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Final Exam Flashcards
Berea College
253
Psychology
Undergraduate 1
12/12/2010

Additional Psychology Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
inferential statistical analyses
Definition
tell the research the probability that the results of the study are due to random variation
Term
acetylcholine
Definition
a neurotransmitter involved in learning, memory, and muscle movement
Term
dopamine
Definition
a neurotransmitter involved in arousal and mood states, thought processes, and physical movement
Term
blood-brain barrier
Definition
a protective mechanism by which the blood capillaries supplying the brain create a carrier that prevents dangerous substances access to the brain
Term
serotonin and norepinephrine
Definition
neurotransmitters involved in levels of arousal and mood, sleep, and eating
Term
GABA
Definition
main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the nervous system. It is involved in lowering arousal and anxiety and regulating movement
Term
glutamate
Definition
the main excitatory neurotransmitter in the nervous system. It is involved in memory storage, pain perception, strokes, and schizophrenia
Term
endorphins
Definition
a group of neurotransmitters that are involved in pain relief and feelings of pleasure
Term
medulla
Definition
a brain stem structure involved in many essential body functions, such as heartbeat, breathing, blood pressure, digestion, and swallowing
Term
pons
Definition
a brain stem structure that serves as a bridge between the cerebellum and the rest of the brain and is involved in sleep and dream
Term
reticular formation
Definition
a network of neurons running up the center of the brain stem that is responsible for our different levels of arousal and consciousness
Term
cerebellum
Definition
a part of the brain involved in the coordination our movements, sense of balances, and motor learning
Term
thalamus
Definition
a part of the brain that serves as a relay station for incoming sensory information
Term
limbic system
Definition
a group of brain structures that play an important role in our survival, memory, and emotions
Term
basal ganglia
Definition
a part of the brain that is involved in the initiation and execution of movements
Term
hypothalamus
Definition
a part of the brain that is involved in regulating basic drives such as eating, drinking, and sex.
Term
hippocampus
Definition
a part of the brain involved in the formation of memories
Term
amygdala
Definition
a part of the brain that is involved in emotions by influencing agrgression, anger, and fear and by providing the emotional element of our memories and the interpretation of emotional expression in others
Term
cerebral cortex
Definition
the layers of inter-connected cells covering the brain's two hemispheres. This is the control and information-processing center for the nervous system; it is where perception, memory, language, decision making, and all the other higher-level cognitive processing occur
Term
corpus callosum
Definition
the bridge of neurons that connects the two cerebral hemispheres
Term
frontal lobe
Definition
the area in each cerebral hemisphere in front of the central fissure and above the lateral fissue. the motor cortex is in this lobe
Term
parietal lobe
Definition
the area in each cerebral hemisphere in back of the central fissure and above the lateral fissure. The somatosensory cortex is in this lobe
Term
temporal lobe
Definition
the area is each cerebral hemisphere located beneath the lateral fissure. The primary auditory cortex is in this lobe
Term
occipital lobe
Definition
the area located in the lower back of each cerebral hemisphere. The primary visual cortex is in this lobe
Term
motor cortex
Definition
the strip of cortex in each cerebral hemisphere in the frontal lobe directly in front of the central fissure, which allows us to move different parts of our body
Term
somatosensory cortex
Definition
the strip of cortex in each cerebral hemisphere in the parietal lob directly in back of the central fissure, which allows us to sense pressure, temperature, and pain in different parts of our body as well as the position of our body parts
Term
association cortex
Definition
all of the cerebral cortex except those areas devoted to primary sensory processing or motor processing. This is where all the higher-level cognitive processing that requires the association of information, such as perception and language, occurs
Term
Broca's area
Definition
an area in the cerebral cortex responsible for fluent speech production
Term
Wernicke's area
Definition
an areas in the cerebral cortex responsible for comprehension of speech and text
Term
Weber's law
Definition
for each type of sensory judgment that we can make, the measured difference threshold is a constant fraction of the standard stimulus value used to measure it. This constant fraction is different for each type of sensory judgment
Term
Steven's power law
Definition
the actual physical intensity raise to some constant power for each type of sensory judgment
Term
transduction
Definition
the conversion of physical energies into neural signals that the brain can understand
Term
accommodation
Definition
the focusing of light waves from objects of different distances directly on the retina
Term
rods
Definition
responsible for dim light and peripheral vision
Term
cones
Definition
responsible for bright light and color vision
Term
fovea
Definition
a tiny pit in the center of the retina filled with cones
Term
opponent-process theory
Definition
a theory of color vision which assumes that there are three opponent-process cell systems which process color information after it has been process by the cones
Term
nerve deafness
Definition
hearing lost by damage to hair cells
Term
conduction deafness
Definition
hearing lost by damage to one of the structure in the ear
Term
place theory
Definition
a theory of pitch perception which assumes that there is a specific location along the basilar membrane which will maximally respond to a particular frequency, thereby indicating the pitch to the brain
Term
frequency theory
Definition
a theory of pitch perception which assumes that the frequency of the sound wave is mimicked by the firing rate of the tntire basilar membrane
Term
volley principle
Definition
cells taking turns firing will increase the maximum firing rate for a group of cells
Term
perceptual set
Definition
the interpretation of ambiguous sensory information in terms of how our past experiences have set us to perceive it
Term
contextual effect
Definition
the use of the present context of sensory information to determine its meaning
Term
figure-and-ground principle
Definition
the Gestalt perceptual organizational principle that the brain organizes sensory information into a figure of figures and ground
Term
perceptual constancy
Definition
the perceptual stability of the size, shape, brightness, and a color for familiar objects seen at varying distances, different angles, and under different lighting conditions
Term
retinal disparity
Definition
a binocular depth cue referring to the fact that as the disparity between the two retinal images of an object increases, the distance of the object from us decreases
Term
interposition
Definition
a monocular depth cue referring to the fact that if one object partially blocks our view of another, we perceive it as closer to us
Term
linear perspective
Definition
a monocular depth cue referring to the fact that as parallel lines recede away from us, they appear to converge--the greater the distance, the more they seem to converge
Term
classical conditioning
Definition
acquiring a new response to a previously neutral stimulus
Term
unconditioned stimulus
Definition
automatically elicits and unconditioned response
Term
unconditioned response
Definition
automatically elicited by the unconditioned stimulus
Term
conditioned stimulus
Definition
the stimulus that comes to elicit a new response
Term
conditioned response
Definition
the response that is elicited by the conditioned stimulus in classical conditioning
Term
delayed conditioning
Definition
a procedure in which the conditioned stimulus precedes the unconditioned stimulus and remains present until after the unconditioned stimulus is presented so that the two stimuli occur together
Term
trace conditioning
Definition
a procedure in which the conditioned stimulus precedes the unconditioned stimulus but is removed before the unconditioned stimulus is presented so the two stimuli do not occur together
Term
acquisition
Definition
a new, learned response elicited by the CS in preparation for the arrival of the UCS
Term
extinction
Definition
the diminishing of the conditioned response when the unconditioned stimulus no longer follows the conditioned stimulus
Term
law of effect
Definition
a principle developed by Edward Thorndlike that says that any behavior that results in satisfying consequences tends to be repeated and that any behavior that results in unsatisfying consequences tends not to be repeated
Term
reinforcer
Definition
a stimulus that increases the probability of a prior response
Term
punish
Definition
a stimulus that decreases the probability of a prior response
Term
appetitive stimulus
Definition
pleasant
Term
aversive stimulus
Definition
unpleasant
Term
positive reinforcement
Definition
the appetitive stimulus is presented
Term
positive punishment
Definition
aversive stimulus is presented
Term
negative reinforcement
Definition
aversive stimulus is removed
Term
negative punishment
Definition
appetitive stimulus is removed
Term
primary reinforcer
Definition
a stimulus that is innately reinforcing
Term
secondary reinforcfer
Definition
a stimulus that gains its reinforcing property through learning
Term
behavior modification
Definition
the application of classical and operant conditioning principles to eliminate undesirable behavior and to teach more desirable behavior
Term
shaping
Definition
train a human or animal to make an operant response by reinforcing successive approximations of the desired response
Term
acquisition
Definition
the strengthening of a reinforced operant response
Term
partial-reinforcement effect
Definition
the finding that operant responses that are reinforced on partial schedules are more resistant to extinction than those reinforced on a continuous schedule
Term
fixed-ratio schedule
Definition
a partial schedule of reinforcement in which a reinforcer is delivered each time a fixed number of responses are made. The fixe
Term
variable-ratio schedule
Definition
a partial schedule of reinforcement in which the number of responses it takes to obtain a reinforecer varies on each trial but averages to a set number across trials.
Term
fixed-interval schedule
Definition
a partial schedule of reinforcement in which a reinforcer is delivered after the first response is given once a set interval of time has elapsed
Term
variable-interval schedule
Definition
a partial schedule of reinforcement in which the time that must elapse on each trial before a response will lead to a delivery of a reinforcer varies from trial to trial averages to a set time across trials
Term
drive-reduction theory
Definition
a theory of motivation which prposes that our behavior is motivated to reduce drive created by unsatisfied bodily needs to return the body to a balanced internal state
Term
incentive theory
Definition
a theory of motivation which proposes that our behavior is motivated by incentives, external stimuli that we have learned to associate with reinforcement
Term
arousal theory
Definition
a theory of motivation which proposes that our behavior is motivated to maintain an optimal level of physiological arousal
Term
Yerkes-Dodson Law
Definition
a law describing the relationship between the amount of arousal and the performance quality on a task--increasing arousal up to some optimal level increases performance quality on a task, but increasing arousal past this point is detrimental to performance
Term
overjustification effect
Definition
a decrease in an intrinsically motivated behavior after the behavior is extrinsically reinforced and then the reinforcement discontinued
Term
instinctual drift
Definition
the tendency for an animal to drift back from a learned operant response to an innate, instinctual response to an object
Term
latent learning
Definition
learning that occurs but is not demonstrated until there is incentive to do so
Term
sensory memory
Definition
where we temporarily store incoming sensory information from the physical environment until we can attend to it, interpret it, and move it to the next stage of memory processing
Term
temporal integration procedure
Definition
an experimental procedure in which two meaningless visual patterns that produce a meaningful pattern if integrated are presented sequentially with the time delay between their presentations varied
Term
maintenance rehearsal
Definition
a type of rehearsal in short-term memory in which the information is repeated over and over again in order to maintain it
Term
semantic memory
Definition
explicit memory for factual knowledge
Term
episodic memory
Definition
explicit memory for personal experiences
Term
procedural memory
Definition
implicit memory for cognitive and motor tasks that have a physical procedural aspect to them
Term
amnesic
Definition
a person with severe memory deficits following brain surgery or injury
Term
anterograde amnesia
Definition
the inability to form new explicit long-term memories for events following surgery or trauma to the brain. explicit memories formed before the surgery or trauma are left intact
Term
retrograde amnesia
Definition
the disruption of memory for the past, especially episodic information for events surgery or trauma to the brain
Term
infantile amnesia
Definition
our inability as adults to remember events that occurred in our lives before about 3 years of age
Term
free recall task
Definition
a memory task in which a list of items is presented one at a time and then the participant is free to recall them in any order
Term
primary effect
Definition
the superior recall of the early portion of a list relative to the middle of the list in one-trail free recall task
Term
recency effect
Definition
the superior recall of the latter portion of a list relative to the middle of the list in a one-trial free recall task
Term
encoding
Definition
the process of moving information from one memory stage to the next
Term
levels-of-processing theory
Definition
a theory of information processing in memory that assumes that semantic processing, especially elaborative semantic processing, leads to better long-term memory
Term
self-reference effect
Definition
the superior long-term memory for information related to oneself at time of encoding into long-term memory
Term
encoding specificity principle
Definition
the principle that the environmental cues present at the time information is encoded into long-term memory serve as the best retrieval cues for the information
Term
state-dependent memory
Definition
long-term memory retrieval is best when a person's physiological state at the time of encoding and retrieval of the information is the same
Term
mood-dependent memory
Definition
long-term memory retrieval is best when a person's physiological state at the time of encoding and retrieval of the information is the same
Term
mood-congruence effect
Definition
long-term memory retrieval is best for experiences and information that are congruent with a person's current mood
Term
mnemonic
Definition
a memory aid
Term
method of loci
Definition
a mnemonic in which sequential pieces of information to be remembered are encoded by associating them with sequential locations in avery familiar room or place and then the pieces of information are retrieved by mentally going around the room and retrieving the piece at each location
Term
spacing (distributed study) effect
Definition
superior long-term memory for spaced study versus massed study spaced study versus massed study (cramming)
Term
peg-word system
Definition
a mnemonic in which the items in a list to be remembered are associated with with the sequential items in a memorized jungle and the then the list is retrieved by going through the jungle and retrieving the associated items
Term
recall
Definition
a measure of long-term memory retrieval that requires the reproduction of the information with essential no retrieval cues cuesn
Term
recognition
Definition
a measure of long-term memory retrieval that only requires the identification of the information in the presence of retrieval cues
Term
relearning
Definition
the savings method of measuring long-term memory retrieval in which the measure is the amount of time saved when learning information for the second time
Term
encoding failure theory
Definition
a theory of forgetting that proposes that forgetting is due to the failure to encode the information into long-term memory
Term
storage decay theory
Definition
a theory of forgetting that proposes that forgetting that proposes that forgetting is due to the decay of the biological representation of the information and that periodic usage of the information will help to maintain it in storage
Term
interference theory
Definition
a theory of forgetting that proproses that forgetting is due to other information in memory interfering and thereby making the to-be-remembered information inaccessible
Term
proactive interference
Definition
the disruptive effect of prior learning on the retrieval of new information
Term
retroactive interference
Definition
the disruptive effect of new learning on the retrieval of old information
Term
cue-dependent theory
Definition
a theory of forgetting that proposes that forgetting is due to the unavailability of the retrieval cues necessary to locate the information in long-term memory
Term
schemas
Definition
frameworks for our knowledge about people, objects, events, and actions that allow us to organize and interpret information about our world
Term
source misattribution
Definition
attributing a memory to the wrong source, resulting in a false memory
Term
misinformation effect
Definition
the distortion of a memory by exposure to misleading information
Term
fixation
Definition
the inability to create a new interpretation of a problem
Term
functional fixedness
Definition
the inability to see that an object can have a function other than its typical one in solving a problem
Term
mental set
Definition
the tendency to use previously successful problem-solving strategies without considering others that are more appropriate for the current problems
Term
algorithm
Definition
a step-by-step problem-solving procedure that guarantees a correct answer to a problem
Term
heuristic
Definition
a problem-solving strategy that seems reasonable given past experience with solving problems, especially similar problems, but does not guarantee a correct answer to a problem
Term
anchoring and adjustment heuristic
Definition
a heuristic for estimation problems in which one uses his or her initial estimate as an anchor estimate and then adjusts the anchor up or down
Term
working backward heuristic
Definition
a problem-solving heuristic in which one attempts to solve a problem by working from the goal state back to the start state
Term
means-end analysis heuristic
Definition
a problem-solving heuristic in which the distance to the goal state is decrease systematically by breaking the problem down into sub goals and achieving these subgoals
Term
representativeness heuristic
Definition
a heuristic for judging the probability of membership in a category by how well an object resembles that category
Term
gambler's fallacy
Definition
the erroneous belief that a chance process is self-correcting in that an event that has not occurred for a while is more likely to occur
Term
conjunction fallacy
Definition
incorrectly judging the overlap of two uncertain events to be more probably than either of the two events
Term
confirmation bias
Definition
the tendency to seek evidence that confirms one's belief
Term
illusory correlation
Definition
the erogenous belief that two variables are related when they actually are not
Term
belief perseverance
Definition
the tendency to cling to one's beliefs in the face of contradictory evidence
Term
person-who reasoning
Definition
questioning a well-established research finding because one knows a person who violates the finding
Term
standardization
Definition
the process that allows tests scores to be interpreted by providing test norms
Term
factor analysis
Definition
a statistical technique that identifies clusters of test items that measure the same ability
Term
Flynn effect
Definition
the finding that the average intelligence test score in the united states and other industrialized nations has improved steadily over the last century
Term
fixation
Definition
the inability to create a new interpretation of a problem
Term
functional fixedness
Definition
the inability to see that an object can have a function other than its typical one in solving a problem
Term
mental set
Definition
the tendency to use previously successful problem-solving strategies without considering others that are more appropriate for the current problems
Term
algorithm
Definition
a step-by-step problem-solving procedure that guarantees a correct answer to a problem
Term
heuristic
Definition
a problem-solving strategy that seems reasonable given past experience with solving problems, especially similar problems, but does not guarantee a correct answer to a problem
Term
anchoring and adjustment heuristic
Definition
a heuristic for estimation problems in which one uses his or her initial estimate as an anchor estimate and then adjusts the anchor up or down
Term
working backward heuristic
Definition
a problem-solving heuristic in which one attempts to solve a problem by working from the goal state back to the start state
Term
means-end analysis heuristic
Definition
a problem-solving heuristic in which the distance to the goal state is decrease systematically by breaking the problem down into sub goals and achieving these subgoals
Term
representativeness heuristic
Definition
a heuristic for judging the probability of membership in a category by how well an object resembles that category
Term
gambler's fallacy
Definition
the erroneous belief that a chance process is self-correcting in that an event that has not occurred for a while is more likely to occur
Term
conjunction fallacy
Definition
incorrectly judging the overlap of two uncertain events to be more probably than either of the two events
Term
confirmation bias
Definition
the tendency to seek evidence that confirms one's belief
Term
illusory correlation
Definition
the erogenous belief that two variables are related when they actually are not
Term
belief perseverance
Definition
the tendency to cling to one's beliefs in the face of contradictory evidence
Term
person-who reasoning
Definition
questioning a well-established research finding because one knows a person who violates the finding
Term
standardization
Definition
the process that allows tests scores to be interpreted by providing test norms
Term
factor analysis
Definition
a statistical technique that identifies clusters of test items that measure the same ability
Term
Flynn effect
Definition
the finding that the average intelligence test score in the united states and other industrialized nations has improved steadily over the last century
Term
zygote
Definition
the fertilized egg that is formed from the union of the sperm and eggs cells in human reproduction
Term
teratogens
Definition
environmental agents such as drugs and viruses, disease, and physical conditions that impair prenatal development and lead to birth defects and sometimes death
Term
sucking reflex
Definition
an innate human reflex that leads infants to suck anything that touches their lips
Term
rooting reflex
Definition
an innate human reflex that leads infants to turn their mouths toward anything that touches their cheeks and search for something to suck on
Term
phonemes
Definition
the smallest distinctive speech sounds in a language
Term
baby talk
Definition
the different format of speech that adults use when talking with babies that involves the use of shorter sentences with a higher, more melodious pitch
Term
babbling
Definition
the rhythmic repetition of various syllables including both consonants and vowels
Term
holophrase
Definition
a word used by an infant to express a complete idea
Term
overextention
Definition
the application of a newly learned word to objects that are not included in the meaning of the word
Term
underextension
Definition
the failure to apply a new word more generally to objects that are included within the meaning of the word
Term
telegraphic speech
Definition
using two-word sentences with mainly nouns and verbs
Term
assimilation
Definition
Piaget's term for the interpretation of new experiences in terms of present schemas
Term
accommodation
Definition
Piaget's term for the modification of present schemas to fit with new experiences
Term
sensorimotor stage
Definition
the first stage in Piaget's theory of cognitive development, from birth to about age 2, during which infants learn about the world through their sensory and motor interactions with it and develop object permanence
Term
object permanence
Definition
the knowledge that an object exists independent of perceptual contact with it
Term
pre-operational stage
Definition
the second stage in Piaget's theory of cognitive development, from age 2 to 6, during which the child's thinking becomes more symbolic and langauge-based, but remains egocentric and lacks the mental operations that allow logical thinking
Term
conservation
Definition
the knowledge that the quantitative properties of objects remain the same despite changes in appearance
Term
centration
Definition
the tendency to focus on only one aspect of a problem at a time
Term
concrete operational stage
Definition
the third stage in Piaget's theory of cognitive development, from 6 to 12, during which children gain a fuller understanding of conservation and other mental operations that allow them to think logically, but only about concrete events
Term
formal operational stage
Definition
the last stage is Piaget's theory of cognitive development, starting at age 12 or so, during which a child gains the capacity for hypothetical-deductive thought
Term
zone of proximal development
Definition
according to Vygotsky, the difference between what a child can actually do and what the child could do with the help of others
Term
scaffolding
Definition
according to Vygotsky, a style of teaching in which the teacher adjusts the level of help in relation to the child's level of performance while orienting the child's learning toward the upper level of his or her zone of proximal development
Term
pre-conventional level of moral reasoning
Definition
the first level of reasoning in Kohlberg's theory of moral development in which moral reasoning is based on avoiding punishment and looking out for your own welfare and the needs
Term
conventional level of moral reasoning
Definition
the second level of reasoning in Kohlberg's theory of moral development in which moral reasoning is based on social rules and laws
Term
post-conventional level of moral reasoning
Definition
the last level of reasoning in Kohlberg's theory of moral development in which moral reasoning is based on self-chosen universal ethical principles and the avoidance of self-condemnation for violating such principles
Term
secure attachment
Definition
the type of attachment indicated by the infant exploring freely in the presence of the mother in Ainsworth strange situation procedure, displaying distress when the mother leaves,and responding enthusiastically when she returns
Term
insecure-avoidant attachment
Definition
the type of attachment indicated by the infant exploring with little interest in the mother in the Ainsworth strange situation procedure, showing only minimal distress when the mother leaves, and avoiding her when she returns
Term
insecure-ambivalent attachment
Definition
the type of attachement indicated by the infant not exploring but seeking closeness to the mother in the Ainsworth strange situation procedure and showing high leaves of distress when the mother leaves and ambivalent behavior when she returns by alternately clinging to and pushing away from her
Term
insecure-disorganized attachment
Definition
the type of attachment indicated by the infant's confusion when the mother leaves and returns in the Ainsworth strange situation procedure. The infant acts disoriented seems overwhelmed by the by the situation, and does not demonstrate a consistent way of coping with it
Term
temperament
Definition
the set of innate tendencies of dispositions that lead a person to behave in certain ways
Term
pleasure principle
Definition
the principle of seeking immediate gratification for instinctual drives without concerns for the consequences
Term
id
Definition
the part of the personality that person is born with, where the biological instinctual drives reside, and that is located totally in the unconscious mind
Term
ego
Definition
the part of the personality that starts developing in the first year os so of life to find realistic outlets for the id's instinctual drives
Term
reality principle
Definition
the principle of finding gratification for instinctual drives within the constraints of the norms of society
Term
superego
Definition
the part of the personality that represents one's conscience and idealized standards of behavior
Term
defense mechanisms
Definition
a process used by the ego to distort reality and protect a person from anxiety
Term
erogenous zone
Definition
the areas of the body where the id's pleasure-seeking energies are focused during a particular stage of psycho sexual development
Term
fixation
Definition
some of the id's pleasure seeking energies remaining in a psycho sexual stage due to excessive gratification or frustration of instinctual needs
Term
oral stage of psycho sexual development
Definition
the first stage in Freud's theory in which erogenous zones are the mouth, lips and tongue, and the child derives pleasure from oral activities such as sucking, biting and chewing
Term
anal stage of psycho sexual development
Definition
the second stage in Freud's theory in which the erogenous zone is the anus, and the child derives pleasure from stimulation of the anal region through having and withhold bowel movements
Term
phallic stage of psycho sexual development
Definition
the third stage in Freud's theory which the erogenous zone is located at the genitals, and the child derives pleasure form genital stimulation
Term
Oedipus conflict
Definition
a phallic stage conflict for a boy in which the boy becomes sexually attracted to his moth and fears his father will find out and castrate him
Term
identification
Definition
the process by which children adopt the characteristics of the same-sex parents and learn their gender roles and sense of morality
Term
latency stage of psycho sexual development
Definition
the fourth stage in Freud's theory in which their is no erogenous zone, sexual feelings are repressed, and the focus is on cognitive and social development
Term
genital stage of psycho sexual development
Definition
the fifth stage in Freud's theory in which the erogenous zone is at the genitals and the child develops sexual relationships, moving toward intimate adult relationships
Term
hierarchy of needs
Definition
the motivational component in Maslow's theory of personality in which our innate needs that motivate our behavior are hierarchically arranged in a pyramid shape. From bottom to topo, the needs are physiological, safety, belonging and love, esteem, and self-actualization
Term
conditions or worth
Definition
the behaviors and attitudes for which other people, starting with our parents, will give us positive regard
Term
unconditional positive regard
Definition
unconditioned acceptance and approval of a person by others
Term
self-system
Definition
the set of cognitive processes by which a person observes, evaluates, and regulates her behavior
Term
self-efficacy
Definition
a judgment of one's effectiveness in dealing with particular situations
Term
attribution
Definition
the process by which we explain our own behavior and that of others
Term
O.C.E.A.N
Definition
openness
conscientiousness
extraversion
agreeableness
neuroticism
Term
projective test
Definition
a personality test that uses a series of ambiguous stimuli to which the test taker must respond about her perceptions of the stimuli
Term
conformity
Definition
a change in behavior, belief, or both to conform to a group norm as a result of real or imagined group pressure
Term
compliance
Definition
acting in accordance with a direct request from another person or group
Term
foot-in-the-door technique
Definition
compliance to a large request is gained by preceding it with a very small request
Term
door-in-the-face technique
Definition
compliance is gained by starting with a large, unreasonable request that is turned down and following it with a more reasonable, smaller request
Term
low-ball technique
Definition
compliance to a costly request is gained by first getting compliance to an attractive, less costly request but then reneging on it
Term
that's-not-all technique
Definition
compliance to a planned second request with additional benefits is gained by presenting this request before a response can be made to a first request
Term
social facilitation
Definition
leading to improvement on simple or well-learned tasks and worse performance on complex or unlearned tasks when other people are present
Term
social loafing
Definition
the tendency to exert less effort when working in a group toward a common goal than when individually working toward the goal
Term
diffusion of responsibility
Definition
the lessening of individual responsibility for a task when the responsibility for the task is spread across the members of a group
Term
bystander effect
Definition
the probability of a person's helping in an emergency is greater when there are no other bystanders than when there are other bystanders
Term
deindividuation
Definition
the loss of self-awareness and self-restraint in a group situation that fosters arousal and anonymity
Term
group polarization
Definition
the strengthening of a group's prevailing opinion about a topic following group discussion about the topic
Term
group-think
Definition
a mode of group thinking that impairs decision making because the desire for group harmony overrides a realistic appraisal of the possible decision alternatives
Term
primacy effect
Definition
information gathered early is weighted more heavily than information gathered later in forming an impression of another person
Term
self-fulfilling prophecy
Definition
our behavior leads a person to act in accordance with our expectations for that person
Term
actor-observer bias
Definition
the tendency to overestimate situational influences on our own behavior, but to overestimate dispoistional influences on the behavior of others
Term
false consensus effect
Definition
the tendency to overestimate the commonality of one's opinions and unsuccessful behaviors
Term
false uniqueness effect
Definition
the tendency to underestimate the commonality of one's abilites and successful behaviors
Term
attitudes
Definition
evaluative reactions towards objects, events, and other people
Term
cognitive dissonance theory
Definition
a theory developby by Leon Festinger that assumes people have a tendency to change their attitudes to reduce the cognitive discomfort created by inconsistencies between their attitudes and their behavior
Term
self-perception theory
Definition
a theory developed by Daryl Bem which assumes that when we are unsure of our attitudes, we infer them by examining our behavior and the context in which it occurs
Term
anxiety disorders
Definition
disorders in which excessive anxiety leads to personal distress and atypical, maladaptive, and irrational behavior
Term
specific phobia
Definition
an anxiety disorder indicated by a marked and persistent fear of specific objects or situations that is excessive and unreasonable
Term
social phobia
Definition
an anxiety disorder indicated by a marked and persistent fear of one or more social performance situations in which there is exposure to unfamiliar people or scrutiny by others
Term
agoraphobia
Definition
an anxiety disorder indicated by a marked and persistent fear of being in places or situations from which escape may be difficult or embarrassing
Term
obsessive-compulsive disorder
Definition
an anxiety disorder in which the person experiences recurrent obsessions or compulsions that are perceived by the person as excessive or unreasonable, but cause significant distress and disruption in the person's daily life
Term
obsession
Definition
a persistent intrusive though, idea, impulse, or image that causes anxiety
Term
compulsion
Definition
a repetitive and rigid behavior that a person feels compelled to perform in order to reduce anxiety
Term
hallucination
Definition
a false sensory perception
Term
delusion
Definition
a false belief
Term
vulnerability-stress model
Definition
a bio-psycho-sexual exaplanation of schizophrenia which proposes that genetic, prenatal, and postnatal biological factors render a person vulnerable to schizophrenia, but environmental stress determines whether it develops or not
Term
biomedical therapy
Definition
the use of drugs to treat mental disorders
Term
lithium
Definition
a naturally occurring element that is used to treat bipolar disorder
Term
tardive dyskinesia
Definition
a side effect of long-term use of traditional anti psychotic drugs causing the person to have uncontrollable facial tics, grimaces, and other involuntary movements of the lips, jaw and tongue
Term
lobotomy
Definition
a type of psycho surgery in which the neuronal connections of the frontal lobes to lower brain areas are severed
Term
free association
Definition
a person spontaneously describes, without editing, all thoughts, feelings, or images that come to mind
Term
manifest content
Definition
Freud's term for the literal surface meaning of a dream
Term
latent content
Definition
Freud's term for the underlying true meaning of a dream
Term
client-centered therapy
Definition
Carl Rogers
unconditional positive regard is used
Term
flooding
Definition
a counter conditioning exposure therapy in which the patient is immediately exposed to a feared object or situation
Term
systematic desensitization
Definition
a counter conditioning exposure therapy in which a fear response to an object or situation is replaced with a relaxation response in a series of progressively increasing fear-arousing steps
Term
virtual reality therapy
Definition
a counter conditioning exposure therapy in which the patient is exposed in graduated steps to computer simulations of a feared object of situation
Term
rational-emotive therapy
Definition
a type of cognitive therapy developed by Albert Ellis in which the therapist directly confronts and challenges the person's unrealistic thoughts and beliefs to show that they are irrational
Term
spontaneous remission
Definition
getting better wit the passage of time without receiving any thearpy
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