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Definition
| willingness to share our findings with others |
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| attempt to be objective when evaluating the evidence |
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| tendency to stick to our initial beliefs even when evidence contradicts them |
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| testable prediction derived from a theory |
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| set of skills for evaluating all claims in an open-minded and careful fashion |
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| capable of being disproved |
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Definition
| demand that a study's findings be duplicated, ideally by independent investigators |
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| correlation-causation fallacy |
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Definition
| error of assuming that because one thing is associated with another, it must cause the other |
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| case in which a third variable causes the correlation between two other variables |
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| set of claims that seems scientific but isn't |
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| thinking that relies on careful reasoning and objective analysis |
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| thinking that depends on untuitive judgements and emotional reactions |
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| desire to alleviate our anxiety by embracing the supernatural |
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| theory proposing that our awareness of our deaths leaves us with an underlying sense of terror which we copy by adopting reassuring cultural worldviews |
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Definition
| tendency to perceive meaningful images in meaningless visual stimuli |
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| tendency to perceive meaningful connections among unrelated phenomena |
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Definition
| surgical procedure that severs fibers from connecting the frontal lobes of the brain from the underlying thalamus |
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Term
| naturalistic observations |
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Definition
| watching behavior in real-world settings |
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Definition
| extent to which we can generalize findings to real-world settings |
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Definition
| extent to which we can draw cause-and-effect inferences from a study |
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Definition
| research design that examines one person or a small number of people in depth, often over an extended time period |
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Definition
| research design that examines the extent to which two variables are associated |
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Definition
| grouping of points on a two-dimensional graph in which each dot represents a single person's data |
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Definition
| perception of a statistical association between two variables where none exists |
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Definition
| research design characterized by random assignment of participants to conditions and manipulation of an independent variable |
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Definition
| randomly sorting participants into two groups |
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Definition
| in an experiment, the group of participants that receives the manipulation |
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| in an experiment, the groups of participants that doesn't receive the manipulation |
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| variable that an experimenter manipulates |
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| variable that an experimenter measures to see wether the manipulation has an effect |
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| any difference between the experimental and control groups other than the independent variable |
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| improvement resulting from the mere expectation of improvement |
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| harm resulting from the mere expectation of harm |
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| experimenter expectancy effect |
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Definition
| phenomenon in which researchers' hypotheses lead them to unintentionally bias the outcome of a study |
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Definition
| when neither researchers nor participants are aware of who's in the experimental or control group |
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Definition
| phenomenon in which participants' knowledge that they're being studied can affect their behavior |
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Definition
| cues that participants pick up from a study that allow them to generate guesses regarding the researcher's hypotheses |
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Definition
| consistency of measurement |
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Definition
| extent to which a measure assesses what it purports to measure |
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Definition
| informing research participants of what is involved in a study before asking them to participate |
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Definition
| nerve cells specialized for communication |
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Term
| central nervous system (CNS) |
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Definition
| part of nervous system containing brain and spinal cord that enables mind and behavior |
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Term
| peripheral nervous system (PNS) |
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Definition
| nerves in the body that extend outside the central nervous system (CNS) |
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Definition
| forward part of the brain that allows advanced intellectual abilities, also known as the cerebrum |
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Term
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Definition
| outermost part of the forebrain, responsible for analyzing sensory processing and higher brain functions |
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Definition
| two halves of the cerebral cortex, which serve different yet highly integrated cognition functions |
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Definition
| large bands of fibers connecting the two cerebral hemispheres |
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Definition
| forward part of cerebral cortex containing the motor cortex and the prefrontal cortex; responsible for motor function, language, and memory |
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Definition
| part of frontal lobe responsible for thinking, planning, and language |
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Definition
| part of frontal lobe responsible for body movement |
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Definition
| language area in the prefrontal cortex that helps to control speech production |
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Definition
| serious speech dificit that renders a person unable to communicate effectively |
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Definition
| upper middle part of the cerebral cortex lying behind the frontal lobe specialized for touch and perception |
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Definition
| lower part of cerebral cortex below the temples, which plays roles in hearing, understanding language, and memory |
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Definition
| part of the temporal lobe involved in understanding speech |
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Definition
| back part of cerebral cortex specialized for vision |
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Definition
| regions of the cerebral cortex devoted to vison, touch, hearing, balance, taste, and smell |
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Definition
| regions of the cerebral cortex that integrate simpler functions to perform more complex functions |
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Definition
| structures in the forebrain that help to control movement |
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Term
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Definition
| neurotrasmitter that plays a key role in movement and reward |
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Definition
| part of the brain that processes sensory information and serves as a gateway to the cerebral cortex |
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Definition
| part of the brain stem that lies between the forebrain and hindbrain. It helps to control head and neck reflexes and modulate motor activity |
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Definition
| part of the brain between the spinal cord and midbrain, consisting of the pons, cerebellum, and medulla |
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Definition
| internal waterways of the CNS that carry cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which provides the brain with nutrients and cushioning against injury |
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Definition
| neurons that send messages to other neurons nearby and stimulate neurons |
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Definition
| an automatic motor response to a sensory stimulus like muscle stretch |
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Definition
| space between two connecting neurons through which messages are transmitted |
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Definition
| emotional center of brain that also plays roles in smell, motivation, and memory |
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Definition
| part of the limbic system that plays key roles in fear, excitement, and arousal |
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Definition
| part of the brain that plays role in spatial memory |
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Definition
| part of the autonomic nervous system engaged during a crisis, or after actions requiring fight or flight |
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Definition
| part of the autonomic nervous system that controls rest and digestion |
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Definition
| system of glands and hormones that controls secretion of blood-borne chemical messengers |
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Definition
| master gland, which, under the control of the hypothalamus, directs the other glands of body |
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Definition
| tissue located on top of the kidneys that releases adrenaline and cortisol during states of emotional arousal |
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Definition
| portions of neurons that send signals |
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Definition
| support cells in nervous system that play roles in the formation of myelin and blood-brain barrier, respond to injury, and remove debris |
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Term
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Definition
| electrical charge difference (-70 millivolts) across the neuronal membrane, when the neuron is not being stimulated or inhibited |
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Definition
| membrane potential necessary to trigger an action potential |
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Term
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Definition
| regenerative electrical impulse that travels down the axon and allows neurons to communicate |
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Definition
| genetic material, composed of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) |
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Definition
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Definition
| percentage of the variability in a trait across individuals that is due to genes |
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Definition
| analyses of how traits differ in identical versus fraternal twins |
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Definition
| analyses of how traits vary in individuals raised apart from their biological relatives |
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Definition
| ability of the nervous system to change |
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Definition
| creation of new neurons in adult brain |
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Definition
| detection of physical energy by sense organs, which then send information to the brain |
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Definition
| the brain's interpretation of raw sensory inputs |
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Definition
| the process of converting an external energy or substance into neural activity |
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Term
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Definition
| lowest level of a stimulus needed for the nervous system to detect a change 50% of the time |
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Term
| just noticeable difference (JND) |
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Definition
| the smallest change in the intensity of a stimulus that we can detect |
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Definition
| intesity of reflected light that reaches our eyes |
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Definition
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Definition
| part of the eye containing transparent cells that focus light on the retina |
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Definition
| part of the eye that changes curvature to keep images in focus |
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Definition
| membrane at the back of the eyes responsible for converting light into neural activity |
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Definition
| central portion of the retina |
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Definition
| receptor cells in the retina allowing us to see in low levels of light |
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Definition
| receptor cells in the retina allowing us to see in color |
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Definition
| ability to judge distance and 3D relations |
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Definition
| complexity or quality of sound tha makes musical instruments, human voices, or other souces sound unique |
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Definition
| bony, spiral-shaped sense organ used for hearing |
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Definition
| tissue containinf the hair cells necessary for hearing |
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Definition
| membrane supporting the organ of Corti and hair cells in the cochlea |
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Definition
| odorless chemicals that serve as social signals to members of one's species |
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Definition
| our sense of touch, temperature, and pain |
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Definition
| our sense of body position |
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Definition
| our sense of equilibrium or balance |
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Definition
| pain or discomfort felt in an amputated limb |
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Definition
| three fluid-filled canals in the inner ear responsible for our sense of balance |
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