terms
6
135.
experiment: form of scientific investigation in which one variable is tested
to determine its effect on another
136.
experimental group: subjects in an experiment to whom the independent
variable is administered
137.
explicit: term that describes memories that can be consciously recalled
138.
external locus of control: this term describes what you have if your
behaviors are driven mainly by outside forces
139.
extinction: in classical conditioning, the process of eliminating the previously
acquired association of the conditioned stimulus and conditioned response
140.
extraversion: one of the Big 5, a personality trait orients one's interests
toward the outside world and other people, rather than inward
141.
extrinsic: term that describes motivations that drive behavior in order to
gain rewards from outside forces
142.
false consensus: a belief that others share the same opinion about
something, when actually most don't
143.
feature detection: the ability of the brain to identify specific components
of visual stimuli such as corners or edges
144.
fetal alcohol syndrome: sometimes the result in a child of the mother's
excessive drinking while pregnant, characterized by low birth weight, facial
abnormalities, mental retardation
145.
fetus: a stage in human development extending from about ten weeks after
conception to birth
146.
figure-ground: refers to our ability to distinguish foreground from
background in visual images
147.
fixed interval: describes the schedule of reinforcement wherein a worker
receives a paycheck every Friday
148.
fixed ratio: describes a schedule of reinforcement wherein a worker is paid
for a certain sum for each product produced
149.
flashbulb: term describes a vivid memory of a personally significant and
emotionalevent
150.
fluid: term describes a type of intelligence used to cope with novel
situations and problems
151.
foot-in-the-door: term describes a phenomenon in which people who agree
to a small request are more likely to later agree to a larger request
152.
formal operations: One of Piaget's stages; includes the ability to use
abstract thinking
153.
fovea: the central focus area of the retina
154.
frequency: theory of hearing which states that the rate of nerve impulses
traveling up the auditory nerve matches the tone's frequency
155.
functional fixedness: the tendency to think about things only in terms of
their usual uses; can be a hindrance to creative thinking
7
156.
functionalism: William James's school of thought that stressed the adaptive
and survival value of behaviors
157.
fundamental attribution error: tendency to attribute others' behavior to
their dispositions and our own behaviors to our situations
158.
ganglion cells: their axons form the optic nerve
159.
gene: made of DNA, it is the basic building block of heredity
160.
general adaptation syndrome: Seyle's concept that the body responds to
stress with alarm, resistance and exhaustion
161.
generativity vs. stagnation: Erikson's stage of social development in which
middle-aged people begin to devote themselves more to fulfilling one's potential
and doing public service
162.
genital stage: Freud's stage of psychosexual development when adult
sexuality is prominent
163.
gestalt: German word for "whole", it refers to our tendency to perceive
incomplete figures as complete
164.
glial cell: this acts as a support system for neurons
165.
grammar: a system of rules in a language
166.
group polarization: tendency of group members to move to an extreme
position after discussing an issue as a group
167.
groupthink: tendency for group members to think alike with certainty of
correctness, biased perceptions of outgroup members, and generally defective
decision-making processes
168.
hallucination: a false sensory perception that seems to be real but for which
there is not an actual external stimulus
169.
hallucinogen: a substance capable of producing a sensory effect in the
absence of real external sensory stimuli
170.
hemispheres: we have two, right and left, and some brain functions seem to
centered in one or the other
171.
heritability: the extent to which differences in a group of a characteristic
is due to genetics, not environment
172.
heuristic: a useful, but unprovable, cognitive shortcut, such as a "rule of
thumb"
173.
hierarchy of needs: Maslow's theory of the most important motivations
people have
174.
higher-order: 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
175.
hindsight bias: the tendency, after an event occurs, to overestimate the
likelihood that an event could have been predicted
176.
hippocampus: limbic system component associated with memory
177.
homeostasis: the steady, stable state that is the body's regulatory
processes try to maintain
8
178.
hormone: chemical substance secreted by endocrine glands that affect body
processes
179.
humanist: perspective in psychology that stresses the goodness of people
and their possibility of reaching their fullest potential
180.
hunger: it is regulated by the lateral hypothalamus and the ventromedial
hypothalamus
181.
hypnosis: a social interaction in which one person suggests to another that
certain events or emotions will occur
182.
hypochondriasis: a disorder characterized by an unreasonable fear that one
has a serious disease
183.
hypothalamus: limbic system component that regulates hunger, body
temperature and other functions
184.
hypothesis: a prediction of how the an experiment will turn out
185.
iconic: term that describes the memory of images
186.
id: in Freud's conception, the repository of the basic urges toward sex and
agression
187.
identity vs. role confusion: Erikson's stage during which teenagers and
young adults search for and become their true selves
188.
imprinting: evidence of critical period in some animals; they follow the first
moving thing they see after hatching
189.
in-group bias: tendency to favor one's own group over other groups
190.
incentive: an external stimulus that tends to encourage behavior
191.
independent: type of variable manipulated by the experimenter
192.
individualist: culture in which the individual is valued more highly than the
group
193.
industry vs. inferiority: Erikson's stage between 6 and 11 years, when the
child learns to be productive
194.
inferiority complex: Adler's conception of a basic feeling of inadequacy
stemming from childhood experiences
195.
information processing: humans accomplish this either in parallel
(unconsciously) or in serial fashion (consciously)
196.
informed consent: agreement to participate in psychology research, after
being appraised of the dangers and benefits of the research
197.
initiative vs guilt: Erikson's third stage in which the child finds
independence in planning, playing and other activities
198.
insanity: a legal term describing one's inability to be responsible for one's
action due to the condition of the mind
199.
insight: in psychoanalysis, the basic understanding one develops of the
underlying sources of emotion or behavioral difficulty
200.
insomnia: inability to fall asleep or remain asleep long enough for sufficient
rest
201.
instinct: a complex pattern of behavior that is fixed across a species
9
202.
integrity vs despair: Erikson's final stage in which those near the end of
life look back and evaluate their lives
203.
Intelligence: the ability to learn from experience, to use information, to
understand things
204.
internal locus of control: people with this tned to respond to internal states
and desires; they tend to see their successes as the result of their own efforts
205.
interneurons: cells in the spinal cord through which reflexes travel without
going to the brain
206.
interposition: monocular visual cue in which two objects are in the same line
of vision and one patially conceals the other, indicating that the first object
concealed is further away
207.
intimacy vs isolation: Erikson's stage in which individuals form deeply
personal relationships, marry, begin families
208.
intrinsic: term that describes motivations that derive from one's interest in
the object of the motivation, rather than from rewards that one might gain
209.
introversion: a personality trait that signifies that one finds energy from
internal sources rather than external ones
210.
IQ: the average is 100; there are many definitions of this attribute,
including multiple and crystallized
211.
James-Lange: theory of emotion in which physiological arousal precedes the
emotion
212.
just noticeable difference: the threshold at which one can distinguish two
stimuli that are of different intensities, but otherwise identical
213.
just world: phenomenon that describes the belief that what happens to
people is what they deserve
214.
kinethesis: sense of balance and of one's physical position
215.
latent: Freud's stage of psychosexual development occuring from about age
6 to puberty during which little happens in psychosexual terms
216.
latent content: the hidden or disguised meaning of dreams
217.
latent learning: a change in behavior due to experience acquired without
conscious effort, s, for example, a student using a quote in an exam essay that the
student had never tried to memorize, though eh had encountered it in studying
218.
law of effect: Thorndike's rule that behaviors which have positive
outcomes tend to be repeated
219.
learned helplessness: lack of motivation to avoid unpleasant stimuli after
one has failed before to escape similar stimuli
220.
lens: a curved, transparent element of the vision system that provides focus
221.
lesion: any destruction or damage to brain tissue
222.
lithium: in psychopharmacology, this is used to control bipolar symptoms
223.
long term: refers to memory that is stored effectively in the brain and may
be accessed over an extended period of time
10
224.
long term potentiation: a possible source of the formation of memories;
improvement in a neuron's ability to transmit caused by repeated stimulations
225.
longitudinal: describes research that measures a trait in a particular group
of subjects over a long period of time
226.
lucid: describes a dream in which the dreamer is aware that he or she is
dreaming and is able to influence the progress of the dream narrative
227.
mania: high state of arousal, often accompanied by poor judgment
228.
manifest: describes, in Freudian terms, the surface content of a dream
229.
marijuana: a drug, often smoked, whose effects include euphoria,
impairment of judgment and concentration and occasionally hallucinations; rarely
reported as addictive
230.
mean: numerical average of a set of numbers
231.
median: the middle one of a set of numbers
232.
medulla: part of the brain nearest the spinal cord which controls breathing,
heart rate and blood pressure
233.
memory: functions associated with this include encoding, storage and
retrieval
234.
mental age: developed by Binet; equal to one's chronological age times the
percentage score on an IQ test
235.
mere exposure effect: this phenomenon causes one to prefer a stimulus as
a consequence of repeated exposures to that stimulus, particularly is there is no
adverse result of the exposure
236.
metacognition: thinking about thinking
237.
MMPI: the initials of a long, detailed personality inventory
238.
mnemonic device: method of improving memory by associating new
information with previously learned information
239.
mode: the most commonly occurring term in a batch of data
240.
modeling: the process of observing and imitating a behavior
241.
monocular: terms that means "one eyed", used to indicate the sort of of
enviromental cues to depth perception tha tonly require one eye, for example,
interposition
242.
morpheme: in language, the smallest unit that carries meaning
243.
motion parallax: a depth cue in which the relative movement of elements in
a scene gives depth information when the observer moves relative to the scene
244.
motivation: a need or desire that energizes and directs behavior
245.
motor cortex: an area of the brain, near the rear of the frontal lobes, that
controls voluntary movement
246.
motor neuron: this carries information from the brain to the muscles; also
called "efferent"
247.
MRI: a technique that enables us to see static images of the brain's
structures; uses magnetism to achieve this effect
11
248.
myelin sheath: a layer of fatty tissue encasing a neuron's axon that speeds
transmission
249.
narcolepsy: a disorder characterized by sudden sleep attacks, often at
inopportune times
250.
naturalistic: term refers to observations made of individual's behavior in an
everyday life setting
251.
nature vs nurture: name for a controversy in which it is debated whether
genetics or environment is responsible for driving behavior
252.
need for achievement: desire for accomplishment, mastery of people, ideas,
things, desire for reaching a high standard
253.
need for affiliation: desire to associate with others, to be part of a group,
to form close and intimate relationships
254.
negative reinforcement: in operant conditioning, removing something
unpleasant in order to elicit more of a particular behavior
255.
neural network: refers to interconnected neuron cells
256.
neuron: the fundamental building block of the nervous system
257.
neuroscience: perspective on psychology that emphasizes the study of the
brain and its effects on behavior
258.
neurotransmitter: a chemical that is released by a neuron for the purpose of
carrying information across the gaps (synapses) between neurons
259.
neutral: describes a stimulus in classical conditioning that would normally not
elicit the response intended, such as the tone in Pavlov's experiments before it was
associated with the food
260.
night terrors: also called sleep terror disorder, these include the
characteristic of waking abruptly in a state of panic, usually in children, less often
in adults
261.
norm: an understood rule for social behavior
262.
normal distribution: describes a symmetrical, bell shaped curve that shows
the distribution of many physical and psychological attributes
263.
NREM: refers to sleep during which there is no rapid eye movement
264.
obesity: condition of having excess body fat resulting in being greatly
overweight
265.
object permanence: recognition that things continue to exist even though
hidden from sight; infants generally gain this after 3 to 7 months of age
266.
observational learning: change in behavior due to watching other people
behave
267.
obsessive-compulsive disorder: an anxiety disorder characterized by
repetitive obsessions and compulsions
268.
occipital: this lobe contains the primary vision processing function
269.
Oedipus complex: in Freud's theory, the conflict which results in a boy
gaining a superego and beginning to emulate his father
12
270.
olfactory bulb: the first brain structure to pick up smell information from
the nose
271.
omission training: a procedure in which reinforcement occurs when a
specific behavior does not occur in a fixed period of time
272.
operant conditioning: a method of influencing behavior by rewarding desired
behaviors and punishing undesired ones
273.
operational definition: a description of an experimental variable in such a
way that the variable can be measured and the procedure can be replicated
274.
opponent process theory: term used in both vision theory and emotion
theory
275.
optic chiasm: the point in the brain where the visual field information from
each eye "crosses over" to the appropriate side of the brain for processing
276.
optic nerve: the axons of the ganglion cells form this
277.
oral stage: Freud's first stage of psychosexual development during which
pleasure is centered in the mouth
278.
outgroup: generally, any group that one does not belong to
279.
oval window: membrane at the enterance to the cochlea through which the
ossicles transmit vibrations
280.
panic disorder: characterized by recurrent, unexpected panic attacks
281.
paranoid: a type of schizophrenia characterized by prominent delusions that
are persecutory or grandiose
282.
parasympathetic: the branch of the nervous system that automatically
calms us down when the reason for arousal has passed
283.
parietal: lobe that contains the sensory cortex
284.
Parkinson's disease: this ailment, whose symptoms includes tremors and
later difficulty walking, is caused by inability to produce dopamine
285.
perception: the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information
286.
peripheral nervous system: the subsystem of the nervous system that does
not include the CNS
287.
permissive: describes a parenting style that is characterized by the parent
making few demands on the child
288.
person-centered: therapy developed by Rogers featuring the patient's selfdiscovery and actualization; also called client-centered
289.
personality: a consistent pattern of thinking, acting, feeling
290.
PET scan: method of brain imaging using positron emissions
291.
phallic: name for Freud's stage which features the Oedipus stage
292.
phobia: fear
293.
phoneme: in language, smallest distinctive sound unit
294.
pituitary: gland that is the master gland of the endocrine system
295.
place theory: the idea that different sound frequencies stimulate different
locations on the basilar membrae
296.
placebo: an inert substance given to the control group in an experiment
13
297.
placebo effect: phenomenon that some people get better even though they
receive not medication but an inert substance which should have no medical effect
298.
plasticity: the ability of the brain to adapt to damage by reorganizing
functions
299.
pons: part of the brain, works with the cerebellum in coordinating voluntary
movement; neural stimulation studied in activation synthesis theory may originate
here
300.
population: all of the individuals from which subjects for an experiment may
be drawn
301.
positive psychology: field of study which concentrates on good psychological
traits such as contentment and joy; it also studies character traits such as wisdom,
integrity and altruism
302.
preconscious: in Freud's theory, the level of consciousness in which thoughts
and feelings are not conscious but are readily retrieveable to consciousness
303.
preconventional: Kohlberg's stage of moral development in which rewards
and punishments dominate moral thinking
304.
prejudice: a negative attitude formed toward an individual or group without
sufficient experience with the person or group
305.
preoperational: Piaget's second stage of cognitive development, when
egocentrism declines
306.
proactive interference: when prior learning disrupts the recall of new
information
307.
projection: defense mechanism in which one disguises one's won
unacceptable impulses by attributing them to others
308.
projective: term describes a personality test in which ambiguous stimuli
trigger revelation of inner feelings, thoughts
309.
psychiatrist: medical doctor who has specialized in treating psychological
disorders
310.
psychoanalysis: Freud's therapeutic technique
311.
psychodynamic: term describes the perspective on psychology in which inner
feeling and unconscious tensions are emphasized
312.
psychopharmacology: the study of the effects of drugs on the mind and
behavior
313.
PTSD: initials representing a disorder in which one relives painfully stressful
events
314.
punishment: can be either positive or negative, intended to reduce the
occurrence of a behavior
315.
random: term that describes assignment in which all subjects have an equal
chance of being assigned to the control group or to the experimental group
316.
rationalization: "The only reason I flunked the test is because our teacher
is no good."
14
317.
reaction formation: defense mechanism in which unacceptable impulses are
transformed into their opposite
318.
REBT: Albert Ellis's form of therapy for psychological disorders
319.
reciprocal determinism: Bandura's idea that though our environment
affects us, we also affect our environment
320.
refractory period: resting time; occurs in both neuron firing and in human
sexual response
321.
regression: defense mechanism in which one retreats to an earlier stage of
life
322.
rehearsal: conscious repetition of information in order to fix it in memory,
such as practicing a list of terms to memorize
323.
reinforcer: in operant conditioning any event that strengthens the behavior
it follows
324.
reliability: in testing, the characteristic of a test that produces consistent
scores through retesting or alternate halves or other methods
325.
REM: describes sleep in which vivid dreams typically occur; this type of
sleep increases as the night progresses while stage 4 sleep decreases
326.
representative: this kind of sample accurately reproduces the
characteristics of the population a researcher is studying
327.
representativeness heuristic: this cognitive short cut enables one to
generalization based on how closely a stimulus matches a typical member of a class;
given a picture of a man in a tweed jacket with a textbook, is this man a professor
or a truck driver?
328.
repression: defense mechanism in which painful memories are excluded from
consciousness
329.
reticular formation: a network of cells in the brainstem that filters sensory
information and is involved in arousal and alertness
330.
retina: the sensory reception system of the eye; includes rods and cones
331.
retrieval: the process of recovering information stored in memory
332.
retroactive interference: when new learning disrupts the recall of
previously-learned information
333.
retrograde amnesia: 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
334.
rods: responsible for black and white vision
335.
role-play: technique in therapy and training in which participants act out
new behaviors or skills
336.
rooting: a reflex in which a newborn turns its head in response to a gentle
stimulus on its cheek
337.
Rorschach test: a projective test that uses inkblots as the ambiguous
stimulus
15
338.
safety: the second rung of Maslow's hierarchy; refers to need for freedom
from danger
339.
scapegoat: this theory says that having suffered negative experience, an
individual might blame an innocent person or group for the experience and
subsequently mistreat the person or group
340.
scatterplot: name for a graph of data points in a two variable correlation
341.
schedules of reinforcement: these include fixed interval and variable ratio
342.
schema: a collection of basic knowledge about a category of information;
serves as a means of organization and interpretation of that information
343.
schemata: plural form of schema
344.
schizophrenia: disorder characterized by hallucinations and delusions
345.
selective attention: this term describes the situation when you are focused
on certain stimuli in the environment while other stimuli are excluded
346.
self-actualization: the highest of Malow's needs; "the full use of talent"
347.
self-concept: one's idea and evaluation of oneself; this contributes to one's
sense of identity
348.
self-efficacy: one's ability to act effectively to bring about desired
results; from Bandura
349.
self-esteem: the more positive one's estimation of one's qualities and
characteristics, the higher this is
350.
self-fulfilling prophecy: a belief or expectation that helps to make itself
true
351.
self-serving bias: he tendency to assign oneself credit for successes but to
blame failures on external forces
352.
semantics: in language, study of meanings of words
353.
sensorimotor: describes Piaget's stage in which the child explores the world
through interaction of his mouth and hands with the environment
354.
sensory adaptation: reduced responsiveness caused by prolonged stimulation
355.
sensory cortex: the parts of the brain that receive information from the
sensory receptors
356.
sensory neurons: nervous system cells that receive information from the
environment
357.
serial position effect: this tells us that the best recall of a list of items will
be of those at the beginning of the list
358.
serotonin: a neurotransmitter; associated with improved mood and other
positive emotions
359.
set point: the point at which one's body tries maintain weight
360.
sexual response: its four stages are excitement, plateau, orgasm and
resolution
361.
shaping: an operant conditioning technique in which reinforces guide
behavior to closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior
16
362.
short-term: type of memory that holds a few items briefly before they are
lost
363.
signal detection: this theory predicts how and in what circumstances we can
detect a stimulus; assumes there is no single threshold
364.
sleep apnea: a disorder characterized by cessation of breathing during
sleep
365.
sleep spindles: short bursts of brain waves detected in stage 2 sleep
366.
social exchange: a theory that suggests that our behavior is based on
maximizing benefits and minimizing costs
367.
social facilitation: a phenomenon in which we perform simple or well-learned
tasks better when in the presence of others
368.
social learning: a theory that suggests we learn social behaviors by watching
and imitating others
369.
social norm: a group's determination of socially acceptable behavior
370.
socio-cultural: a perspective on psychology that emphasizes effects on
behavior and thinking of one's culture and the people around one
371.
somatic: a division of the nervous system that controls voluntary muscle
movements
372.
somatoform disorder: any of a group of psychological disturbances
characterized by physical symptoms for which there is not a medical cause
373.
split brain: a condition in which the two brain hemispheres are isolated by
cutting the corpus callosum
374.
spontaneous recovery: in classical conditioning the re-occurence of
conditioning after it had appeared to be extinct
375.
SSRI: class of drugs used to relieve anxiety by limiting reuptake of a
neurotransmitter
376.
standard deviation: a computation of how much scores vary around a mean
377.
stereotype: a set of generalizations about a group
378.
structuralism: school of psychology developed by Wilhelm Wundt
379.
sublimation: a defense mechanism in which unacceptable energies are
directed into socially admirable outlets, such as art
380.
superego: the part of the personality in Freud's theory that is responsible
for making moral choices
381.
sympathetic: part of the nervous system that controls the "flight or fight"
response
382.
synaptic gap: space between the axon terminal of one neuron and the
receptors of the next neuron
383.
syntax: in language the set of rules that describe how words are arranged
to make sentences
384.
TAT: a projective test in which subjects look at and tell a story about
ambiguous pictures
17
385.
temperament: personality component that ranges from very calm to very
exitable
386.
temporal: the lobe that controls audition
387.
thalamus: the sensory switchboard
388.
theory: this organizes data and is used to make predictions
389.
threshold: in a neuron, reaching this causes the neuron to fire
390.
token economy: a technique in operant conditioning by which desired
behaviors receive forms of currency that can be exchanged for rewards
391.
twin studies: a common method of investigating whether nature or nurture
affects behavior
392.
unconditioned response: in conditioning the behavior elicited by the
unconditioned stimulus
393.
unconditioned stimulus: in conditioning it elicits the UCR
18