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PSY 100 Test 2
Modules 5-14
69
Psychology
Undergraduate 1
09/22/2013

Additional Psychology Flashcards

 


 

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Term
consciousness
Definition
our awareness of ourselves and our environment
Term
dual processing
Definition
the principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks
Term
selective attention
Definition
the focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus. ex. cocktail party effect
Term
inattention blindness
Definition
failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere
Term
change blindness
Definition
failing to notice changes in the environment
Term
suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)
Definition
clusters in the hypothalamus that are part of the circadian clock; triggered by light to cause the pineal gland to decrease production of sleep-inducing hormone melatonin in the morning, or to increase it in the evening
Term
circadian rhythm
Definition
the biological clock; regular bodily rhythms (ex. body temperature and wakefulness) that occur on a 24-hour cycle
Term
REM sleep
Definition
rapid eye movement sleep; a recurring sleep stage which vivid dreams commonly occur. Also known as paradoxical sleep, because the muscles are relaxed (excluding minor twitches) but other body systems are active
Term
alpha waves
Definition
relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state
Term
sleep
Definition
a periodic, natural loss of consciousness
Term
hallucinations
Definition
false sensory experiences. ex. seeing something in absence of external visual stimulus
Term
delta waves
Definition
large, slow brain waves associated with deep sleep
Term
insomnia
Definition
recurring problems in falling or staying asleep
Term
narcolepsy
Definition
sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks. Sufferer may lapse directly into REM sleep, often at inappropriate times
Term
sleep apnea
Definition
sleep disorder characterized by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and repeated momentary awakenings
Term
night terrors
Definition
sleep disorder characterized by high arousal and an appearance of being terrified; different from nightmares as they occur during stage 4 sleep (within 2-3 hours of sleeping) and are seldom remembered
Term
dream
Definition
a sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person's mind. Notable for halluncinatory imagery, discontinuities, and incongruities, and for the dreamer's delusional acceptance of the content and later difficulties remembering it
Term
manifest content
Definition
according to Freud, the remembered story line of a dream
Term
latent content
Definition
according to Freud, the underlying meaning of a dream
Term
REM rebound
Definition
tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation
Term
Freud's wish-fulfillment
Definition
theory that dreams provide a "psychic safety valve"- expressing otherwise unacceptable feelings (manifest content and latent content); lacks any scientific support and dreams may be interpreted in many ways
Term
Information-processing
Definition
theory that dreams help us sort out the day's events and consolidate our memories; why do we sometimes dream about things no experienced?
Term
Physiological function
Definition
theory that regular brain stimulation from REM sleep may help develop and preserve neural pathways; does not explain why we experience meaningful dreams
Term
Activation-synthesis
Definition
theory that REM sleep triggers neural activity that evokes random visual memories which our brain weaves into stories; individual's brain is weaving the stories, which tells us something about the dreamer
Term
Cognitive development
Definition
theory that dream content reflects dreamers' cognitive development (knowledge and understanding); does not address neuroscience of dreams
Term
hypnosis
Definition
a social interaction in which one person (the hypnotist) suggest to another (the subject) that certain perceptions, feelings, thoughts, or behaviors will spontaneously occur
Term
posthypnotic suggestion
Definition
a suggestion, made during a hypnosis session, to be carried out after the subject is no longer hypnotized; used by some clinicians to help control undesired symptoms and behaviors
Term
dissociation
Definition
a split in consciousness, which allows some thoughts and behaviors to occur simultaneously with others
Term
psychoactive drug
Definition
a chemical substance that alters perceptions and moods
Term
tolerance
Definition
diminishing effect with regular use of the same dose of a drug, requiring the user to take larger and larger doses before experiencing the drug's effect
Term
withdrawal
Definition
the discomfort and distress that follow discontinuining the use of an addictive drug
Term
physical dependence
Definition
a physiological need for a drug, marked by unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when the drug is discontinued
Term
psychological dependence
Definition
a psychological need to use a drug, such as to relieve negative emotions
Term
depressants
Definition
drugs (such as alcohol, barbituates, and opiates) that reduce neural activity and slow body functions
Term
barbituates
Definition
drugs that depress the activity of the central nervous system, reducing anxiety but impairing memory and judgment
Term
opiates
Definition
opium and its derivatives, such as morphone and heroin; they depress neural activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety
Term
stimulants
Definition
drugs (such as caffeine, nicotine, amphetamines, and the even more powerful cocaine, ecstasym and methamphetamine) that excite neural activity
Term
amphetamines
Definition
drugs that stimulate neural activity, causing speeded-up body functions and associated energy and mood changes
Term
ecstasy (MDMA)
Definition
a synthetic stimulant and mild hallucinogen. Produces euphoria and social intimacy, but with short-term health risks and longer-term harm to serotonin-producing neurons and to mood and cognition
Term
hallucinogens
Definition
psychedelic ("mind manifesting") drugs, such as LSD, that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input
Term
near-death experience
Definition
an altered state of consciousness reported after a close brush with death; similar to drug-induced hallucinogens
Term
THC
Definition
major active ingredient in marijuana; triggers a variety of effects, including mild hallucinations
Term
developmental psychology
Definition
branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span
Term
teratogens
Definition
agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach an embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm
Term
fetal alcohol syndrome
Definition
physical and cognitive abnormalities in children caused by a pregnant woman's heavy drinking. in severe cases, symptoms include noticeable facial misproportions
Term
Piaget
Definition
psychologist who focused on theory that children progress through four stages of cognitive development
Term
sensorimotor stage
Definition
life stage in Piaget's theory that spans from birth to 2 years of age, during which infants know the world mostly in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activities
Term
preoperational stage
Definition
life stage in Piaget's theory during ages 2-(6 or 7), during which a child learns to use language but does not yet comprehend the mental operations of cocrete logic
Term
concrete operational stage
Definition
life stage in Piaget's theory during ages of (6 or 7)-11 during which children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete events
Term
formal operational stage
Definition
life stage in Piaget's theory from age 12 onward, during which people being to think logically about abstract concepts
Term
autism
Definition
a disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by deficient communication, social interaction, and understanding of others' states of mind
Term
stranger anxiety
Definition
fear of strangers that infants commonly display, beginning at about 8 months of age
Term
critical period
Definition
an optimal period shortly after birth when an organism's exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces proper development
Term
imprinting
Definition
the process by which certain animals form attachments during a critical period early in life
Term
authoritarian
Definition
parenting style in which parents impose rules and expect obedience
Term
permissive
Definition
parenting style in which parents submit to their children's desires. They make few demands and use little punishment
Term
authoritative
Definition
parenting style in which parents are both demanding and responsive. They exert control by setting rules and enforcing them, but they also explain the reasons for rules
Term
primary sex characteristics
Definition
body structures (ovaries, testes, and external genitalia) that make sexual reproduction possible
Term
secondary sex characteristics
Definition
nonreproductive sexual characteristics, such as female breasts and hips, male voice quality and body hair
Term
menarche
Definition
the first menstual period
Term
Lawrence Kohlberg
Definition
psychologist who sought to describe the development of moral reasoning
Term
preconventional morality
Definition
moral life stage before age 9, during which children's morality focuses on self-interest
Term
conventional morality
Definition
moral life stage beginning early adolescence, during which morality focuses on caring for others and on upholding laws and social rules, simply because they are laws and rules
Term
postconventional morality
Definition
moral life stage achieved with abstract reasoning of formal operational thought. Actions are judged right because they flow from people's rights or from self-defined, basic ethical principles
Term
Erik Erikson
Definition
psychologist who theorized that each stage of life has its own psychosocial task, a crisis that needs resolution. ex. adolescents must synthesize past, present, and future possibilities into a clearer sense of self
Term
emerging adulthood
Definition
for some people in modern cultures, a period from the late teens to mid-twenties, bridging the gap between adolescent dependence and full independence and responsible adulthood
Term
menopause
Definition
time of natural cessation of menstruation; also refers to the biological changes a woman experiences as her adility to reproduce declines
Term
crystallized intelligence
Definition
our accumulated knowledge and verbal skills; tends to increase with age
Term
fluid intelligence
Definition
our ability to reason speedily and abstractly; tends to decrease during late adulthood
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