AP Psychology
Watson
(behaviorst) - we are shaped by rewards and punishments - can control a child's future - tabula rosa- blank slate - no predetermined genetic influence
Laboratory Observations
(descriptive) - bring subject in to watch -disadvantage- change in behavior if sunject knows he/she is being watched
Case Study
(descriptive) - detailed analysis of a person or groups -unique -advantage- detail -disadvantage- not replicable (would be highly unethical) -cannot generalize
Natural Observations
(descriptive) - go out and watch people - advantage- easy and cheap
Tests
(descriptive) - standardized, valid, reliable, replicable - disadvantage- tend to be socioculurally biased (ex. "what color are bananas?" poor kids have brown bananas, do worse on test)
Thorndike
(nativist) - actions are all genes/genetic makeup - nothing you can change - predetermination - must be changed by society
Stage Three Sleep
- 10 to 15 minutes - delta waves in the brain - paralysis occurs (most likely to drool)
The Human Brain
- 2.5 pounds of tissue, cells, and fluids - needs proteins, fats, and calcium - limited to 100 billion brain cells - average human kills 100 thousand brain cells daily
3 Box Processing Model
- Atkinson and Shiffrey - [sensory encoding] --> (via maintenance) --> [Short Term Memory] --> (via rehearsal) --> [Long Term Memory]
Language Acquisition Device
- Chomsky - we have an innate ability to learn a language within a critical period
Forgetting Curve
- Ebinhaus - we lose 30-40% of information in the first hour
Cliff Hanger Experiment
- Elinor Gibson - tested at what age children had depth perception by putting them on a glass "cliff" - conclusion was about 3 months old
Opponent Process
- Hering - we have 2 types of cones, green/red and yellow/blue
Activation-Synthesis
- Hobson - dreams have nothing to do with emotions or psychology, but are simply biological
Insight Learning
- Kolher (worked with chimps) - idea pops into your head out of context
Split Brain Operation
- Sperry - slice the corpus collosum in epilectics - stops communication - cannot connect between vision and speech
Law of Effect
- Thorndike - if a stimulus is pleasant, the behavior is more likely to be repeated - if a stimulus is aversive, the behavior is less likely to be repeated
Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis
- Whorf - It's not thinking that gives us language, but rather langauge that enables our thinking - likewise, lack of langauge inhibits our thoughts
Trichromatic Theory
- Young and Hemholtz - we have 3 cones (red, green and blue) that come together to create vision - does not explain color blindness or negative after images
Bottom Up Processing
- also callled feature analysis - must have every sensation before perception - brain cannot fill in gaps
Behaviorism
- based on observable behavior - What can we sit and watch someone do? - rewards and punishments - Watson and Skinner!
Medulla
- brain stem- responsible for heart beat and respiration
PKU
- cannot process amino acids - can be fixed if caught within 30 days - severe and permanent brain damage
Cerebellum
- controls movement, balance, coordination, reflexed, involuntary movement
Bobo Doll Experiment
- done by Bandura - kids watch adults play nice, they play nice, and vise-versa with playing mean
Sociocultural School of Psychology
- enviromental/culture - base our preceptions of taste, beauty, masculinity, femininity, etc. off of what's around us
Glutamate
- excitatory neurotransmitter
Tay-Sachs
- general loss of CNS function - eventual death by age 3-4
Dissociation Theory
- generated by Hilgard - says that one part of the mind operates independently and takes the suggestion - another part (hidden observer) that maintains reality
GABA
- inhibitory neurotransmitter - lack of causes OCD
Stage Two Sleep
- lasts 10 minutes - alpha and delta waves in brain - sleep spindles occur
Stage Four Sleep
- lasts 20 minutes - deepest and most valuable sleep - delta waves in the brain - immune system is recharged and most growth occurs
Stage One Sleep
- lightest stage of sleep - alpha waves in brain - lasts 5 to 10 minutes
Huntington's
- loss of CNS function with old age
Norepinephrine
- neurotransmitter responsible for fight or flight reactions
Acetycholine
- neurotransmitter responsible for memory and reflexes - lack of causes Alzheimers
Seratonin
- neurotransmitter responsible for mood and sexual behavior - lack of causes depression
Dopamine
- neurotransmitter responsible for muscle control - too much causes Schizophrenia - lack of causes Cerebral Palsy, Parkinson's
Endorphins
- neurotransmitter responsible for pain control - "internal morphine" - created by excercizing and smiling
Hippocampus
- processes memories for storage/learning - "gateway to memory"
Brain Plasticity
- rewiring or restructuring of the brain in children after losing a certain part
Role Theory
- says that some people are more suggestable than others
Reticular Activation System
- switches between "leopard" and "learning" brain - run on instinct when activated - learning brain when relaxed
Language
- the single most important characteristic of being human and the only way we can acheive thought - the representation of abstract ideas like truth, freedom, democracy, etc.
Cerebral Cortex
- thinking portion of brain, makes us human - 1/4 inch thick, covers most of the brain - language, voluntary movement, intelligence, self conscious, love/hate
Operant Conditioning
- type of conditioning not limited to reflex - based on reinforcement and punishment - subject is in control - may require thought
Retina
- where TRANSDUCTION occurs - the image flips upside down - ganglion and bipolar cells convert the image
REM Sleep
- where dreams occur (stage 1 sleep) - active or paradoxical sleep - MVS for emotional and mental well being
Functionalism
-William James- asked "how?" and "why?" -(wrote first psychology textbook)
Correlational Studies
-a descriptive study that looks for a consistent relationship between to phenomena
Structuralism
-another name for introspection -named by Titchner
Cognitive School of Psychology
-behavior caused by irrational or harmful mental processes (thinking, memory, language, interpretation) - help by changing thought processes (no medication!)
Behaviorist School of Psychology
-behavior is because we learned it -Watson and Skinner -rewards and punihsment, modeling -based on observable behavior
Experiments
-done after finding a correlation - a controlled test of a hypothesis in which the researcher manipulates one variable to discover its effect on the other variable - give causation (what correlation cannot do)
Wilhelm Wundt
-father of modern psychology -first lab/scientific study in 1879 -introspection
psychobabble
-not scientific -confirms what we want to hear -ex. horoscopes and psychics
Evolutionary School of Psychology
-our body has developed but our brains has not - brains specialized by gender - hunter/gatherer origins
Second/Higher Order Conditioning
-same conditioned response to a second stimulus even though the second stimulus was never paired with the unconditioned stimulus - cannot create a third
Modern Psychology
-started by Freud in 1905 -psycholanalysis -analyzie unconscious/subconscious -dream analysis and hypnosis
Response/Subject Bias
-subjects use cues to answer correctly (want to please the suveyor) ex. Clever Hans (horse that could do math) used cues from the people's faces
Intelligence due to Nature
.69
Sleep Spindles
1 to 2 second bursts of electricity in the brain that fluxuate between alpha and delta waves
Stages of Grief
1) Denial 2) Anger 3) Bargaining 4) Depression 5) Acceptance
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
1) Physical (food, water, oxygen, sleep, sex) 2) Safety (from abuse, violence, crime) 3) Love (most both give and receive it) 4) Self-Esteem (you must EARN it) 5) Self-Actualization (reaching your potential)
Traits of Unattached Children
1) compulsive lying 2) preocupation with fire 3) cruelty to animals 4) Negative Drawings 5) no conscience, no regret
Anxious/Ambivalent
12% of babies in Ainsworth's "strange situations" experiment: they explored with mom there, extreme stress when she left, don't do much exploring, and had no reaction upon her return
FMRI
2-D x-ray that shows slices of the brain
Avoidant Attachments
21% of babies in Ainsworth's "strange situations" experiment: they expolred with mom there, stressed when mom left, didn't continue to play but rather sat there, mad at mom upon her return
CAT
3-D x-ray of the brain
Secure Attachments
66% of babies in Ainsworth's "strange situations" experiment: they explored with mom there, stressed when mom left, calmed down, continued to play, and ran to mom when she came back
Rosenhan Study
8 subjects went to 8 different psychiatric hospitals around the country and simply said "I think I hear voices". Because the nurses were used to working around insane people, they saw symptoms that were not there, and all 8 subjects were diagnosed incorrectly with schizophrenia.
Displacement
A Freudian defense mechanism where the subject channels feelings away from the object and onto a new one (ex. I had a bad day at school, I come home and yell at my parents)
Rationalization
A Freudian defense mechanism where the subject gives logical motives to actions instead of the real reason in an attempt to fool the self (ex. I don't have a date for prom... It's too expensive, I don't want to go anyways)
Reaction Formation
A Freudian defense mechanism where the subject hides an emotion by action strongly in the other way (ex. I hate her so I will be really nice to her)
Projection
A Freudian defense mechanism where the subject put his/her problems on someone else (ex. that movie is scary... I won't take you to see the movie because I think you'll get too scared)
Denial
A Freudian defense mechanism where the subject refuses to admit that a problem exists (ex. I don't have a black eye, I just haven't gotten enough sleep).
Regression
A Freudian defense mechanism where the subject retreats to an earlier level of development to avoid thinking about something difficult (ex. acting like a child when receiving bad news)
Repression
A Freudian defense mechanism where the subject stores unpleasant thoughts in the unconscious
Sublimation
A Freudian defense mechanism where the subject substitutes a socially unacceptable behavior with something more acceptable (ex. smoking instead of sucking your thumb)
Systematic Desensitization
A behavioral therapy where the client is very relaxed and imagines their fears to get rid of a phobia
Relative Size
A bigger objedct is perceived as closer than a smaller object
Nightmares
Bad Dreams
Reciprocal Determinism
Bandura said that a person's personality is based off of the interaction and reciprocation of traits, behavior, and environment
Hypnosis
A natural state of relaxation by high levels of suggestibility
Conversion Reaction
A somatoform disorder in which you convert an emotion problem into a real, physical problem (explains why some soldiers come back from war blind or mute with not physical explanation).
Hypochondriasis
A somatoform disorder where you always seem to have some illness and exaggerate symptoms. Illnesses seem to come at opportune times.
Set Point Theory
A theory that says your hypothalamus keeps you at a set weight by controlling your metabolism
Self-Report
A type of test where the subject answers various questions about him/her self
Psychodynamic School of Psychology
-Freud - unconscious thoughts and memories are repressed by thinker - unconscious desire for sex - subconscious --> habits
Gestalt
-German for "whole" -ask ALL questions, not just how and why' -ex. does appearance/smell affect taste?
Subconscious
Actions that we don't know about but we know must exist due to behavior
Obesity
An eating disorder classified by being at least 25% higher than your BMI
Anorexia
An eating disorder classified by three factors: 1) less than 85% of a healthy weight 2) disturbed or distorted body image 3) miss 3 consecutive menstrual cycles
Bulimia
An eating disorder involving excessive binging and purging
Complexes
Carl Jung- an obsessive mindset, discovered by word association (common themes in responses)
Unconscious
Freud- repressed thoughts from our childhood that we are no longer aware of
Isolation Experiment
Harry Harlow isolated baby rhesus monkeys for 9 months and then re-inroduced them to the clan, where they became unattatched and sexual predators
Surrogate Mother Experiment
Harry Harlow put a baby Rhesus monkey in a room with a cold wire monkey with food and a fuzzy soft monkey with no food. The monkey stayed with the fuzzy mother unless it had to, and died when it was taken away
Life Change Units
Holmes and Rahe said that any change in day to day process causes stress
Mood Disorders
Clinical Depression, Bi-polar Disorder, and Seasonal Affective Disorder
Fluid Intelligence
Intelligence that declines with age according to the Cattel Theory of Intelligence
Cattel Theory
Intelligence theory that says some types of intelligence are crystallized and others are fluid.
Self-Protective Mechanism of Power
Karen Horney said that people try to be in control to ease stress: "If I have all the power, nobody can hurt me"
Basic Anxiety
Karen Horney said that some people are just born nervous
Halucinogens
LSD, shrooms, and marijuana
Jonah complex
Maslow's theory that people who doubt themselves will not become self-actualized.
Seasonal Affective Disorder
Mood disorder where the emotions are directly linked to sunlight, treated with light therapy
Discrimination
No conditioned response to a similar stimulus
Big Five Traits
Openness, concientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism
Conditioned Stimulus
Originallt neutral stimulus that triggers a conditioned response (the bell in Pavlov's Dogs)
Phantom Pain
Pain that that's not there (common in amputees)
Preoperational Stage
Piaget's 2nd stage (age 2-6) where children represent things with words and images but lack logical reasoning and have egocentrism
Concrete Operational Stage
Piaget's 3rd stage (age 7-11) where children can think logically about concrete events and grasp the theory of conservation
Formal Operational Stage
Piaget's 4th stage (age 12-adult) where children have abstract reasoning and mature moral reasoning
Sensorimotor Stage
Piaget's first stage (age 0-2) where children explore the world through senses and actions
Place Theory
Pitch Theory that says hairs are activated in different areas of the cochlea depending on pitch
Critical Period
Ideal age to learn a language (around the age of 12), otherwise it is lost
P-score
If P<.05, it's statistically significant
Unconditional Positive Regard
In order to help someone, you have to accept them no matter what.
Methods of Brain Study
S- stimulation A- accidents I- Imaging L- Lesions
Spearman Theory
Says that intelligence can be expressed as a single factor called the "g-factor"
Thurstone Theory
Says that intelligence is comprised of 7 main components (reasoning, verbal, etc.)
Two-Factor Theory
Schacter's cognitve theory that to experience emotion, one must be physically aroused and cognitively label the arousal.
Autonomy and Doubt
Stage 2 of Erikson's theory (age 1-3) where kids see themselves as separate individuals and learn to control the world around them
Initiative and Guilt
Stage 3 of Erikson's theory (age 3-5) where kids use their imaginations to explore the world, and develop relationships with other kids
Industry and Inferiority
Stage 3 of Erikson's theory (age 6-11) where kids learnd to work and gain a sense of accomplishment. they also learn talents and self-discipline
Identity and Identity Confusion
Stage 5 of Erikson's theory (age 12-18) where teens strive to bulid an identity for themselves and try to find who they really are and what their purpose is
Intimacy and Isolation
Stage 6 of Erikson's theory (age 19-35) where people look to other people for support and gert involved in marraige and long-term relationships
Generativity and Stagnation
Stage 7 of Erikson's theory (age 35-50) where people are focused on contributing something lasting to the world (such as raising children) and if they don't, they feel worthless
Integrity and Despair
Stage 8 of Erikson's theory (age 50-death) where people look back on their lives with either contentment and pride or many regrets.
Null-Hypothesis
States what the experiment will NOT prove
Thematic Apperception Test
Subject is shown 30 cards with various pictures and the last one is blank. Upon seeing this, disturbed people will go into catharsis
Genital Stage
The fifth stage in Freud's theory where satisfaction is derived from the genitals, people start to notice the opposite sex
Oral Stage
The first stage of Freud's Theory (age 0-1) where satisfaction is derived from the mouth, crisis is weening
Sexual Response Cycle
The four stages of sex as defined by Masters and Johnson
Lens
The projector part of the eye, also responsible for focus
Anal Stage
The second stage of Freud's Theory (age 1-3) where satisfaction is derived from the retention and expulsion of feces, and potty training is the crisis
Phallic Stage
The third stage of Freud's theory where satifaction is derived from the penis
Framing
The way a question is posed or presented that alters the response
Achievement Motivation Theory
Theory by McClelland saying that we all have the need for achievement (nAch)
Post-Hypnotic Suggestion
keep the suggestion after you come out of the trance (next time you want a cigarette, you'll go for a walk instead)
Latent Learning
learning is not displayed until an appropriate reward is shown (ex. the kid in world history who failed all his tests but showed how much he knew when they had a debate/discussion)
Restless Leg Syndrome
legs move aimlessly throughout the night
Flooding
live implosive therapy
Temporal Lobe
located along the temples, controls hearing, memory, and time
Terminal Button
located at the end of the axon, it holds the neurotransmitters
Brocas Area
located on the left side of the brain, responsible for speech
Fovea
location of the cones (center of the retina)
deindividualization
loss of restraint and responsibility when you feel anonymous (ex. 24 hour activity)
rTMS
magnetic stimulation of the brain- shifts brain position as a treatment of abnormal disorders
Method of Loci
make a location picture in your mind to remember something (ex. imagine the poem you are memorizing)
Imagery
making a mental picture (most common thought process)
Imprinting
making an emotional bond via eye contact
Andropause
males gradually stop producing testasterone
Positively Skewed
mean is higher than the mode and median
Negatively Skewed
mean is lower than mode and median
Symmetrical Distribution
mean, median and mode are under the center of a bell curve
Central Tendencies
mean, median, mode, range
Recall
measure of memory where the person must retreive previously learned items (ex. fill in the blank test)
Psychometrics
measurements of the mind
Lithium
medication used to treat bipolar disorder
MAO's
medication used to treat depression and anxiety disorders that stops the breakdown of serotonin and norepinephrine
SSRI
medication used to treat depression or anxiety disorders that stop the re-uptake of serotonin
Antipsychotics
medications such as Thorazine, Haldel, and Clozapine that are used to treat schizophrenia and other psychoses
Tranquilizers
medications such as Valium and Xanex that are used to treat mild anxiety by depressing the central nervous system
Mneumonics
memory aids that use vivid imagery and organized devices (ex. Fat Cats Go Down Alleys Eating Burritos)
Explicit Memories
memory of facts and experiences that one can consciously know and declare (we make an effort to remember)
Decay Theory
memory- use it or lose it!
Reasoning
mental activity that operates on information to reach a conclusion
Schemata
mental representation or framework of how we expect the world to be based on prior experience
Hair Cells
move with sound vibrations, trigger neural impulse in the auditory nerve
Movement for the Humane Treatment for the Mentally Disturbed
movement started by P. Pinel and D. Dix in the 19th century
Gardener Theory
multiple intelligences: mathematical, spatial, musical, linguistic/verbal, kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal
Mesomorph
muscular and fit people, tend to be assertive and aggressive
Cognitive Triad
named by Aaron Beck, says that negative thoughts about oneself lead to negative thoughts about one's environment which lead to negative thoughts about one's future, which leads to depression
Avoiding type
named by Alfred Adler, people isoalte themselves from everyone else so they don't have to deal with their problems
Organic Source of Inferiority
named by Alfred Adler, something organic that you are born with that makes you feel inferior (ex. the Grinch had green skin which made him feel bad aobut himself)
Nomothetic Traits
named by Allport, personality traits shared by everyone
EQ
named by Goleman, measures how you control your emotions, impulse control, empathy, resiliency, and faith
External Locus of Control
named by Rotter, when a person blames the situation or their surroundings for the outcomes of various situations
Internal Locus of Control
named by Rotter, when a person blames themselves for the outcomes of various situations
Learned Helplessness
named by Seligman- your past experiences make you think you have no control over your life (dog experiment)
Baumrind
named the 3 parenting styles
Positive Ions
needed to stimulate the terminal button and release neurotransmitters into the synapse
Sense Receptors
nerves that receive sensation and send it to the brain
Retroactive Interference
new information makes it difficut to remember old information (ex. I don't remember a lot of Spanish because I have to go right to Physics and that gets in the way)
Double Blind Study
none of the experimenters know who is exposed to what stimulus (solution to experimental bias)
Correlation Coefficient
numerical representation of a relationship highest is 1, lowest is -1, 0 means uncorrelated
Convergent Thinking
numerous ideas create one conclusion
Proactive Interference
old information makes it difficult to remember new information (ex. using last year's locker combo instead of this year's)
Chemical Senses
olfactory and gustatory
Semantic Network Theory
one memory triggers another that we didn't previously remember (ex. "do you remember Eddy?", "no...", "he was best friends with Johnny", "Oh, I remember Eddy now!"
Independent Variable
variable that is being changed or manipulated
Visual Capture
vision dominates all other senses
Frequency Distribution
visual description of data -histogram (bar graph) - frequency polygon (line graph) - pie charts - scatter plots
Energy Senses
visual, auditory, and tactile
Binet
was born in France in 1905, graded you with a mental age
Accomodation
we adjust our schemas to fit new experiences
Perceived control
we are more vulnerable to fall ill if we feel like we have lost control of the situation.
Constructive Memory
we are told so many times about something we did in our childhood that it becomes a false memory (Loftus)
Instinctive Drift
we are unable to operantly condition an animal to violate its instincts ex. a rat cannot walk backwards, a pig cannot set food down
Self-fulfilling prophecy
we become what we believe we are supposed to be (ex. Rohan believes he is meant to be a velociraptor)
Regression to the Mean
we can predict what our next results will be because it will come back to the mean (stabilize)
Figure-Ground Perception
we can see the foreground apart from the background even when it is not defined
Empirical Void
we cannot confirm any Freudian theories because we cannot prove that the unconscious exists.
Incentive Theory
we do things because we want material rewards (extrinsic rewards!)
Drive Reduction Theory
we do things to reduce a drive (ex. hungry --> eat, cold --> put on a coat)
Negative After-Images
we fatigue a muscle by looking at a color for too long so it decides to see the opposite
Belief Perserverance
we hold on to our beleifs despite contrary evidence
Assimilation
we interperet new things in terms of our schemas
Abstract Learning
we learn concepts, not just facts
Associative Learning
we learn to make a connection between a stimulus and a response
Belief Bias
we make illogical conclusions to confirm our pre-existing beliefs
Serial Position Effect
we neglect the middle of things we remember (primacy and recency)
Conceptual Thinking
we organize objects in categories (concept, basic concept, and prototype)
Information Processing
we organize or clear up information learned during the day during our sleep
Gestalt Perception
we perceive images in groups, not isolated elements based on: - proximity - similarity - continuity - closure (brain fills in gaps similar to top-down)
Mere-Exposure
we prefer things we've been exposed to before even if we don't remember them
Semantic Distinctiveness
we remember it because it stands out (ex. sleep, night, tired, artichoke, dark, evening, pajamas)
Priming
we respond faster to things we have seen or heard before but don't necissarily remember
Confirmation Bias
we search for information that supports only your position (happens all the time in politics)
State Dependent Memory
we study best in the same physical state that we will be testing in
Castration Anxiety
what causes boys in Freud's psychosexual theory to stay hetrosexual
Conscious
what we are currently aware of and thinking about
Moro Reflex
when a baby is scared, they arch their back and shoot their limbs out
Continuous development
when one develops steadily and at a constant rate
motive to avoid success
when one fails on purpose to take away pressures or expectations
Family Therapy
when one person has a problem, the whole family goes to therapy together to work to fix the problem
Compliance
when people meet the general needs of the group
Transference
when the client transfers their feelings onto their psychologist (ex. Sybill transferred her feelings for her Grandma onto Dr. Wilbur)
Gate Control Theory
when the gate is open, we feel pain, but not when closed - focus, vision, or talking about it opens the gate - adrenaline and distraction close the gate
Symptom Substitution
when the root of the problem is not found, the client may exchange one disorder for another and still have the same psychological cause
Neglect Syndrome
when the subject neglects half of their body
Tardive dyskinesia
when treating a patient for schizophrenia, if the dopamine levels get too low, they may exhibit Parkinson's-like symptoms
Intern Syndrome
when you learn too much about a certain illness, you begin to exhibit symptoms
Inhibitory Neurons
where the message ends, says when it's had enough
Excitatory Neurons
where the message starts, keeps the message going
Optic Chasm
where the optic nerves cross
Convergence
where the retinas come together, like going cross-eyed
Myelin Sheath
white fatty coating that covers the axon to protect in and speeds up the message
Reverse Tolerance
you need decreased levels of the same drug to acheive the same high
Tolerance
you need increased levels of the same drug to acheive the same high
Depersonalization
you suddenly wake up and think that you are not the same person anymore (loss of identity)
approach goal
you want something because of the reward
avoidance goal
you want something to avoid a punishment
Childhood Amnesia
your brain can't remember anything until the age of 3 (ish)
Cocktail Party Effect
your brain hears your name and perceives it as more important than white noise
Cognitive Schema
your mental blueprints determine how you think
Long-Term Potentiation
your neurons get stronger the more you use your memory
Self-Esteem
your self-worth, in your own eyes
CPI
taken after the MMPI, tells you specifically what your problem is
Ectomorph
tall, thin people, tend to be withdrawn and intelligent
Elkind's Personal Fable
teenagers beleive that nobody else understands what they're going through and they think they know more than they really do
Hypothesis
testable theory ex. girls will do better on an IQ test
Cross-Sectional Studies
tests different groups at the same time
Subjective Tests
tests that rely strictly on the interpretation of the psychologist
Projective Tests
tests where the subject projects his or her unconscious to the psychologist
Lucid Dreaming
the ability to control your own dreams
Constancy
the ability to maintain a constant perception depite changes in size, shape, and color (ex. we still recongnize a marker as a marker even if it changes a bit)
Sound Localization
the ability to realize which direction sound is coming from
Puberty
the ability to reproduce
Intelligence
the ability to use and gather information
WAIS
the adult version of an IQ test- measures in subscales, or z-scores in a normal distribution
Object Permanence
the awareness that something exists outside of perception
testosterone
the brain chemical that causes a sex drive
Top Down Processing
the brain fills in gaps of what we see based on prior experiences and expectation
Mirror Neurons
the brain learns from watching somebody else do an activity (actual brain activity)
Soma
the cell body
Anxiety Hierarchy
the client develops a list of their biggest fears from least to worst
Resistance
the client goes into denial about ever having a problem
Threshold
the dendrite has received/accepted enough neurotransmitters
Social Cognition
the effect of the group on the a person's individual thought process
Saltatory Conduction
the electric message jumps across nodes in the myelin to move faster
Semantic Encoding
the encoding of meaning (ex. memorizing data, definitions, the digits of pi)
Synaptic Vesicle
the exact locations of the neurotransmitters inside the terminal button
Heritability
the extent to which a trait is inherited highest level is 1.0 (eye color)
Groupness
the feeling that you belong in a group
Anima
the feminine part of a male's unconscious
Initial Excitement
the first stage in the sexual response cycle; that starts of physical arousement
Trust and Mistrust
the first stage of Erikson's theory (age 0-1). If babies' needs are met, they trust the world around them.
Babbling
the first stage of langauge which consists of practicing phonemes
Selective Attention
the focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus
Latent Stage
the fourth stage in Freud's theory (age 7-11) where children relate to people of the same gender, and development is more or less hidden
Resolution Stage
the fourth stage in the sexual response cycle, also the refractory period
Experimental Group
the group exposed to the independent variable/stimulus
ossification
the hardening of bones
Cognitive Learning
the idea that some learning requires thought
Superiority
the idea that you must be better than everybody else- comes from inferiority (coined by Alfred Adler)
Phi Phenomenon
the illusion of movement by successive photos or lights (ex. old movies)
Sexual Disfunction
the inability to have sexual intercourse
Menopause
the inability to reproduce in women (happens instantly, stage theory)
Insomnia
the inability to sleep
Functional Fixedness
the inability to think of different uses for an object
Divergent Thinking
one solution comes from multiple problems
Single Blind Study
only the scientist or professor knows the control and experimental groups
Opiates
opium, heroine, and morphine
Perception
organizing the sensation onto meaningful patterns
Chunking
organizing things into familliar, manageable units
Ear Canal
outer ear channels sound waves through the auditory canal
Pupil
part of the eye that dialates and contracts due to sun and arousal (light enters the black hole in the center)
Anarchistic Nature of Man
people are naturally evil, mean, and violent and are wired for theft, murder, etc.
Effective psychological environment
people are treated based on looks, treatment affects personality (counter-argument to twin studies because twins look the same)
Anal Expulsive
people who are easygoing, messy, and "organized chaotic", according to Freud
Anal Retentive
people who like control and order according to Freud
Endomorph
people with chubby, heavier body types, tend to happier and funny
Mary Ainsworth
performed the "strange situations" parenting experiment
Konrad Lorenz
performed the baby gesse experiment and conculded that there is a critical period for imprinting
Idiographic Traits
personality traits that are unique to you
Surface Traits
personality traits that are visible to other people
Anxiety Disorders
phobias, OCD, general eanxiety disorder, PTSD (commonality of stress or tension)
Eidetic Memory
photographic memory
Frequency Theory
pitch theory that says pitch is dependent on the rate at which hairs are activated
Accomodation
the lens of the eye gets thicker or thinner
Backwards Conditioning
present the CS first, then the UCS (ex. bell then food)
Simultaneous Conditioning
present the UCS and the CS at the same time
Trace Conditioning
present the UCS first, followed by CS (ex. food and then bell)
Lawrence Kohlberg
presented the Heinz dilemma to several men to develop a moral development theory
Stratified Sampling
process that guarantees a representative sampling
Pineal Gland
produces melatonin, affects sleeping patterns and seasonal functions
Group Dynamics
the makeup of a group of people as a whole
Animus
the male part of a woman's unconscious
Mueller-Lyer Illusion
proved that perception is cultural <----------> >----------<
Agonists
psychoactive drugs that act like neurotransmitters
Antagonists
psychoactive drugs that block neurotransmitters
Omission Training
punishment by taking away something good, like a cell phone, car, etc.
Maturation
purely physical development
Random Assignment
put names in a computer to get a random sample
Narcolepsy
randomly fall asleep
Perceptual Set
readiness to perceive in a certain way based on our scemata
Dendrites
receive the chemical message from neurotransmitters
Refractory Period
recharge period
Inate Reflexes
reflexes we are born with - grasping, rooting, sucking, swallowing, moro, Babinski, stepping
Biological Rhythms
regular fluxuations in our biological system (on time and natural)
Positive Reinforcement
reinforce a behavior by giving something good
Negative Reinforcement
reinforce a behavior by taking away something bad (like taking away a curfew)
Karen Horney
rejected Freud's theory of penis envy and argued instead that some men suffer from womb envy
Adrenal Glands
releases hormones in response to stress
Episodic Memory
remembering events of your life (ex. your first Christmas, your 16th birthday)
Lobotomy
removal of part o the frontal lobe
Pons
responsible for sleeping, dreams, facial expressions
Wernickes Area
responsible for speech interpretation
Occipital Lobe
responsible for vision, located at the back of the head
Cognition
the mental processes involved with thinking, memory, and language
Dependent Variable
results of the manipulation of the first variable
Implicit Memory
retention that is independent of conscious recollection, like reactions (ex. you hear a song and think of something/someone)
Continuous Reinforcement
reward after EVERY time a behavior is repeated (creates fasteset learning and fastest extinction)
Variable Ratio
reward for a certain percentage, but the number between behaviors changes (ex. slot machine)
Fixed Ratio
reward is given for every certain number of times the behavior is repeated (ex. getting paid for every 3 roofs you build)
Shaping
reward successive approximations of a goal
Fixed Interval
rewarding for a behavior after a set amount of time (ex. getting paid every two weeks)
Intrinsic Reinforcement
rewards that come from inside (ex. pride, satisfaction)
Extrinsic Reinforcement
rewards that come from outside (similar to secondary)
Endogenous
rhythms generated from within the body (ex. lack of glucose --> hunger)
Hemispheric Lateralization
right hemisphere controls the left side of the body and vise versa
Syntax
rules of speech and grammar that vary from langauge to language
Sheldon
said that personality is determined by your body type- "somatype theory"
Garcia Effect
says that classical conditioning has limits in animals (but not humans)
Double Binds Theory
says that if children are exposed to too many contradictions (ex. mommy says that smoking is bad but she smokes) their brains will snap in adolescence and they may develop schizophrenia.
Guilford Theory
says that intelligence is compromised off 100-200 different components (the rubic cube of intelligence)
Management Theory Y
says that motivation for workers is all intrinsic
Existential Theory
says that people are depressed because they cannot find a meaning for their lives
Kelley's Personal Construct Theory
says that personality is determined by the way people anticipate and interpret events
Diathesis Stress Model
says that schizophrenia is triggered by a genetic predisposition AND a stressful event later in life that initially sets it off
Rogers' Self Theory
says that sometimes you need a helping hand no regardless of your choices or the path you're on
Sternberg Theory
says that there are three different kinds of intelligence: traditional/analytical (booksmarts), experimental (creativity), and contextual (streetsmarts)
Dopamine Hypothesis
says that too much dopamine may cause schizophrenia
Management Theory X
says that we can motivate workers with a system of rewards and punishments
Catatonic Schizophrenia
schizophrenia classified by no muscle movement at random times, can be "frozen" for up to 3 days at a time.
Undifferentiated Schizophrenia
schizophrenia where the client exhibits multiple symptoms that may change over time
Paranoid Schizophrenia
schizophrenia where the primary symptom is constantly parnanoid delusions.
Peak Experience
self actualized people feel that they have finally figured life out and are at peace
Absolute Threshold
the minimum amount of stimuli required for detection (most of the time it is 50%)
Difference Threshold
the minimum difference required between two stimuli required for detection (ex. if we have 100 lightbulbs, how many can we turn off before someone notices it's getting darker?)
Acquisition
the moment conditioning has taken place
Central Traits
the most important traits in describing your personality
Auditory Nerve
send the sound waves to the thalamus
Vestibular
sense of balance (caused by fluids from the cochlea)
deja vu
sense of time and memory get mixed up
PET
shows brain activity
EEG
shows brain waves
MMPI
the most widely used test in psychology- consisting of 550 true/false questions, it rates you on 10 different scales such as introvert, neurotic, etc.
Iris
the muscle in the eye that contracts the pupil
Love
the need for affiliation and human contact
Persona
the outward personality projected to others
ego
the part of the unconscious that finds a balance between caring about yourself and others
Microsleeps
sleep for 1-3 seconds at a time
Somnaliloquy
sleep talking
Somnambulism
sleep walking
Token Economy
small rewards that can be exchanged for bigger rewards (ex. Volvo points)
Morphemes
smallest unit of meaningful sounds (contributes to language)
Environmental Determinism
society influences people, makes them evil ex. more people in poor communities are "evil", society teaches us to be good
Social Loafer
the person in the group who slacks off because they know someone else will end up doing all the work for them.
Pubescence
the physical changes that occur during development
Sensory Transduction
the process of a sensation becoming a neural impulse or brain function
Long Term Memory
the relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system
Plateau Phase
the second stage in the sexual response cycle, when the body is physically ready to have sex
Holophase
the second stage of language which consists of one word phrases like "No!", "mommy", or "juice!"
id
the selfish part of the unconscious that focuses on fulfillment of personal dreams
super-ego
the selfless and benevolent part of the unconscious
Sexual Script
the sex role that's assigned to us by society
Phoneme
the smalles unit of sound (there are 44)
Oedipus complex
the stage in Freud's theory where young boys fall in love with their mothers and want to kill their dads
Interposition
something is perceived as in front of another when on top of another object
primary reinforcement
something we need to live (ex. food, water, sleep, oxygen)
Motivation
the study of factors which influence the arousal, direction, and persistence of behavior
Synaptic Gap
space between the axon and the dendrite
Triangular Theory
states that the three ingredients of love are intimacy, passion, and commitment
Algorithm
step-by-step process that guarantees a correct result (like a recipe or a math problem)
Signal Detection- Correct Rejection
stimulus and response are both absent
Signal Detection- False Alarm
stimulus is absent but a response is present
Signal Detection- Miss
stimulus is present but the response is absent
Unconditioned Stimulus
stimulus such as food that elicits a natural response
Confounding Variable
stimulus that alters the results such as the time of day, subject bias, emotions
Neutral Stimulus
stimulus that does not elicit a response (ex. the bell in Pavlov's Dogs)
Sleep Apnea
stop breathing while sleeping, wake up hundreds of times per night
Correlation
strength of a relationship
Cognitive Dissonance
stress or tension causes by opposing thoughts or actions
Avoidance Learning
subject learns to avoid aversive situations altogether
Hawthorne Effect
subjects acts differently becasue they know they are being observed
Social Desireability
subjects give a politically correct answer (not always true)
group polarization
the tendency for groups to make more extreme decisions than individuals
Vivo Desensitization
systematic desensitization where instead of imagining the fears, the client actually faces them.
Orgasm
the third stage in the sexual response cycle; the climax
Telegraphic
the third stage of language that consitsts of small phrases such as "no juice, cookie!" or "mommy give book"
Similarity, Proximity, Biology
the three predictors of love
Variable Interval
the time between rewards changes (ex. fishing)
Temporal Coding
the time or how fast a given sensation will travel to the brain
Prosady
the tone or inflection changes the meaning of a word
Trait Theories
theories that define how you behave regardless of the situation (don't consider the environment)
Cattel 16
theory that says everyone combined only has 16 different personality traits (ex. INFJ)
Cannon-Bard Theory
theory that says that the experience of emotion occurs at the same time as the biological changes
James-Lange Theory
theory that says we feel emotions because of physical and biological changes caused by stress
cortasol
a chemical released during stress that speeds things up (ex. premature aging)
Egocentrism
a child cannot understand thinking from any other point of view then their own
Eugenics
theory that we should breed human beings for intelligence (H. Goddard) - tried by Hitler, unsuccessful
DSM IV
a collection of every known psychological disturbance, contains symptoms but not cures or causes
Personal Unconscious
a concept created by Carl Jung- the thoughts that are unique to you and come from your life experiences
Extinction
a conditioned response dies out due to lack of experience or practice
Spontaneous Recovery
a conditioned response returns randomly
OCD
a constant, irrational thought that leads to a repetitive action that seemingly reduces anxiety
anabuse
a court ordered medicine that, when mixed with even the smallest amount of alcohol, makes you violently ill.
Verkes-Dodson Theory
a difficult task starts with low motivation and ends high, and an easy task starts with high motivation and ends low
Somatoform Disorders
a disorder where you manifest a psychological problem through physical symptoms with no physical cause
Heuristic
a general rule of thumb, "mental shortcut"
Availability Heuristic
a heuristic based on how often you are exposed to an example
Representative Heuristic
a heurstic based on prototypes (ex. the prototype bird flies, we concluse that as a mental shortcut, all birds fly)
Client-centered therapy
a humanistic approach at therapy started by Rogers
Gestalt Therapy
a humanistic approach to therapy where the therapist must treat the entire person, not just the problem the client offers.
Recognition
a measure of memory where the person must identify previously learned items (ex. multiple choice test)
Deinstitutionalization
a movement in the 1950's where people were given anti-psychotic drugs and let out of asylums. However, the medicine was not consistent and the symptoms came back, causing a huge rise in homelessness
Escape Learning
a person learns to leave an aversive situation (like being disruptive to get kicked out of class)
Psychometrician
a person who writes intelligence tests
Dependent Personality Disorder
a personality disorder characterized by extreme dependency in absolutely everything
Histrionic Personality Disorder
a personality disorder consisting of excessive drama and exaggerated emotional displays
Narcissistic Personality Disorder
a personality disorder where someone thinks they are someone important (like the queen of England or Taylor Swift) and acts accordingly.
Borderline Personality Disorder
a personality disorder where the person has impulsive behavior and switches sporadically from feelings of kindness to feelings of hatred, either for themselves or for others
Passive-Aggressive Personality Disorder
a personality disorder where the person is violent or aggressive in a non-confrontational manner
Neuromodulators
a physical change in brain cells- the more you are rewarded, the better your synapses fire efficiently in that activity
Body Dismorphic Disorder
a preocupation with physical defects or imagined ugliness (ex. people who always get plastic surgery, people with eating disorders)
Insight Therapy
a psychodynamic therapy that helps the client understand the root of their problem
Schizophrenia
a psychotic disorder characterized by abnormal emotions, withdrawal, running or walking a lot, hallucinations, delusions (either paranoid or delusions of grandeur), clang association, disturbed thought, abnormal hearing, and abnormal body movements.
Unconditioned Response
a reflextive natural response
Premack Principle
a reward for one person may be a punishment for another
Deductive Reasoning
a set of premises is used to reach one conclusion
Inductive Reasoning
a set of premises that support a possible conclusion
Sadism
a sexual disoder classified by self-inflicted pain
Pedophilia
a sexual disorder classified by an interest in children
Voyeurism
a sexual disorder classified by getting "turned on" by watching others undress
Fetish
a sexual disorder defined by the love of a non-human object in sexual intercourse
Transvestite
a sexual disorder where pleasure is found in dressing like the opposite gender
Necrophilia
a sexual disorder where pleasure is found in having sexual intercourse with dead bodies.
Frotterism
a sexual disorder where the person finds satisfaction from rubbing up against people
Exhibitionism
a sexual disorder where the person gets pleasure from showing him/herself to others
Post-Conventional
a stage of moral reasoning named by Kohlberg where people disregard the law and do things because they beleive it's right. (also called the universal ethical principle)
Preconventional
a stage of moral reasoning named by Kohlberg where people do things simply to avoid a punishment or gain a reward
Conventional
a stage of moral reasoning named by Lawrence Kohlberg where people blindly obey the law without thinking about their actions
Factor Analysis
a statistical technique used to determine one's personality
Phobia
a strong, intense, or irrational fear
catharsis
a sudden emotional outpouring
Rorschach Inkblot Test
a test with 10 different inkblots that all look different and the subject must interpret them.
Passionate Love
a type of love that focuses on physical attraction
Companionate Love
a type of love that lacks a physical attraction
Authoritative
a type of parenting named by Baumrind that involed consistent rules, consistent and reasonable punishments, and takes good excuses. This method yields the most well adjusted kids.
Permissive
a type of parenting named by Baumrind that involves no rules, unclear guidelines, and inconsistent punishment. Kids tend to develop higher rates of depression as adults.
Authoritarian
a type of parenting named by Baumrind that involves strict rules, harsh penalties, and no excuses. Kids tend to be socially withdrawn.
Self-help
therapy that is entered into voluntarily, such as AA and GA (relies on peer pressure to change bad habits)
Short Term Memory
activated memory that holds a few items breifly before the information is either stored or forgotten (lasts 30 seconds, 7 items)
non-directive therapy
therapy where the therapist will not offer solutions, but instead keeps the client talking until they figure the problem out themselves.
Freud's Dream Theory
there are manifest dreams, which have no meaning, and latent dreams, which have hidden meanings
Psychological Addiction
addiction resulting in cravings
Physical Addiction
addiction resulting in withdrawal
Brocas Aphasia
affects speech clarity
Anterograde Amnesia
after a tramatic experience, you are unable to encode new memories
Retrograde Amnesia
after a tramatic experience, you can't remember anything from your past (you would NOT remember the tramatic experience itself)
Depressants
alcohol, valium, and barbituates
Disposition Traits
all of your special traits combined
Development
all the changes that occur throughout a lifetime, starts at conception and ends at death
Rods
allow vision in black and white
Cones
allow vision in color
Rigidity
also called mental set, the inability to think in different ways
Major Depression
also called unipolar disorder, depression for 2 or more weeks with no cause Symptoms include isolation, apathy, too much sleep, loss of interest, suicidal behavior, change in hygiene, drug/alcohol use
Fugue
amnesia coupled with flight from the environment
taste aversion
an aquired dislike to a stimulus
Situational
an attribution style in which all credit goes to the environment
Dispositional
an attribution style in which all credit goes to you
Linear Perspective
things look like they are getting farther away as they get smaller (ex. railroad track "going into the distance")
Secondary Reinforcement
things we have learned to want (ex. fame, money, cars, etc)
Metacognition
thinking about thinking
Conditioned Response
an originally reflexive response to a conditioned stimulus
Collective Unconscious
thoughts and ideas that are shared by everybody and passed down through generations
Eardrum
tight membrane that vibrates with sound waves
Resting Potential
time period after firing Q=-70mV
Organic Disorders
any disorder that physically destroys the brain, such as Alzheimer's and Dementia
Memory
any indication that learning has persisted over time through the storage and retreival of information
Reinforcement
any stimulus that increases the likelihood that a behavior will be repeated
Generalize
apply results to a population
Sensory Overload
too much stimuli causes stress
Spatial Coding
area where the signal will go in the brain
Source Traits
traits that are the cause of one's personality
Special Traits
traits that are unique to you, same as idiographic
Common Traits
traits that are universal- found in all cultures worldwide
Group Matching
assignment based on certain criteria
Standard Deviation
average distance from the mean
Kinesthesis
awareness of body parts and limbs
Clang Association
babbling, incoherent speech
Night Terrors
bad dreams that continue into when you are awake
Corpus Collosum
band of nerves that connects the two hemispheres of the brain (30% larger in females)
Implosive Therapy
behavioral therapy that starts by facing the worst fear right away
Monoism
beleif that the brain and mind are one and the same
Dualism
beleif that the brain and mind are two different things (body vs. soul/spirit)
Hippocrates
believed that personality is made up of the four "humors"- blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm
Subliminal Threshold
below one's absolute threshold for conscious awareness
Overregularization
between Telegraphic and Syntax- we over apply the rules (ex. "I go-ed to the store")
Entrainment
bio rhythms caused by external cues (ex. dark --> sleepy)
Nonconscious
bodily functions such as breathing and digesting that we are never aware of
Signal Detection- Hit
both stimulus and response are present
Leptin
brain chemical that: 1) burns fat 2) decreases appetite 3) increases metabolism
Retinal Disparity
brain sees from two different angles and combines the images (ex. finger sausage)
Axon
branch that stems from the soma and sends electric messages
Lab Experiments
bring subjects in to test on them ex. have people come do a driving simulation
Schemas
built concepts in the brain, mental molds into which we pour our experience
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
called CBT for short, a form of therapy for depression where the client is rewarded for having positive thoughts
BMR
calories burned while at rest
Lewis Therman
came up with the concept of IQ and created the Stanford-Binet IQ test
Dissociative Identity Disorder
caused by extreme childhood trauma, the child creates a new personality to deal the the pain instead of going through it themselves
Sleep Deprivation
causes illness, insanity, premature aging, and weight gain
Weber's Law
two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage to be considered different (differs by the kind of stimulus)
All or Nothing Principle
cell either fires at full potential or doesn't fire at all
Middle Ear
chamber between the eardrum and cochlea containing three tiny bones (hammer, anvil, and stirrup) that concentrate the vibrations of the eardrum on the cochlea
Variables
characteristics of behavior that can be measured of described by a numeric scale (ex. hours watching TV, body fat, cigarettes smoked a day...)
traits
characteristics that make up one's personality (ex. messy/clean, outgoing/introvert)
Counter Conditioning
uncondition a previously conditioned response
Bi-polar disorder
characterized by manic stages (client is out of control and reckless) and depressed stages (client exhibits symptoms of clinical depression)
Teratogens
chemical or agent that gets through the placenta and invades the developing baby
Neurotransmitters
chemical that allows neurons to communicate
Psychoactive Drugs
chemicals that alter brain chemistry, change the levels of neurotransmitters, and result in a change in perception
Ex-Post Facto
choose subjects based on pre-existing conditions (ex. newspaper ad for cancer survivors)
ESP (8th sense)
clarvoyance (mind control) and telekenisis (mental movement)
General Anxiety Disorder
classified by constant low levels of anxiety
Panic Disorders
classified by extreme levels of anxiety with no cause, happens about every 2 weeks (have premonitions of disaster that never come true)
Amnesia
classified by loss of memory (retrograde)
Cornea
clear covering that protects the putside of the eye
Stimulants
cocaine, caffeine, and nicotine
Experimental Bias
unconscious stimulus that effects the results (when a human is involved, there is always error)
Theory of Conservation
understanding that quantity remains the same despite a change in shape (ex. a cookie split in two does not become any more)
Generalization
conditioned response to a similar stimulus
Synapse
connection between the axon and the dendrite (don't actually touch each other)
Optic Nerve
connects retina to the thalamus (blind spot at exact connection point)
Central Nervous System (CNS)
consists of the brain and spinal cord
Occipital Lobe
contains feature detectors (Hubel and Wisel): specific areas to perceive different vision
Amygdala
controls emotion (anger, survival instincts)
thyroid gland
controls how quickly the body uses energy, makes proteins, and contols how sensitive the body shoud be to other hormones
Parietal Lobe
controls sensory feelings, hot/cold, pain, pleasure
Frontal Lobe
controls thinking, personality, impulse control (Phineas Gage)
Motor Cortex
controls voluntary movement
Preconscious
counsciousness outside of awareness (ex. what did you have for dinner last night?)
Carol Gilligan
criticized Kohlberg because he only tested men, who are much more "black and white" than women
Vygotsky
criticized Piaget and said that the social context controls development- named the Zone of Proximal Development
Personality
unique attributes, behaviors, a emotions that characterize a person over time
Script
unique to each person, the role assigned to the individual within a group (ex. gender script)
Archetypes
universal themes held in the collective unconscious
Norms
unwritten rules of socially acceptable behavior (ex. the two-pump rule in handshakes)
Nerve Deafness
deafness because the hairs on the cochlea are destroyed (cannot come back)
Conduction Deafness
deafness that occurs because a part of the process is harmed by illness, accident, old age, etc (such as a ruptured eardrum)
Punishment
decreses the likelihood that a behavior will be repeated
Abnormality
defined by 4 things: 1- minority 2- maladaptive 3- disturbing to others 4- irrational
Tourettes Syndrome
defined by motor tics, verbal tics, loss of impulse control and compulsions (gets better with age)
Autism
defined by social interaction problems, the need for routine, social isolation and lack of eye contact, and lack of interest in anything (deep focus on one item).
ADHD
defined by trouble focusing or paying attention to one item, cannot sit still
Sensory Deprivation
deprive the senses of stimulation
Monocular Vision
depth perception with one eye
Binocular Vision
depth perception with two eyes
Descriptive Methods
describe the behaviors but not the cause
Sensory Adaptation
diminished sensitivty to a sensation due to constant stimulation (ex. getting used to a hot tub)
Stage Theory
discontinuous development- growth happens in dramatic changes
Dissociative Disorders
disorders of the mind, not the brain-- loss of memory or display of two or more personalities
Quasi-Experiment
do NOT randomly assign groups (can be intentional or negligent)
Barnum Effect
don't believe everything you hear- "there's a sucker born every minute."
Cognitive Therapy
done by Beck, the subject engages in any easy task that brings rewards, builds self-confidence, and leads to positive thoughts about oneself
Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy
done by Ellis- he confronted or challenged irrational thoughts.
General Adaptation Syndrome
done by Seyle, said the standard reactions are alarm, resistance, and exhaustion
Skinner Box
done by Skinner, used operant conditioning to train a pidgeon to press a lever and receive food
Pseudoinsomnia
dream that you cannot fall asleep
Action Potential
electric firing of the neuron once it has reached its threshold
Random Selection
ensures that each member of the population has an equal chance of being selected (larger sample creates a more accurate result
Flynn Effect
every generation is getting smarter and we have no idea why
flashbulb memory
exceptionally vivid memories of a special or shocking event (ex. I remember exactly where I was/what I was doing/what I was wearing when I found out Steve Irwin died)
Theory
explains a phenomenon or relationship
PTSD
exposure to a traumatic event, suffer flashbacks from the event, causes sleep disturbances and breakdowns
Klinefelter's Syndrome
extra X-chromasome in men -infertility - less testasterone - less facial hair, less muscle - trouble expressing via language - shy, trouble fitting in
Placebo
fake stimulus or fake independent variable ex. "pill" that is really sugar
Specific Phobia
fear of a certain thing of situation (ex. arachnophobia, claustrophobia)
Social Phobia
fear of anything that could potentially cause embarrassment
Agoraphobia
fear of open spaces
Cochlea
filled with fluid that vibrates with sound waves (triggers hair cells)- also where TRANSDUCTION occurs
Neural Transmission
firing of a neuron through electro-chemical processes
Chaining
follow a set format to acheive the ultimate goal (ex. a child's bedtime)
Hypothalamus
forebrain region that governs maintenance activities (eating, drinking, sleep, sex, fight or flight)
Thalamus
forebrain region that relays and translates incoming messages for the sense recenpot "sensory switchboard"
Post-Hypnotic Amnesia
forget what happened during hynosis (uncommon)
Nodes of Ranvier
gaps in the myelin, message jumps from node to node
Penis Envy
girls identify with boys during the phallic stage and suffer this (later become more feminine)
Overjustification
giving a reward for something we already intrinsically enjoy (like paying pro sports players)
Positive Punishment
giving something bad (like chores or a curfew)
Field Experiments
go to subjects and take data ex. go to Parker Road and observe driving
Habituation
gradual desensitization for the reward or punishment
Fading
graudal withdrawal of the reward or punishment once the behavior is learned
Population
group being sampled and represented
Control Group
group that is not exposed to any stimulus
Procedural Memory
habits that you don;t have to necessarily think about (such as tying your shoe, riding a bike, braiding hair)
Infradian Rhythm
happens less than once a day (ex. migration, hibernation)
Ultradian Rhythm
happens more than once a day (ex. eat, use the bathroom)
Circadian Rhythm
happens once a day (ex. sleep)
Oral Fixation
happens when weening happens too early
Right Hemisphere
hemisphere that excels in facial recognition, spatial division, creativity, artistic/athletic ability
Left Hemisphere
hemisphere that excels in language, logic, math, science
pre-historic psychology
used trephnation- drilled holes in skull to release "evil spirits" and alleviate human problems
positive correlation
high scores of one variable relate to high scores of the second variable (line best fit has a positive slope)
Glial Cells
holds myelin onto axon (cells that act as a glue)
Response Criteria
how likely we are to perceive a stimulus in a given situation (ex. Mr. Chilton's hearing test in 7th grade)
Variability
how much the scored differ (measured by range, standard deviation, and z score)
Self-concept
how you see yourself
Arousal Theory
humans need excitement, and that is why we do outrageous things
Rooting
if you put anything by a baby's face, they will try to put it in their mouth because they think they're getting fed
Babinski reflex
if you tickle the bottom of a baby's feet, they will curl their toes automatically
Signal Detection Theory
in response to absolute threshold, not all responses are due to stimuli
temperament
inherited personality traits
Sensation
input or reception of sensory stimuli
Aggressive Personality
insecurity leads to bullying, hurting others (coined by Karen Horney)
Crystallized Intelligence
intelligence that gets better with age according to the Cattel Theory of Intelligence
Homeostasis
internal balance- this is what the motivation of most behaviors is directed towards maintaining (ex. shivering warms us up, Diabetics want to take insulin)
Trisomy 21
extra copy of choromasome 21 - developmental problems - smaller or rounder heads - slower physical development - never reach average adult hight - poor judgement, impulsive behavior - frustration and anger underactive thyroid
Outliers
extremely low of high points of data that are not consistent with the rest
negative correlation
high scores of one variable relate to low scores of another variable (line best fit has a negative slope)
Turner's Syndrome
missing X-chromasome in women - infertility, ovaries don't work - short, risk of health problems - low hairline, swollen hands and feet
uncorrelated
no relationship between two variables
Ventromedial Gland
One half of the hypothalamus that is responsible for inhibiting stimulation to eat
Lateral Gland
One half of the hypothalamus that is responsible for stimulation to eat (stays in homeostasis)
MRI
x-ray of soft brain tissue
Twin Studies
- use monozygotic twins- seperate a birth and raise in different environments - results were very similar - done by Bouchard
Counter-balancing
- use subject as their own control group - before/after
Lies
- who do you survey people around? - influenced by society/peer pressure
Volunteer Bias
- who gives the poll? - people ask subjects who will give answers they want to hear
Humanistic School of Psychology
-Maslow and Rogers -as humans, we have CHOICE -every person has a potential
Aristotle
-first to record the necessity of sanity (mental health) -"in order to be happy and healthy, one must be healthy in mind, body, and spirit"
Rosenthal Experiment
-maze bright / maze dull -rats that were supposedly "smart" and were treated in that way finished a maze faster than rats that were treated as if they were stupid - in reality they were all exactly the same
Biological School of Psychology
-reason for behavior is becasue of brain chemistry, genetic, and brain structure -depression: chemical imbalance - help via medication -ex. obesity gene, violence, (homosexuality?)
What is Psychology?
-scientific study of behavior and mental processes -why? what's involved?
Sampling
-selecting a group of subjects -goal is to the representative of the larger population
Introspection
-think about your own thoughts and feelings -self reflection
7 Perspectives of Psychology
1) Biological 2) Behaviorist 3) Cognitive 4) Humanistic 5) Psychodynamic 6) Sociocultural 7) Evolutionary
4 Goals of Psychology
1) Describe Behavior 2) Explain Behavior 3) Predict Behavior 4) Control Behavior
Qualities of Good Research
1) Valid- tests what it claims to test 2) Reliable- does it get the same results multiple times? 3) Replicable- can be properly repeated with constant results 4) Empirical- scientific proof 5) operational definitions- define each term
Representative Sample
- need a variety to represent the population as a whole - use a computer
Survey
- test on attitude/belief -very fast, learn a lot
Z-Score
average distance from the mean in units of standard deviation (on a symmetrical distibution, 68% is always in the first z-score)
Percentile
distance from 0 (how far above the rest of the data)
Rubber Band Theory of Heritability
people have some potential, but it is acheived by nurture
Longitudinal Studies
tests the same group over time (more accurate)
Illusory Correlation
we see a correlation where one does not exist (ex. cold temperatures cause the common cold)
