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| The scientific study of behavior and mental processes |
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| Research conducted to seek new knowledge and to explore and advance general scientific understanding |
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| Research conducted specifically to solve practical problems and improve the quality of life |
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| A descriptive reseach method in which researchers observe and record behavior in its natural setting, without attempting to influence or control it |
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| A descriptive reseach method in which a single person or a small number of individual s are studied in great depth, usually over an extended period of time |
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| A descriptive research method in which researchers use interviews and/or questionnares to gather information about the attitudes, beliefs, experiences, or behaviors of a group of people |
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| The entire group of interest to researchers, to which they wish to generalize their findings; the group from which a sample is selected |
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| A part of population that is studied in order to reach conclusions about the entire population |
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| A sample that mirrors the population of interest; it includes important subgroups in the same proportions as they are found in that population |
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| The only research method that can be used to identify cause and effect relationships |
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| In an experiment, a factor or condition that is deliberately manipulated in order to determine whether it causes any change in another behavior or condition |
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| The factor or condition that is measured at the end of an experiment and is presumed to vary as a result of the manipulations of the independent variable |
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| In an experiment, the group that is exposed to an independent variable |
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| In an experiment, a group similar to the experimental group that is exposed to the same experimental environment but not given the same treatment; used for purposes for comparison |
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| Indicates that two variables vary in the same direction |
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| An increase in the value of one variable is associated with a decrease in the value of another variable |
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| The first formal school of thought in psychology which endeavored to analyze the basic elements, or structure, of conscious mental experience |
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| Technique used in structuralism when a person reports what occurs inside of conscious experience |
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| An early school of psychology that was concerned with how humans and animals use mental processes in adapting to their environment |
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| the term Freud used fro both his theory of personality and his therapy for the treatment of psychological disorders; the unconscious is the primary focus of psychoanalytic theory |
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| The school of psychology founded by John B. Watson that views observable, measureable behavior as the appropriate subject matter for psychology and emphasizes the key role of environment as a determinant of behavior |
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| The school of psychology that focuses on the uniqueness of human beings and their capacity for choice, growth, and psychological health |
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| the school of psychology that views humans as active participants in their environment; studies mental processes such as memory, problem solving, reasoning, decision making, perception, language, and other forms of cognition |
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| The school of psychology that emphasizes that individuals perceive objects and patterns as whole units and that the percieved whole is more than the sum of its parts |
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| The area of psychology that studies brain and behavior |
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Specialized cells that conduct impulses through the nervous system and contain three major parts
-cell body
-dendrites
-axon |
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| The part of a neuron that contains the nucleus and carries out the metabolic functions of the neuron |
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| In a neuron, the branch-like extensions of the cell body that receive signals from other neurons |
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| The slender, tail-like extension of the neuron that transmits signals to the dendrites or cell bodies of other neurons and to muscles, glands, and other parts of the body |
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| Specialized cells in the brain and spinal chord that hold neurons together, remove waste products such as dead neurons, and perform other manufacturing, nourishing and cleanup tasks |
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| The slight negative electrical potential of the axon membrane of a neuron at rest, about -70 millivolts |
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| The sudden reversal of the resting potential, which initiates the firing of a neuron |
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| The white, fatty coating wrapped around some axons that acts as insulation and enables impulses to travel much faster |
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| When a neuron either fires completely or does not fire at all |
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| The junction where the axon terminal of a sending neuron communicates with a receiving neuron across the synaptic cleft |
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| Protein molecules on the surfaces of dendrites and cell bodies that have distinct shapes and will interact only with specific neurotransmitters |
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Definition
| Chemical substances that are released into the synaptic cleft from the axon terminal of a sending neuron, cross a synapse, and bind to appropriate receptor sites on the dendrites or cell body of a receiving neuron, influencing the cell either to fire or not to fire |
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| The process by which neurotransmitters are taken from the synaptic cleft back into the axon terminal for later use, thus terminating their excitatory or inhibitory effect on the receiving neuron |
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| The brain structure that helps the body execute smooth, skilled movements and regulates muscle tone and posture |
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| Structure that connects the halves of the cerebellum |
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| The part of the brainstem that controls heart-beat, blood pressure, breathing, coughing, and swallowing |
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| A structure in the brainstem that plays a crucial role in arousal and attention that screens sensory messages entering the brain |
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| The structure, located above the brainstem, that acts as a relay station for information flowing into or out of the forebrain |
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| A small but influential brain structure that regulates hunger, thirst, sexual behavior, internal body temperature, other body functions, and a wide variety of emotional behaviors |
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| A structure in the limbic system that plays an important role in emotion, particularly in response to unpleasant or punishing stimuli |
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| A structure in the limbic system that plays a central role in the storing of new memories, the response to new or unexpected stimuli, and navigational ability |
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| The thick band of nerve fibers that connects the two cerebral hemispheres and makes possible the transfer of information and the synchronization of activity between the hemispheres |
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| The largest of the brain's lobes, which contain the motor cortex, Broca's area, and the frontal association areas |
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Definition
| The area in the frontal lobe, usually in the left hemisphere, that controls the production of speech sounds |
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| The strip of tissue at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary body movement and participants in learning and cognitive events |
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| The lobe that contains the somatosensory cortex (where touch, pressure, temperature, and pain register) and other areas that are responsible for body awareness and spatial orientation |
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| Primary somatosensory Cortex |
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Definition
| The strip of tissue at the front of the parietal lobes where touch, pressure, temperature, an pain register in the cerebral cortex |
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| The lobes that are involved in the reception and intereception of auditory information; they contain the primary auditory cortex, Wernicke's area, and the temporal association areas |
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| The language area in the left temporal lobe involved in comprehending the spoken word and in formulating coherent speech and written language |
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| The parts of each temporal lobe where hearing registers in the cerebral cortex |
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| The lobes that are involved in the reception and interpretation of visual information; they contain the primary visual cortex |
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| The area at the rear of the occipital lobes where vision registers in the cerebral cortex |
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Peripheral Nervous System
(PNS |
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Definition
| The nerves connecting the central nervous system to the rest of the body |
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Central Nervous System
(CNS) |
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Definition
| The part of the nervous system comprising the brain and the spinal chord |
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Somatic Nervous System
(SNS) |
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Definition
| All the sensory and motor neurons that transmit messages between the brain and the parts of the body that make it possible to sense the environment and to move |
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Term
Autonomic Nervous System
(ANS) |
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Definition
| Nerves that transmit messages between the brain and parts of the body that are not under voluntary control |
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| Sympathetic Nervous system |
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Definition
| The division of the autonomic nervous system that mobilizes the body's resources during stress and emergencies, preparing the body for action |
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| Parasympathetic Nerous System |
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Definition
| The division of the autonomic nervous system that brings the heightnened bodily responses back to normal following an emergency |
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Definition
| The process through which the sense pick up visual, auditory, and other sensory stimule and transmit them to the brain |
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Definition
| The probess by which sensory information is actively organized and interpreted by the brain |
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Definition
| The minimum amount of sensory stimulation that can be detected 50% of the time |
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| Just Noticeable Difference |
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Definition
| The smallest change in sensation that a person is abe to detect 50% of the time |
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Definition
| The process through which sensory receptors convert the sensory stimulation into neural impulses |
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Definition
| The process in which sensory receptors grow accustomed to constant, unchanging levels of stimuli over time |
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Definition
| The tough, transparent, protective layer that convers the front of the eye and bends light rays inward through the pupil |
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Definition
| The transparent disc-shaped structure behind the iris and the pupil that changes shape as it focuses on objects at varying differences |
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Definition
| The layer of tissue that is located on the inner surface of the eyeball and contains the sensory receptors for vision |
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Definition
| The flattening and bulging action of the lens as it focuses images of objects on the retina |
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Definition
| The light-sensitive receptor cells in the retina that look like slender cylinders and allow the eye to respond to low levels of light |
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Definition
| The light-sensative, rounded receptor cells in the retina that enable humans to see color and fine detail in adequate light but do not function in very dim light |
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Definition
| A small are at the center of the retina that provides the clearest and sharpest vision because it has the largest concentration of cones |
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Definition
| The point in each retina where there are no rods or cones because the cable of ganglion cells is extending through the retinal wall |
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Definition
| The dimension of light that refers to the specific color perceived |
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Definition
| The purity of a color, or the degree to which the light waves producing it are of the the same wavelength |
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Definition
| The intensity of the light energy that is perceived as a color |
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Definition
The theory of color vision suggesting that there are three types of cones in the retina that make a maximal chemical response to one of three colors
-red
-green
-blue |
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Definition
| The theory of color vision suggesting that three kinds of cells respond by increasing or decreasing their rate of firing when different colors are present |
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| Gestalt Principles of Perception |
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Definition
1-Figure-ground: As we view the world, some object often seems to stand out from the background
2-Similarity: Objects that have similar characteristics are perceived as a unit
3-Proximity:Objects that are close together in space or time are usually perceived as belonging together
4-Continuity: We tend to perceive figures or objects as belonging together if the ppear to form a continuous pattern
5-Closure: We perceive figures with gaps in them to be complete. |
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Definition
| The phenomenon that allows us to perceive objects as maintaining stable properties, such as size, shape, and brightness, despite differences in distance, viewing angle, and lighting |
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Definition
| The ability to perceive the visual world in three dimensions and to judge distances accurately |
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| Binocular Cues to Depth Perception |
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Definition
| Depth cues that depend on both eyes working together |
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| Monocular Cues to Depth Perception |
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Definition
| Depth cues that can be perceived by one eye alone |
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Definition
| Everything of which we are aware at any given time--our thoughts, feelings, sensations, and perceptions of the external environment |
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Definition
| Within each 24-hour period, the regular fluctuation from high to low points of certain bodily functions and behaviors |
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Definition
| A pair of tiny structures in the brain's hypothalamus that control the timing of circadian rhythms; the biological clock |
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Definition
| Non-rapid eye movement sleep, which consists of four sleep stages and is characterized by slow, regular respiration and heart rate, little body movement, and absence of rapid eye movements, and blood pressure and brain activity that are at their 24-hour low points |
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Definition
| A type of sleep characterized by rapid eye movements, paralysis of large muscles, fast and irregular heart and respiration rates, increased brain-wave activity, and vivid dreams |
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Definition
| A period of sleep lasting about 90 minutes and including one or more stages of NREM sleep, followed by REM sleep |
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Term
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Definition
1-Drowsiness: Sleepiness increases as alpha waves become more frequent that beta waves
2-Stage 1: Transition from waking to sleeping; irregular waves with occasional alpha waves
3-Stage 2:Transition from lighter to deeper sleep; sleep spindles appear
4-Stage 3: Deeper sleep; slow-wave sleep begins when EEG shows 20% of brain waves are delta waves
5-Stage 4: Deepest sleep; Begins when 50% of waves are delta waves; about 40 mins later, delta waves disappear
6-Return to stage 1: Transition from deepest through moderately deep to light to sleep-wake transition take place rapidly
7-REM Period: Shortly after the sleeper returns to stage 1, REM Period begins; sleeper may be easily awakened before and after REM Period
8-Stage 1 |
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Definition
| The brain-wave pattern associated with slow-wave sleep |
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Definition
| The brain-wave pattern associated with mental or physical activity |
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Definition
| The brain-wave pattern associated with deep relaxation |
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| Restorative Theory of Sleep |
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Definition
| The theory that the function of sleep is to restore body and mind |
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| Circadian/Evolutionare Theory of Sleep |
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Definition
| The theory that sleep evolved to keep humans out of harm's way during the night |
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Definition
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| Activation-Synthesis Hypothesis |
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Definition
| The hypothesis that dreams are the brain's attempt to make sense of the random firing of brain cells during REM sleep |
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| Freud's Manifest and Latent content of Dreams |
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Definition
Manifest: Freud's term for the content of a dream as recalled by the dreamer
Latent: Freud's term for the underlying meaning of a dream |
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Definition
| Sleep disturbances in which behaviors and physiological states that normally take plave only in the waking state occur while a person is sleeping |
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Definition
| A sleep disorder characterized by difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, by waking too early, or by sleep that is light, restless, or of poor quality |
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Definition
| An incurable sleep disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and uncontrolable attacks of REM sleep |
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Definition
| A sleep disorder characterized by periods during sleep when breathing stops and the individual must waken briefly in order to breathe |
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Definition
| A person's characteristic patterns of behaving, thinking, and feeling |
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Definition
| Freud's term for his theory of personality and his therapy for treating psychological disorders |
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Definition
| The thoughts, feelings, sensations, or memories of which a person is aware at any given time |
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Definition
| The experiences, perceptions, feelings, and memories that a person is not consciously aware of at the moment but that may be easily brought to consciousness |
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Definition
| For Freud, the primary motivating force of human behavior, containing repressed memories as well as instincts, wishes, and desires that have never been conscious |
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Definition
| The unconscious system of the personality, which contains the life and death instincts and operates on the pleasure principle; source of the libido |
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Definition
| The Id operates according to this |
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Definition
| In Freud's theory, the logical rational, largely conscous system of personality, which operates according to the reality principle |
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Definition
| The ego operates according to this |
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Definition
| The moral system of the personality, which consists of the conscious and the ego ideal |
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Definition
| For Freud, the term used for the part of the mind that is the thoughts, feelings, sensations, or memories of which a person is aware at any given moment |
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Definition
| The part of the superego that comprises the behaviors for which the child has been praised and rewarded and about which he or she feels pride and satisfaction |
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Definition
| A means used by the ego to defend against anxiety and to maintain self-esteem |
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Definition
| A defense mechanism in which one unvoluntarily removes painful or threatening memories, thoughts, or perceptions from consciousness or prevents unconscious sexual and aggressive impulses from breaking into consciousness |
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Definition
| When a person attributes their own undesirable impulses, thoughts, personality traits, or behaviors to others |
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Definition
| When a person substitutes a less threatening object or person for the original object of a sexual or aggressive impulse |
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Definition
| Refusing to acknowledge consciously the existence of danger or a threatening condition |
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Definition
| Reverting to a behavior that might have reduced anxiety at an earlier stage of development |
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Definition
| When a person unconsciously supplies a logical, rational, or socially acceptable reason rather than the real reason for an action |
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Definition
| When a person channels sexual or aggressive energy into pursuits or accomplishments that society considers acceptable or even praiseworthy |
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Definition
| Stage birth-1: during this stage, the mouth is the primary source of an infant's sensual pleasure. The conflict at this stage centers on weaning |
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Definition
| Stage 1-3: During this stage, children derive sensual pleasure, Freud believed, from expelling and withholding feces. But a conflict arises when toilet training begins |
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Definition
| Stage 3-6: During this stage, children learn that they can derive pleasure from touching their genitals. Oedipus complex occurs during this stage |
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Definition
| Occuring in the phallic stage, a conflict in which the child is sexually attracted to the opposite-sex parent and feels hostility toward the same-sex parent |
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Definition
| Stage 6-puberty: A period of sexual calm when the sex instinct is repressed and temporarily sublimated in school and play activities, hobbies, and sports |
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Definition
| Stage from puberty on: In this stage, the focus of sexual energy gradually shifts to the opposite sex and development of mature sexual relationships for the vast majority of people |
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Definition
| The perception a person has of his or her ability to perform competently whatever is attempted |
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| External Locus of Control |
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Definition
| With this, people perceive what happens to be in the hands of fate, luck, or chance |
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| Internal Locus of Control |
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Definition
| With this, people see themselves as primarily in control of their behavior and its consequences |
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Definition
| Developing to one's fullest potential |
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Definition
| Conditions on which the positive regard of others rests |
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| Unconditional Positive Regard |
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Definition
| Unqualified caring and nonjudgemental acceptance of another |
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Definition
| Personal qualities or characteristics, which are stable across situation, that are used to describe or explain personality |
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Definition
A trait theory that attempts to explain personality using 5 broad dimensions, each of which is composed of a constellation of personality traits
-Extraversion
-Neuroticism
-Conscientiousness
-Agreeableness
-Openness to Experience |
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Term
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Definition
| A paper-and-pencil test with questions about a persons thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, which measures several dimensions of personality and can be scored according to a standard procedure |
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Definition
| The most extensively researched and widely used personality test, which is used to screen for and diagnose psychiatric problems and disorders |
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Term
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
(MBTI) |
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Definition
A personality inventory useful for measuring normal individual differences
-Based on Jung's theory of personality |
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Definition
| A personality test in which people respond to inkblots or drawing of ambiguous human situation by projecting their inner thoughts, feelings, fears, or conflicts onto the test materials |
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Definition
| A projective test composed of 10 inkblots, which the test taker is asked to describe |
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Term
| Thematic Apperception Test |
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Definition
| A projective test consisting of drawings of ambiguous human situations, which the test taker describes; thought to reveal inner feelings, conflicts, and motives, which are projected onto the test materials |
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Definition
| Approach to psychotherapy based on the notion that psychological well-being depends on self-understanding |
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Term
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Definition
| Psychotherapies that attempt to uncover childhood experiences that are thought to explain a ptient's current difficulties |
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Term
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Definition
| A psychoanalytic technique used to explore the unconscious by having patients reveal whatever thoughts, feelings, or images come to mind |
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Term
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Definition
| An emotional reaction that occurs during psychoanalysis, in which the patient displays feelings and attitudes toward the analyst that were present in another significant relationship |
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Definition
| Psychotherapies that ssume that people have the ability and freedom to lead rational lives and make rational choices |
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Definition
| A nondirective humanistic therapy developed by Carl Rogers, in which the therapist creates an accepting climate and shows empathy, freeing clients to be themselves and releasing their natural tendency toward self-actualization |
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Definition
| A therapy that was originated by Fritz Perls and that emphasizes the importance of clients' fully experiencing, in the present moment, their feelings, thoughts, and actions and then taking responsibility for them |
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Term
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Definition
| TherapiesTherapies that attempt to imporve clients' interpersonal relationships to support clients' efforts to address psychological problems |
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Definition
| A brief psychotherapy designed to help people with depression better understand and cope with problems relating to their interpersonal relationships |
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Definition
| Therapy involving an entire family, with the goal of helping family members reach agreement on changes that will help heal the family unit, improve communication proble,s. and create more understanding and harmony within the group |
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Term
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Definition
| A form of therapy in which several clients (usually 7-10) meet regularly with one or more therapists to resolve personal problems |
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Definition
| A treatment approach that is based on the idea that abnormal behavior is learned and that applies the principles of operant conditioning, classical conditioning, and/or observational learning to eliminate inappropriate or maladaptive behaviors and replace them with more adaptive responses |
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Definition
| An approach to therapy that uses learning principles to eliminate inappropriate or maladaptive behaviors and replace them with more adaptive responses |
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Term
| Exposure and Response Prevention |
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Definition
| A behavior therapy that exposes clients with obsessive-compulsive disorder to stimuli that trigger obsessions and compulsive rituals, while clients resist performance, the compulsive rituals for preogressively longer periods of time |
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Term
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Definition
| A behavior therapy in which an aversive stimulus is paired with a harmful or socially undesirable behvaios until the behavior becomes associated with pain or discomfort |
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Term
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Definition
| Therapies that assumes maladaptive behavior can result from irrational thoughts, beliefs, and ideas |
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Term
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Definition
| A directive form of psychotherapy, developed by Albert Ellis and designed to challenge client's irrational beliefs about themselves and others |
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Term
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Definition
| A therapy designed by Aaron Beck to help clients stop their negative thoughts as the occur and replace them with more objective thoughts |
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Definition
| Drugs used to control sever psychotic symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, and disorganized behavior, by inhibiting dopamine activity; also known as neuroleptics |
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Definition
| Drugs that act as mood elevators for people with severe depression and are also prescribed to treat some anxiety disorders |
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Term
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Definition
| A drug used to treat bipolar disorder, which at proper maintenance dosage reduces both manic and depressive episodes |
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Term
| Electroconvulsive Therapy |
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Definition
| A biomedical therapy in which an electric current is passed through the right hemisphere of the brain; usually reserved for patients with severe depression who are suicidal |
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Term
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Definition
| Brain surgery performed to alleviate serious psychological disorders or unberable chronic pain |
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Term
| Sestematic Desensitization |
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Definition
| A behavior therapy that is based on classical conditioning and used to treat fears by training clients in deep muscle relaxation and then having them confront a graduated series of anxiety-producing situations (real of imagined) until they can remain relaxed while confronting even the most feared situation |
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