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Psych 105-Test 2
Chapters 6, 7, 8
135
Psychology
Undergraduate 3
01/31/2012

Additional Psychology Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
Consciousness
Definition
An awareness of one's surroundings and of what's in one's mind at a given moment; includes aspect of being awake and aware.
Term
Two aspects of consciousness
Definition

1. Wakefulness

2. Awareness

Term
Wakefulness
Definition
Degree of alertness reflecting whether a person is awake or asleep
Term
Awareness
Definition
Monitoring of information from the environment and from one's own thoughts.
Term
Coma
Definition

A state of consciousness in which the eyes are closed and the person is unresponsive and unarousable

-This is a result of illness or brain injury that damages areas of the brain that control wakefulness.

Term
Vegetative State
Definition

State of minimal consciousness in which the eyes might be open, but the person is otherwise unresponsive. 

-"wakefulness without alertness"

Term
Mindfulness
Definition
A heightened awareness of the present moment, whether of events in one's environment or in one's own mind.
Term
Attention
Definition
The limited capacity to process information that is under conscious control.
Term
Selective Attention
Definition

The ability to focus awareness on specific features in the environment while ignoring others.

"undivided attention"

Term
Sustained Attention
Definition
The ability to maintain focused awareness on a target or idea.
Term
Meditation
Definition
Practices that people use to calm the mind, stabilize concentration, focus attention, and enhance awareness of the present moment.
Term
Circadian Rhythms
Definition
The variations in physiological process that cycle within approximately a 24-hour period, including the sleep-wake cycle.
Term
Rapid Eye Movement (REM)
Definition
Quick movements of the eye that occur during sleep, thought to mark phases of dreaming.
Term
Beta Waves
Definition
Pattern of brain activity when one is awake; a rapid, low energy wave.
Term
Alpha Waves
Definition
Pattern of brain activity when one is relaxed and drowsy; slower, higher-energy waves than beta waves.
Term
Non-REM
Definition
Form of sleep with few eye movements, which are slow rather than fast.
Term
Theta Waves
Definition
Pattern of brain activity during Stage 1 sleep; slower, lower energy waves during than alpha waves.
Term
Delta Waves
Definition
Type of brain activity that dominates Stage 3 sleep; higher energy than theta wave.
Term
Insomnia
Definition
A sleep difficulty characterized by difficulty falling and staying asleep, as well as not feeling rested.
Term
Sleepwalking
Definition
Sleep difficulty characterized by activities occuring during non-REM sleep that usually occur when one is awake, such as walking and eating.
Term
Narcolepsy
Definition
Sleep disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and weakness in facial and limb muscles.
Term
Hypersomnia
Definition
Sleep difficulty characterized by sleeping more than 10 hours a day for two weeks or more; includes urge to nap during inappropriate times.
Term
Night Terrors
Definition
State that occurs when a person walks around, speaks incoherently, and ultimately awakens, terrified, from sleep.
Term
Dreams
Definition
Images, thoughts, and feelings experienced during sleep.
Term
Manifest Level
Definition
Freud's surface level of dreams, recalled upon waking.
Term
Latent Level
Definition
Freud's deeper, unconscious level of dreams; their meanings found at this level.
Term
AIM
Definition
Three biologically based dimensions of consciousness-- activation, input, and mode.
Term
Hypnosis
Definition
State characterized by focused attention, suggestibility, absorbtion, lack of voluntary control over behavior, and suspension of critical faculties, occur when instructed by someone trained in hypnosis; may be therapeutic.
Term
Stoop Effect
Definition
Delay in reaction time when color of words on a test and their meaning differ.
Term
Psychoactive Drugs
Definition
Naturally occuring or synthesized substances that when ingested or otherwise taken into the body, reliably produce qualitative changes in conscious experience.
Term
Addiction
Definition
Condition that results from habitual use to physical and psychological dependence on a substance.
Term
Depressants
Definition
Substances that decrease or slow down central nervous system activity.
Term
Stimulants
Definition
Substances that activate the nervous system
Term
Hallucinogens
Definition
Substances that create disorted perceptions of reality ranging from mild to extreme.
Term
Endocannabinoids
Definition
Natural, marajuana like substances produced by the body.
Term
Which brain region plays a key role in maintaining wakefulness
Definition
reticular formation
Term
Which brain function plas a key role in maintaining wakefulness
Definition
Reticular formation
Term
What is a heightened awareness of the present moment, which can be applied to events in one's environment and events in one's own mind.
Definition
Midfulness
Term
What term best describes not perceiving a person in a gorilla suit when asked to count the number of people playing basketball?
Definition
Minimally conscious state
Term
You are at a loud gathering talking to a friend. The noise of the chatter is nearly deafening, but all of a sudden you hear your name rise above the noise. This is known as the
Definition
attentional effect
Term
Which of the following does meditation appear to improve?
Definition
mindfulness, attention, well-being
Term
A study of brain images of experienced mediators and a comparison group of nonmediators found that the experienced meditators' brains showed evidence of 
Definition
thicker cortex in brain areas associated with attention and sensitivity to sensory information
Term
When a perceptual wall between our conscious mind and the outside world emerges and we are in a state that is immediately reversible, we are
Definition
asleep
Term
Research shows that sleep functions to 
Definition

facilitate learning and memory

facilitate neural growth

Term
Dreaming is most active during what kind of sleep?
Definition
REM
Term
In lucid dreaming, people become aware that they are dreaming and can sometimes even control their dreams. Lucid dreaming is most consistent with which theory of dreams?
Definition
cognitive
Term

Scientific research has demonstrated that hypnosis

Definition
is a real phenomenon
Term
A groundbreaking area of research has recently demonstrated that under hypnosis
Definition

hypnotically induced pain creates a subjective experience similar to real pain

people had turned off the areas of the brain that normally process the meaning of words

hypnotically induced pain activated the same brain circuit as real pain did

Term
Even though it can make people feel more aroused in social settings, this popular drug is a depressant:
Definition
Alcohol
Term
This stimulant can be as addictive as heroin:
Definition
nicotine
Term
Since his accident, David, like many people with brain injury, experiences an overwhelming need for sleep called
Definition
hypersomnia
Term
People with brain damage, especially to the frontal lobes, have trouble with selective attention. This problem leads to much _______ in daily life.
Definition
distractability
Term
Memory
Definition
The ability to store and use information; also the store of what has been learned and remembered.
Term
Three-Stage Model of Memory
Definition
Classification of memories based on duration as sensory, short-term and long-term
Term
Sensory Memory
Definition
The part of memory that holds information in its original sensory form for a very brief period of time, usually about half a second or less.
Term
Short-Term Memory
Definition
The part of memory that temporarily (for 2 to 30 seconds) stores a limited amount of information before it is either transferred to long-term storage or forgotten.
Term
Lon-Term Memory
Definition
The part of memory that has the capacity to store a vast amount of information for as little as 30 seconds and as long as a lifetime.
Term
Working Memory
Definition
The pary of memory required to attend to and solve a problem at hand; often used interchangeably with short-term memory.
Term
Chunking
Definition
The process of breaking down a list of items to be remembered into a smaller set of meaningful units.
Term
Rehersal
Definition
The process of repeatedly practicing material so that it enters long-term memory
Term
Serial Position Effect
Definition
The tendency to have better recall for items in a list according to their position in the list.
Term
Implicit Memory
Definition
Kind of memory made up of knowledge based on previous experience, such that as skills that we perform automatically once we have mastered them; resides outside conscious awareness.
Term
Procedural Memory
Definition
Kind of memory made up of implicit knowledge for almost any behavior or physical skill we have learned.
Term
Priming
Definition
A kind of implicit memory that arises when recall is improved by earlier exposure to the same or similar stimuli.
Term
Encoding
Definition
The process by which the brain attends to, takes in, and integrates new information; the first stage of long-term memory formation.
Term
Explicit Memory
Definition
Knowledge that consists of the conscious recall of facts and events also known as declarative memory.
Term
Semantic Memory
Definition
Form of memory that recalls facts and general knowledge, such as what we learn in school.
Term
Episodic Memory
Definition
Form of memory that recalls the experiences we have had.
Term
Automatic Processing
Definition
Encoding of information that occurs with little effort or conscious attention to the task.
Term
Effortful Processing
Definition
Encoding of information that occurs with careful attention and conscious effort.
Term
Levels of Processing
Definition
The concept that the more deeply people encode information, the better they will recall it.
Term
Mnemonic Device
Definition
A method devised to help remember information, such as a rhyme or acronym.
Term
Consolidation
Definition
The process of establishing, stablizing, or solidifying a memory; the second stage of long-term memory formation.
Term
Storage
Definition
The retention of memory over time; the third stage of long-term memory formation.
Term
Schemas
Definition
Mental frameworks that develop from our experiences with particular people, objects or events.
Term
Associative Network
Definition
A chain of associations between related concepts.
Term
Hierarchies
Definition
A way of organizing related pieces of information from the most specific feature they have in common to the most general.
Term
Retrieval
Definition
The recovery of information stored in memory; the fourth stage of long-term memory.
Term
Flashbulb Memories
Definition
Detailed, especially vivid memories of very specific, highly charged events.
Term
Long-Term Potentiation
Definition
Strengthening of a synaptic connection that results when synapse of one neuron repeatedly fires and excites another neuron.
Term
Forgetting
Definition
The weakening or loss of memories over time.
Term
Retroactive Interference
Definition
Disruption of memory because new experiences or information causes people to forget previously learned experiences or information.
Term
Interference
Definition
Disruption of memory becasue other information competes with the information we are trying to recall.
Term
Proactive Interference
Definition
Disruption of memory because previously learned information interferes with the learning of new information.
Term
Absent-Mindedness
Definition
A form of forgetfulness that results from inattention.
Term
Forgetting curve
Definition
A graphic depiction of how recall steadily declines over time.
Term
Blocking
Definition
The inability to retrieve some information once it is stored.
Term
Repression
Definition
The unconscious act of keeping threatening thoughts, feelings, or impulses out of consciousness.
Term
Suggestibility
Definition
Problem with memory that occurs when memories are implanted in our minds based on leading questions, comments, or suggestions by someone else or some other source. 
Term
False Memories
Definition
Memories for events that never happened, but were suggested by someone or something.
Term
Recovered Memory 
Definition
A memory from a real event that was encoded, stored but not retrieved for a long period of time until some later event brings it suddenly to consciousness.
Term
Amnesia
Definition
Memory loss due to brain injury or disease.
Term
Retrograde Amnesia
Definition
An inability to recall events or experiences that happened before the onset of a disease or injury.
Term
Learning
Definition
Enduring changes in behavior that occur with experience.
Term
Association
Definition
Process by which two pieces of information from the environmentt are repeatedly linked so that we begin to connect them in our minds.
Term
Conditioning
Definition
A form of associative learning in which behaviors are triggered by associations with events in the environment.
Term
Classical Conditioning
Definition
Form of associative learning in which a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a stimulus to which one has an automatic, inborn response.
Term
Unconditioned Response (UCR)
Definition
The natural automatic, inborn reaction to a stimulus.
Term
Conditioned Stimulus (CS)
Definition
A previously neutral input that an organism learns to associate with the UCS.
Term
Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)
Definition
The environmental input that always produces the same unlearned response.
Term
Stimulus Discimination
Definition
Restriction of a CR (such as salivation) to only the exact CS to which it was conditioned.
Term
Stimulus generalization
Definition
Extension of the association between UCS and CS to include a broad array of similar stimuli.
Term
Extinction
Definition
The weakening and disappearance of a conditioned response in the absence of reinforcement.
Term
Spontaneous Recovery
Definition
The sudden reappreance of an extinguished response.
Term
Law of Effect
Definition
The consequences of a behavior increase (or decrease) the liklihood that the behavior will be repeated.
Term
Operant Conditioning
Definition
The process of changing behavior by manipulating the consequeces of that behavior.
Term
Primary Reinforcers
Definition
Innate, unlearned reinforcers that satisfy biological needs (such as food, water, or sex).
Term
Secondary (or conditioned) reinforcers
Definition
Reinforcers that are learned by association, usually via classical conditioning (such as money, grades, and peer approval).
Term
Reinforcer
Definition
An internal or external event that increases the frequency of a behavior.
Term
Positive Reinforcement
Definition
The presentation or addition of a stimulus after a behavior occurs that increases how often that behavior will occur.
Term
Punishment
Definition
Stimulus that decreases the frequency of a behavior.
Term
Negative Reinforcement
Definition
Removal of a stimulus after a behavior to increase the frequency of that behavior.
Term
Positive Punishment
Definition
The addition of a stimulus that decreases behavior.
Term
Negative Punishment
Definition
The removal of a stimulus to decrease behavior.
Term
Skinner Box
Definition
Simple chamber used for operant conditioning of small animals.
Term
Shaping
Definition
The reinforcement of successive approximations of a desired behavior.
Term
Continuous Reinforcement
Definition
Reinforcement of a behavior every time it occurs.
Term
Intermittent Reinforcement
Definition
Reinforcement of a behavior --but not after every response.
Term
Schedules of reinforcement
Definition
Patterns of intermittent reinforcement distinguished by whether reinforcement occurs after a set number of responses or after a certain amount of time has passed since the last reinforcement.
Term
Fixed Ration (FR) Schedule
Definition
Pattern of intermittent reinforcement in which reinforcement follows a set number of responses.
Term
Variable Ratio (VR) Schedule
Definition
A pattern of intermittent reinforcement in which the number of responses needed for reinforcement changes.
Term
Fixed Interval (FI) Schedule
Definition
Pattern of intermittent  reinforcement in which responses are always reinforced after a set period of time has passed.
Term
Variable Interval (VI) Schedule
Definition
A pattern of intermittent reinforcement in which responses are reinforced after the time periods of different duration have passed.
Term
Conditioned Taste Aversion
Definition
The learned avoidance of a particular taste or food.
Term
Instinctive Drift 
Definition
Learned behavior that shifts toward instinctive unlearned behavior tendencies.
Term
Biological Constraint Model
Definition
A view on learning which proposes that some behaviors are likely to be learned than others.
Term
Latent Learning
Definition
Learning that occurs in the absence of reinforcement and is not demonstrated until later, when reinforcement occurs.
Term
Enactive Learning
Definition
Learning by doing.
Term
Observational Learning
Definition
Learning by watching the behavior of others.
Term
Social learning theory
Definition
A description of the kind of learning that occurs when we model or imitate the behavior of others.
Term
Modeling
Definition
The imitation of behaviors performed by others.
Term
Imprinting
Definition
the rapid and innate learning of the characteristics of a caregiver very soon after birth.
Term
Ethology
Definition
The scientific study of animal behaviors.
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