Term
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Definition
| scientific study of mind and behavior |
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| our private inner experience of perceptions, thoughts, memories and feelings |
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| observable actions of human beings and animals |
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| philosophical view that certain kinds of knowledge are innate or inborn |
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| the philosophical view that all knowledge is acquired through experience |
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| a now defunct theory that specific mental abilities and characteristics are localized in specific regions of the brain |
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| the study of biological processes, especially in the human body |
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| sensory input from the environment |
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| the amount of time it takes to respond to a certain stimulus |
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| a person's subjective experience of the world and the mind |
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| the analysis of the basic elements that constitute the mind |
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| the subjective observation of one's own experience |
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| the study of what purpose mental processes serve in enabling people to adapt to their environment |
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| charles darwin's theory that the features of an organism that help it survive and reproduce are more likely than other features to be passed on to subsequent generations |
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Definition
| errors of perception, memory, or judgement, in which subjective experience differs from objective reality |
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| a psychological approach that emphasizes that we often perceive the whole rather than the sum of the parts |
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| Dissociative identity disorder |
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Definition
| a condition that involves the occurence of two or more distinct identities within the same individual |
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Definition
| a temporary loss of cognitive or motor functions, usually as a result of emotionally upsetting experiences |
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| the part of the mind that operates outside of conscious awareness but influences conscious thoughts, feelings, actions |
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| Sigmund Freud's approach to understanding human behavior that emphasizes the importance of unconscious mental processes in shaping feelings, thoughts, actions |
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Definition
| a therapeutic approach that focuses on bringing unconscious material into consciousness to better understand a disorder |
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| an approach to understanding human nature that emphasizes the positive potential of human beings |
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| an approach that advocates that psychologists restrict themselves to the scientific study of objectively observable behavior |
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| an action or physiological change elicited by a stimulus |
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| the consequences of a behavior that determine whether it will be more likely that the behavior will occur again |
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Definition
| the scientific study of mental processes, including perception, thought, memory, and reasoning |
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| an approach to psychology that links psychological processes to activities in the nervous system and other bodily processes |
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Definition
| a field that attempts to understand the links between cognitive processes and brain activity |
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Definition
| a psychological approach that explains mind and behavior in terms of the adaptive value of abilities that are preserved over time by natural selection |
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| a subfield of psychology that studies the causes and consequences of interpersonal behavior |
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| the study of how cultures reflect and shape the psychological processes of their members |
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Term
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Definition
| pioneer: empiricism (all knowledge is acquired through experience |
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Definition
| Pioneer: Dualism (the body follows the laws of physics but the mind/soul does not) |
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Definition
| Pioneer (evolution, genes that increase survival/reproduction success are passed on to the next generation) |
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Definition
| Pioneer: Functionalism (the mind evolved to solve adaptive problems) |
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Definition
| Unconscious (parts of our mind that we are not aware of have a strong influence over us) |
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Definition
| Behaviorism (classical conditioning: after training, a previously neutral stimulus can cause a certain response) |
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Definition
| Behaviorism (operant conditioning: the consequences of a certain behavior influence whether or not it will be repeated) |
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Definition
| developed a method for measuring the speed of nerve impulses in a frog's leg, adapted this to humans. |
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Definition
| originally a greek school of medicine that stressed the importance of observation, and now generally used to describe any attempt to acquire knowledge by observing objects or events |
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Definition
| a set of rules and techniques for observation that allow researchers to avoid the illusions, mistakes, and erroneous conclusions that simple observation can produce |
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| a description of an abstract property in terms of a concrete condition that can be measured |
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| a device that can detect the measurable events to which an operational definition refers |
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| a device that measures muscle contractions under the surface of a person's skin |
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| the characteristic of an observation that allows one to draw accurate inferences from it |
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| the tendency for an operational definition and a property definition to have a clear conceptual relation |
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| the tendency for an operational definition to be related to other operational definitions |
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Definition
| the tendency for a measure to produce the same result whenever it is used to measure the same thing |
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Definition
| the tendency for a measure to produce different results when it is used to measure different things |
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Definition
| the tendency for a measure to produce different results when it is used to measure different things |
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| a method of gathering scientific knowledge by studying a single individual |
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Definition
| the complete collection of participants who might possibly be measured |
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Definition
| the partial collection of people who actually were measured in a study |
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Definition
| a statistical law stating that as sample size increases, the attributes of a sample will more closely reflect the attributes of the population |
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Definition
| a graphical representation of the measurements of a sample that are arranged by the number of times each measurement was observed |
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Definition
| a frequency distribution in which most measurements are concentrated around the mean and fall off towards the tails, and the two sides of the distribution are symetrical |
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| the most frequent measurement in a frequency distribution |
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Definition
| the average of the measurements in a frequency distribution |
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Definition
| the middle measurement in a frequency distribution. half the measurements are greater than or equal to the median and half are less than or equal to |
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| the numerical difference between the smallest and largest measurements in a frequency distribution |
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Definition
| those aspects of an observational setting that cause people to behave as they think ab observer wants or expects them to |
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Definition
| a method of gathering scientific knowledge by unobtrusively observing people in their natural environments |
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Definition
| a method of gathering scientific knowledge by unobtrusively observing people in their natural environments |
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Definition
| an observation whose true purpose is hidden from the researcher as well as the participant |
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Definition
| a property whose value can vary or change |
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Definition
| the co-relationship or pattern of covariation between two variables, each of which has been measured several times |
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Definition
| a statistical measure of the direction and strength of a correlation, which is signified by the letter r |
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Term
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Definition
| a correlation observed between naturally occurring variables |
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| third-variable correlation |
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Definition
| the fact that two variables may be correlated only because the are both caused by a third variable |
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Definition
| an observational technique that involves matching the average of the participants in the experimental and control groups in order to eliminate the possibility that a third variable (and not the independent variable) caused changes in the dependent variable |
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Term
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Definition
| an observational technique that involves matching each participant in the experimental group with a specific participant in the control group in order to eliminate the possibility that a third variable (and not the independent variable) caused changes in the dependent variable. |
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Definition
| the fact that the causal relationship between two variables cannot be inferred from the correlation between them because of the ever-present possibility of third-variable correlation |
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Definition
| a technique for establishing the causal relationship between variables |
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Definition
| a characteristic of experimentation in which the researcher artificially creates a pattern of variation in an independent variable in order to determine its causal powers. manipulation usually results in the creation of an experimental group and a control group |
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Definition
| the variable that's manipulated in an experiment |
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Definition
| one of the two groups of participants created by the manipulation of an independent variable in an experiment; the experimental group is exposed to the stimulus being studied and the control group is not |
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Definition
| one of the two groups of participants created by the manipulation of an independent variable in an experiment that is not exposed to the stimulus being studied |
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| the variable that is measured in a study |
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Definition
| the case in which a participant's inclusion in the experimental or control group is determined by the participant |
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Definition
| a procedure to ensure that a participant's inclusion in the experimental or control group is not determined by a third variable. |
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Definition
| the characteristic of an experiment that allows one to draw accurate inferences about the casual relationship between an independent variable and a dependent variable. |
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Definition
| a characteristic of an experiment in which the independent and dependent variables are operationally defined in a normal, typical, or realistic way |
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Definition
| a hypothetical account of how and why a phenomenon occurs, usually in the form of a statement about the casual relationship between two or more properties. theories lead to hypotheses. |
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Definition
| a specific and testable prediction that is usually derived from a theory |
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Definition
| a technique for choosing participants that ensures that every member of a population has an equal chance of being included in the sample |
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Definition
| a written agreement to participate in a study made by a person who has been informed of all the risks that participation might entail. |
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Definition
| a verbal description of the true nature and purpose of a study that psychologist's provide to people after they have participated in the study. |
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Definition
| an interacting network of neurons that conveys electrochemical information throughout the body |
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Definition
| the part of the nervous system that is composed of the brain and spinal cord |
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Term
| peripheral nervous system |
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Definition
| the part of the nervous system that connects the central nervous system to the body's organs and muscles |
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Definition
| a set of nerves that conveys information into and out of the central nervous system |
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| autonomic nervous system ANS |
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Definition
| a set of nerves that carries involuntary and automatic commands that control blood vessels, body organs, and glands |
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| sympathetic nervous system |
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Definition
| a set of nerves that prepares the body for action in threatening situations |
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| parasympathetic nervous system |
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Definition
| a set of nerves that helps the body return to a normal resting state |
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Definition
| simple pathways in the nervous system that rapidly generate muscle contractions |
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Definition
| an area of the brain that coordinates information coming into and out of the spinal cord |
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Definition
| an extension of the spinal cord into the skull that coordinates heart rate, circulation, and respiration |
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Definition
| a brain structure that regulates sleep, wakefullness, and levels of arousal |
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Definition
| a large structure of the hindbrain that controls fine motor skills |
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Definition
| a brain structure that relays information from the cerebellum to the rest of the brain |
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Definition
| a part of the midbrain that orients an organism in the environment |
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Definition
| a part of the midbrain that is involved in movement and arousal |
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Definition
| the outermost layer of the brain, visible to the naked eye and divided into two hemispheres |
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Definition
| areas of the forebrain housed under the cerebral cortex near the very center of the brain |
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Definition
| a subcortical structure that relays and filters information from the senses and transmits the information to the cerebral cortex |
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Definition
| a subcrotical structure that regulates body temperature, hunger, thirst, sex |
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Definition
| the 'master gland' of the body's hormone-producing system, which releases hormones that direct the functions of many other glands in the body |
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Definition
| a group of forebrain structures including the hypothalamus, the amygdala, and the hippocampus, which are involved in motivation, emotion, learning, and memory |
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Definition
| a structure critical for creating new memories and integrating them into a network of knowledge so that they can be stored indefinitely in other parts of the cerebral cortex |
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Definition
| a part of the limbic system that plays a central role in many emotional processes, particularly the formation of emotional memories. |
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Definition
| a set of subcortical structures that directs intentional movements |
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Definition
| a thick band of nerve fibers that connects large areas of the cerebral cortex on each side of the brain and supports communication of information across the hemispheres |
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Definition
| a region of the cerebral cortex that processes visual information |
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Definition
| a region of the cerebral cortex whose functions include processing information about touch |
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Definition
| a region of the cerebral cortex responsible for hearing and language |
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Definition
| a region of the cerebral cortex that has specialized areas for movement, abstract thinking, planning, memory, and judgement |
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Definition
| areas of the cerebral cortex that are composed of neurons that help provide sense and meaning to information registered in the cortex |
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Definition
| unit of hereditary transmission |
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Definition
| strands of DNA wound around each other in a double helix configuration |
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Definition
| a measure of the variability of behavioral traits among individuals that can be accounted for by genetic factorsEle |
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| Electroencephalogram (EEG) |
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Definition
| a device used to record electrical activity in the brain |
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Definition
| simple awareness due to the stimulation of a sense organ |
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Definition
| the organization, identification, and interpretation of a sensation in order to form a mental representation |
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Definition
| what takes place when many sensors in the body convert physical signals from the environment into neural signals sent to the central nervous system |
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Definition
| methods that measure the strength of a stimulus and the observer's sensitivity to that stimulus |
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Definition
| the minimal intensity needed to just barely detect a stimulus |
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| Just noticeable difference JND |
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Definition
| the minimal change in a stimulus that can be just barely detected |
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Definition
| the just noticeable difference of a stimulus is a constant proportion despite variations in intensity |
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Definition
| an observation that the response to a stimulus depends both on a person's sensitivity to the stimulus in the presence of noise and on a person's response criterion |
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Definition
| sensitivity to prolonged stimulation tends to decline over time as an organism adapts to current conditions |
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Definition
| the ability to see fine detail |
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Definition
| light-sensitive tissue lining the back of the eyeball |
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Definition
| the process by which the eye maintains a clear image on the retina |
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Definition
| photoreceptors that detect color, operate under normal daylight conditions, and allow us to focus on fine detail |
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Definition
| photoreceptors that become active only under low-light conditions for night vision |
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Definition
| an area of the retina where there are no rods at all and vision is the clearest |
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Definition
| an area of the retina that contains neither rods nor cones and therefore has no mechanism to sense light |
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Definition
| the region of the sensory surface that, when stimulated, causes a change in the firing rate of that neuron |
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Term
| trichromatic color representation |
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Definition
| the pattern of responding across the three types of cones that provides a unique code for each color |
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Definition
| pairs of visual neurons that work in opposition |
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Definition
| the part of the occipital lobe that contains the primary visual cortex |
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Definition
| the inability to recognize objects by sight |
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Definition
| a perceptual principle stating that even as aspects of sensory signals change, perception remains constant |
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Definition
| a mental representation that can be directly compared to a viewed shape in the retinal image |
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Definition
| aspects of a scene that yield information about depth when viewed with only one eye |
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Definition
| the difference in the retinal images of the two eyes that provides information about depth |
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Definition
| a depth cue based on the movement of the head over time |
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Definition
| the perception of movement as a result of alternating signals appearing in rapid succession in different locations |
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| how high or low a sound is |
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Definition
| a listener's experience of sound quality or resonance |
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| a brain structure located about the nasal cavity beneath the frontal lobes |
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Definition
| biochemical odorants emitted by other members of their species that can affect an animal's behavior or physiology |
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| the organs of taste transduction |
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Definition
| the ability to store and retrieve information over time |
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Definition
| the process by which we transform what we perceive, think, or feel into an enduring memory |
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Definition
| the process of maintaining information in memory over time |
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Definition
| the process of bringing to mind information that has been previously encoded and stored |
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Definition
| the process of actively relating new information to knowledge that is already in memory |
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Definition
| the process of storing new information by converting it into mental pictures |
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Definition
| the act of categorizing information by noticing the relationships among a series of items |
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Definition
| the process of maintaining information in memory over time |
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Definition
| the place in which sensory information is kept for a few seconds or less |
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Definition
| a fast-decaying store of visual memory |
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Definition
| a fast-decaying store of auditory information |
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Definition
| a place where nonsensory information is kept for more than a few seconds but less than a minute |
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Definition
| the process of keeping information in short-term memory by mentally repeating it |
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Definition
| combining small pieces of information into larger clusters that are more easily held in short term memory |
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Definition
| active maintenance of information in short term storage |
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Definition
| a place in which information can be kept for hours, days, years |
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Definition
| the inability to transfer new information from the short term store into the long term store |
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Definition
| the inability to retrieve information that was acquired before a particular date, usually the date of an injury or operation |
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Definition
| external information that is associated with stored information and helps bring it to mind |
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| encoding specific principle |
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Definition
| the idea that a retrieval cue can serve ass an effective reminder when it helps re-create the specific way in which information was initially encoded |
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| state-dependent retrieval |
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Definition
| the tendency for information to be better recalled when the person is in the same state during encoding and retrieval |
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| transfer appropriate processing |
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Definition
| the idea the memory is likely to transfer from one situation to another when we process information in a way that is appropriate to the retrieval cues that will be available later |
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Definition
| the act of consciously or intentionally retrieving past information |
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Definition
| the influence of past experiences on later behavior an performance, even though people are not trying to recollect them and are not aware that they are remembering them |
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Definition
| the gradual acquisition of skills as a result of practice, or 'knowing how' to do things |
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Definition
| an enhanced ability to think of a stimulus, such as a word or object, as a result of a recent exposure to the stimulus |
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Definition
| a network of associated facts and concepts that make up our general knowledge of the world |
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Definition
| the collection of past personal experiences that occurred at a particular time and place |
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Definition
| forgetting what occurs with the passage of time |
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Definition
| situations in which later learning impairs memory for information acquired earlier |
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Definition
| situations in which earlier learning impairs memory for information acquired later |
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Definition
| a lapse in attention that results in memory failure |
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Definition
| a failure to retrieve information that is available in memory even though you are trying to produce it |
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Term
| tip of the tongue experience |
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Definition
| the temporary inability to retrieve information that is stored in memory accompanied by the feeling that you are on the verge of recovering the information |
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Definition
| assigning a recollection or an idea to the wrong source |
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Definition
| recall of when, where, and how information was acquired |
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Definition
| a feeling of familiarity with something that hasn't been encountered before |
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Definition
| the tendency to incorporate misleading information from external sources into personal recollections |
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Definition
| the intrusive recollection of events that we wish we could forget |
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Definition
| detailed recollections of when and where we heard about shocking events |
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Definition
| the distorting influence of present knowledge, beliefs, and feelings on recollection of previous experiences. |
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