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Rockin' Terms for PSYCH
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209
Psychology
Undergraduate 1
04/25/2010

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Term
psychology
Definition

the scientific study of mind and behavior

 

Term
mind
Definition
our private inner experience of perceptions, thoughts, memories, and feelings
Term
behavior
Definition
observable actions of human beings and nonhuman animals
Term
nativism
Definition
the philosophical view that certain kinds of knowledge are innate or inborn
Term
philosophical empiricism
Definition
the philosophical view that all knowledge is acquired through experience
Term
phrenology
Definition
a now defunct theory that specific mental abilities and characteristics, ranging from memory to the capacity for happiness, are localized in specific regions of the brain
Term
physiology
Definition
the study of biological processes, especially in the human body
Term
stimulus
Definition
sensory input from the environment
Term
reaction time
Definition
the amount of time taken to respond to a specific stimulus
Term
consciousness
Definition
a person's subjective experience of the world and the mind
Term
structuralism
Definition
the analysis of the basic elements that constitute the mind
Term
introspection
Definition
the subjective observation of one's own experience
Term
functionalism
Definition
the study of the purpose mental processes serve in enabling people to adapt to their environment
Term
natural selection
Definition
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
Term
illusions
Definition
errors of perception, memory, or judgment in which subjective experience differs from objective reality
Term
gestalt psychology
Definition
a psychological approach that emphasizes that we often perceive the whole rather than the sum of the parts
Term
dissociative identity disorder
Definition
a condition that involves the occurence of two or more distinct identities within the same individual
Term
hysteria
Definition
a temporary loss of cognitive or motor functions, usually as a result of emotionally upsetting experiences
Term
unconscious
Definition
the part of the mind that operates outside of conscious awareness but influences conscious thoughts, feelings, and actions
Term
psychoanalytic theory
Definition
sigmund freud's approach to understanding human behavior that emphasizes the importance of unconscious mental processes in shaping feelings, thoughts, and behaviors.
Term
psychoanalysis
Definition
a therapeutic approach that focuses on bringing unconscious material into conscious awareness to better understand psychological disorders
Term
humanistic psychology
Definition
an approach to understanding human nature that emphasizes the positive potential of human beings
Term
behaviorism
Definition
an approach that advocates that psychologists restrict themselves to the scientific study of objectively observable behavior
Term
response
Definition
an action os psychological change elicited by a stimulus
Term
reinforcement
Definition
the consequences of a behavior that determine whether it will be more likely that the behavior will occur again
Term
cognitive psychology
Definition
the scientific study of mental processes, including perception, thought, memory, and reasoning
Term
behavioral neuroscience
Definition
an approach to psychology that links psychological processes to activities in the nervous system and other bodily processes
Term
cognitive neruoscience
Definition
a field that attempts to understand the links between cognitive processes and brain activity
Term
evolutionary psychology
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
Term
social psychology
Definition
a subfield of psychology that studies the causes and consequences of interpersonal behavior
Term
cultural psychology
Definition
the study of how cultures reflect and shape the psychological processes of their members.
Term
empiricism
Definition
originally a greek school of medicine that stressed the imprtance of observation, and now generally used to describe any attempt to acquire knowledge by observing objects or events
Term
method
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
Term
operational definition
Definition
a description of an abstract property in terms of a concrete condition that can be measured
Term
measure
Definition
a device that can detect the measurable events to which an operational definiton refers
Term
electromyograph (EMG)
Definition
a device that measures muscle contractions under the surface of a person's skin
Term
validity
Definition
the characteristic of an observation that allows one to draw accurate inferences from it
Term
construct validity
Definition
the tendency for an operational definition and a property to have a clear conceptual relation
Term
predictive validity
Definition
the tendency for an operational definition to be related to other operational definitions
Term
reliability
Definition
the tendency for a measure to produce the same result whenever it is used to measure the same thing
Term
power
Definition
the tendency for a measure to produce different results when it is used to measure different things
Term
case method
Definition
a method of gathering scientific knowledge by studying a single individual
Term
population
Definition
the complete collection of participants who might possibly be measured
Term
sample
Definition
the partial collection of people who actually were measured in a study
Term
law of large numbers
Definition
a statistical law stating that as sample size increases, the attributes of a sample will more closely reflect the attributes of the population from which it was drawn
Term
frequency distribution
Definition
a graphical representation of the measurements of a sample that are arranged by the number of times each measurement was observed
Term
normal distribution
Definition
a frequency distribution in which most measurements are concentrated around the mean and dall off toward the tails, and the two sides of the distribution are symmetrical
Term
mode
Definition
the "most frequent" measurement in a frequency distribution
Term
mean
Definition
the average of the measurements in a frequency distribution
Term
median
Definition
the "middle" measurement in a frequency distribution. half the measurements in a frquency distribution are greater than or equal to the median
Term
range
Definition
the numerical difference between the smallest and largest measurements in a frequency distribution
Term
demand characteristics
Definition
those aspects of an observational setting that cause people to behave as they think an observer wants or expects them to behave
Term
naturalistic observation
Definition
a method of gathering scientific knowlegde by unobtrusively observing people in their natural environments
Term
double- blind
Definition
an observation whose true response is hidden from the researcher as well as from the particpant
Term
variable
Definition
a property whose value can vary or change
Term
correlation
Definition
the "co-relationship" or pattern of covariation between two variables, each of which has been measured several times
Term
natural correlation
Definition
a correlation observed between naturally occurring variables
Term
natural correlation
Definition
a correlation observed between naturally occurring variables
Term
third-variable correlation
Definition
the fact that two variables may be correlated only because they are both caused by a third variable
Term
matched samples
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 caused changes in the dependent variable
Term
matched pairs
Definition
an observational technique that involves matching the average of the participants in the experimental group with a specific participant in the control group in order to eliminate the possibility that a third variable caused changes in the dependent variable
Term
third-variable problem
Definition
the fact that the casual relationship between two variables cannot be inferred from the correlation between them because of the ever-present possibility of third-variable correlation
Term
experiment
Definition
a technique for establishing the casual relationship between variables
Term
manipulation
Definition
a characteristic of experimentation in which the researcher artificially creates a pattern of variation in an independent variable in order to determine its casual powers. manipulation usually results in the creation of an experimental group and a control group
Term
independent variable
Definition
the variable that is manipulated in an experiment
Term
internal validity
Definition
the characteristics of an experiment that allows one to draw accurate inferences about the casual relationship between an independent and dependent variable
Term
external validiity
Definition
a characteristic of an experiemnt in which the independent and dependent variables are operationally defined in a normal, typical, or realistic way
Term
neurons
Definition
cells in the nervous system that communicate with one another to perform info-processing tasks
Term
cell body
Definition
teh part of a neuron that coordinates info-processing tasks and keeps the cell alive
Term
dendrites
Definition
the part of a neuron that receives info from other neurons and relays it to the cell body
Term
axon
Definition
the part of a neuron that transmits info to other neurons, muscles, or glands
Term
myelin sheath
Definition
an insulating layer of fatty material
Term
glial cells
Definition
support cells found in the nervous system
Term
synapse
Definition
the junction or region between the axon of one neuron and the dendrites or cell body of another
Term
sensory neurons
Definition
neurons that receive info from the external world and convey this info to the brain via spinal cord
Term
motor neurons
Definition
neurons that carry signals from the spinal cord to the muscles to produce movement
Term
interneurons
Definition
neurons that connect sensory neurons, motor neurons, or other interneurons
Term
resting potential
Definition
teh difference in electric charge between the inside and outside of a neuron's cell membrane
Term
action potential
Definition
an electric signal that is conducted an axon to a synapse
Term
refractory period
Definition
the time following an action potential during which a new action potential cannot be initiated
Term
terminal buttons
Definition
knoblike structures that branch out from an axon
Term
neurotransmitters
Definition
chemicals that transmit info across the synapse to a receiving neuron's dendrites
Term
receptors
Definition
parts of the cell membrane that receive the neurotransmitter and initiate a new electric signal
Term
acetylcholine (ACH)
Definition
a neurotransmitter involved in a number of functions, including voluntary motor control
Term
dopamine
Definition
a neurotransmitter that regulates motor behavior, motivation, pleasure, and emotional arousal
Term
glutamate
Definition
a major exitatory neurotransmitter involved in infromation transmission throughout the brain
Term
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)
Definition
the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain
Term
nerepinephrine
Definition
a neurtransmitter that influences mood and arousal
Term
serotonin
Definition
a neurotransmitter that is involved in the regulation of sleep and wakefulness, eating, and aggressive behavior
Term
endorphins
Definition
chemicals that act within the pain pathways and emotion centers of the brain
Term

Definition

Term
agonists
Definition
drugs that increase the action of a neurotransmitter
Term
antagonists
Definition
drugs that block the function of a neurotransmitter
Term
nervous system
Definition
an interacting network of neurons that conveys electrochemical info throughout the body
Term
central nervous system (CNS)
Definition
the part of the nervous system that is composed of the brain and spinal cord
Term
peripheral nervous system (PNS)
Definition
the part of the nervous system that is connects the central nervous system to the body's organs and muscles
Term
somatic nervous system
Definition
a set of nerves that conveys info into and out of the central nervous system
Term
autonomic nervous system (ANS)
Definition
a set of nerves that carries involuntary and automatic commands that control blood vessels, body organs, and glands
Term
sympathetic nervous system
Definition
a set of nerves that prepares teh body for action in threatening situations
Term
parasympathetic nervous system
Definition
a set of nerves that helps the body return to a normal resting state
Term
hindbrain
Definition
an area of the brain that coordinates information coming into and out of the spinal cord
Term
medulla
Definition
an extension of the spinal cord into the skull that coordinates heart rate, circulation, and respiration
Term
reticular formation
Definition
a brain structure that regulates sleep, wakefulness, and levels of arousal
Term
cerebellum
Definition
a large structure of the hindbrain that controls fine motor skills
Term
pons
Definition
a brain stucture that relays info from the cerebellum to the rest of the brain
Term
tectum
Definition
a part of the midbrain that orients an organism in the environment
Term
tegmentum
Definition
a part of the midbrain that is involved in movement and arousal
Term
cerebral cortex
Definition
teh outermost layer of the brain, visible to the naked eye divided into two hemispheres
Term
subcortical structures
Definition
areas of the forebrain housed under the cerebral cortex near the very center of the brain
Term
thalamus
Definition
a subcortical structure that relays and filters info from the senses and transmits the info to the cerebral cortex
Term
hypothalamus
Definition
a subcortical structure that regulates body temp, hunger, thirst, and sexual behavior
Term
pituitary gland
Definition
the "master gland" of the body's hormone- producing system, whcih releases hormones that direct the functions of many other glands in the body
Term
limbic system
Definition
a group of forebrain structures including the hypothalamus, the amygdala, and the hippocampus, which are involved in motivation, emotion, learning and memory
Term
hippocampus
Definition
a structure critical for creating new memories and intergrating them into a network of knowledge so that they can be stored indefinitely in other parts of the cerebral cortex
Term
amygdala
Definition
a part of the limbic system that plays a central role in many emotional processes, particularly the formation of emotional memories
Term
basal ganglia
Definition
a set of subcortical structures that directs intentional movements
Term
corpus callosum
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 info across the hemispheres
Term
occipital lobe
Definition
a region of the cerebral cortex that processes visual info
Term
parietal lobe
Definition
a region of the cerebral cortex whose functions include processing info about touch
Term
temporal lobe
Definition
a region of the cerebral cortex responsible for hearing and language
Term
frontal lobe
Definition
a region of the cerebral cortex that has specialized areas for movement, abstract thinking, planning, memory, and judgement
Term
association areas
Definition
areas of the cerebral cortex that are composed of neurons that help provide sense and meaning to info registered in the cortex
Term
synesthesia
Definition
teh perceptual experience of one sense that is evoked by another sense
Term
sensation
Definition
simple awareness due to the stimulation of a sense organ
Term
perception
Definition
the organization, identification, and interpretation of a sensation in order to form a mental representation
Term
transduction
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
Term
psychophysics
Definition
methods that measure the strength of a stimulus and the observer's sensitivity to that stimulus
Term
absolute threshold
Definition
the minimal intensity needed to just barely detect a stimulus
Term
just noticeable difference (JND)
Definition
the minimal change in a stimulus that can just barely be detected
Term
weber's law
Definition
the just noticeable difference of a stimulus is a constant proportion despite variations in intensity
Term
signal direction theory
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
Term
sensory adaptation
Definition
sensitivity to prolonged stimulation tends to decline over time as an organism adapts to current conditions
Term
retina
Definition
light-sensitive tissue lining the back of the eyeball
Term
accommodation
Definition
the process by which the eye maintains a clear image on the retina
Term
cones
Definition
photoreceptors that detect color, operate under normal daylight conditions, and sllow us to focus on the fine detail
Term
rods
Definition
photoreceptors that become active only under low-light conditions for night vision
Term
fovea
Definition
an area of the retina where visions is the clearest and there are no rods at all
Term
blind spot
Definition
an area of the retina that contains neither rods nor cones and therefore has no mechanism to sense light
Term
receptive field
Definition
the region of the sensory surface that, when stimulated, causes a change in the firing rate of that neuron
Term
trichromatic color representation
Definition
the pattern of the responding accross the three types of cones that provides a unique code for each color
Term
color-opponent system
Definition
pairsof visual neurons that work in opposition
Term
visual- form agnosia
Definition
the inability to recognize objects by sight
Term
perceptual constancy
Definition
a perceptual principle stating that even as aspects of sensory signals change, perception remains consistent
Term
template
Definition
a mental representation that can be directly compared to a viewed shape in teh retinal image
Term
monocular depth cues
Definition
aspects of a scene that yield info about depth when viewed with only one eye
Term
binocular disparity
Definition
two difference in the retinal images of the two eyes that provides info about depth
Term
motion parallax
Definition
a depth cue based on the movement of the head over time
Term
apparent motion
Definition
the perception of movement as a result of alternating signals appearing in a rapid succession in different locations
Term
pitch
Definition
how high or low a sound is
Term
loudness
Definition
a sound's intensity
Term
timbre
Definition
a listener's experience of sound quality or resonance
Term
cochlea
Definition
a fluid filled tube that is the organ of auditory transduction
Term
basilar membrane
Definition
a structure in the inner ear that undulates when vibrations from the ossicles reach the cochlear fluid
Term
hair cells
Definition
specialized auditory receptor neurons embedded in the basilar membrane
Term
area A1
Definition
a portion of the temporal lobe that contains the primary auditory cortex
Term
place code
Definition
the cochlea encodes different frequencies at different locations along the basilar membrane
Term
temporal code
Definition
the cochlea registers low frequencies via the firing rate of action potentials entering the auditory nerve
Term
haptic perception
Definition
the active exploration of the environment by touching and grasping objects with our hands
Term
referred pain
Definition
feeling of pain when sensory info from internal and external areas converge on the same nerve cells in the spinal cord
Term
gate-control theory
Definition
a theory of pain perception based on the idea that signals arriving from pain receptors in the body can be stopped, or gated, by inteneurons in the spinal cord via feedback from two directions
Term
vestibular system
Definition
the three fluid filled semicircular canals and adjacent organs located next to the cochlea in each inner ear
Term
olfactory receptor neurons (ORNS)
Definition
receptor cells that initiate the sense of smell
Term
olfactory bulb
Definition
a brain structure located above the nasal cavity beneath the frontal lobes
Term
taste buds
Definition
the organ of taste transduction
Term
memory
Definition
the ability to store and retrieve info over time
Term
encoding
Definition
the process by which we transform what we perceive, think, or feel into an enduring memory
Term
storage
Definition
the process of maintaing info in memory over time
Term
retreival
Definition
the process of bringing to mind info that had been previously encoded and stored
Term
elaborative encoding
Definition
the process of actively relating new info to knowledge that is already in memory
Term
visual imagery encoding
Definition
the process of storing new info by converting it into mental pictures
Term
organizational encoding
Definition
the act of categorizing info by noticing the relationships among a series of items
Term
memory storage
Definition
the process of maintaining info in memory over time
Term
sensory memory store
Definition
the place in which sensory info is kept for a few seconds or less
Term
iconic memory
Definition
a fast-decaying store of visual info
Term
echoic memory
Definition
a fast decaying store auditory memory
Term
short-term memory store
Definition
a place where nonsensory info is kept for more than a few seconds but less than a minute
Term
rehearsal
Definition
the process of keeping info in short-term memory but mentally repeating it
Term
chunking
Definition
combining small pieces of info into larger clusters or chunks that are more easily held in short-term memory
Term
working memory
Definition
active maintenance of info in short-term storage
Term
long-term memory store
Definition
a place in whcih info can be kept for hours, days, weeks, or years
Term
anterograde amnesia
Definition
the inability to transfer new info from the short-ter, store into the long-term store
Term
retrograde amnesia
Definition
the inability to retreive info that was acquired before a particular date, usually the date of an injury of operation
Term
long-term potentiation (LTP)
Definition
enhanced neural processing that results from teh strengthening of synaptic connections
Term
NMDA receptor
Definition
a hippocampal receptor site that influences the flow of info from one neuron to another across the synapse by controlling the initiation of long-term potentiation
Term
retrieval cue
Definition
external info that is associated with stored info and helps bring it to mind
Term
encoding specificity principle
Definition
the idea that a retrieval cue can serve as an effective reminder when it helps re-create teh specific way in which info was initially encoded
Term
state-dependent retrieval
Definition
the tendency for info to be better recalled when the person is in the same state during encoding and retrieval
Term
transfer- appropriate processing
Definition
the idea that memory is likely to transfer from one situation to another when we process info in a way that is appropriate to the retrieval cues that will be available later.
Term
explicit memory
Definition
the act of consciously or intentionally retrieving past experiences
Term
implicit memory
Definition
 the influence of past experiences on later behavior and performance, even though people are not trying to recollect them and are not aware that they are remembering them
Term
procedural memory
Definition
the gradual acquisition of skills as a result of practice, or "knowing how", to do things
Term
priming
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
Term
semantic memory
Definition
a network of associated facts and concepts that make up our general knowledge of the world
Term
episodic memory
Definition
the collection of past personal experiences that occurred at a particular time and place
Term
transience
Definition
forgetting what occurs with the passage of time
Term
retroactive interference
Definition
situations in which later learning impairs memory for information acquired earlier
Term
proactive interference
Definition
situations in which earlier learning impairs memory for info acquired later
Term
absentmindedness
Definition
a lapse in attention that results in memory failure
Term
prospective memory
Definition
remembering to do things in the future
Term
blocking
Definition
a failure to retrieve info that is available in memory even though you are trying to produce it
Term
tip-of-the-tongue experience
Definition
the temporary inability to retirieve info that is stored in memory, accompanied by the feeling that you are on the verge of remembering the info
Term
memory misattribution
Definition
assigning a recollection or an idea to the wrong source
Term
source memory
Definition
recall of when, where, and how info was acquired
Term
false recognition
Definition
a feeling of familiarity about something that hasn't been encountered before
Term
suggestibility
Definition
the tendency to incorporate misleading info from external sources into personal recollections
Term
flashbulb memory
Definition
detailed recollections of when and where we heard about shocking events
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