Contains the all the vocab words from our list of 120. 90 of these words will appear on the quiz Tuesday.
1062743278 | Unconscious | According to Freud, thoughts, memories, and desires that are well below the surface of unconscious awareness but that nonetheless exert great influence on behavior. | 0 | |
1062743279 | Psychology | The science that studies behavior and the psychological and cognitive processes that underlie it, and the profession that applies the accumulated knowledge of this science to practical problems. | 1 | |
1062743280 | Structuralism | A school of psychology based on the notion that the task of psychology is to analyze consciousness into its basic elements and to investigate how these elements are related. | 2 | |
1062743281 | Psychoanalytic theory | A theory developed by Freud, that attempts to explain personality, motivation, and mental disorders by focusing on unconscious determinants of behavior. | 3 | |
1062743282 | Positive psychology | Approach to psychology that uses theory and research to better understand the positive, adaptive, creative, and fulfilling aspects of human existence. | 4 | |
1062743283 | Psychiatry | A branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of psychological problems and disorders. | 5 | |
1062743284 | Introspection | Careful, systematic observation of one's own conscious experience. | 6 | |
1062743285 | Humanism | A theoretical orientation that emphasizes the unique qualities of humans, especially their freedom and their potential for personal growth. | 7 | |
1062743286 | Evolutionary psychology | Theoretical perspective that examines behavioral processes in terms of their adaptive value for a species over the course of many generations. | 8 | |
1062743287 | Functionalism | A school of psychology based on the belief that psychology should investigate the function or purpose of consciousness, rather than its structure. | 9 | |
1062743288 | Empiricism | The premise that knowledge should be acquired through observations. | 10 | |
1062743289 | Clinical psychology | The branch of psychology concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of psychological problems and disorders. | 11 | |
1062743290 | Behaviorism | A theoretical orientation based on the premise that scientific psychology should study only observable behavior. | 12 | |
1062743291 | Cognition | The mental processes involved in acquiring knowledge. | 13 | |
1062743292 | Variability | The extent to which the scores in a data set tend to vary from each other and from the mean. | 14 | |
1062743293 | Independent variable | In an experiment, a condition or event that an experimenter varies in order to see its impact on another variable. | 15 | |
1062743294 | Control group | Subjects in a study who do not receive the special treatment given to the experimental group. | 16 | |
1062743295 | Descriptive statistics | Statistics that are used to organize and summarize data. | 17 | |
1062743296 | Sampling bias | A problem that occurs when the sample is not representative of the population from which it is drawn. | 18 | |
1062743297 | Social desirability bias | A tendency to give socially approved answers to questions about oneself. | 19 | |
1062743298 | Standard deviation | An index of the amount of variability in a set of data. | 20 | |
1062743299 | Case study | An in-depth investigation of an individual subject. | 21 | |
1062743300 | Experimental group | The subjects in a study who receive some special treatment in regard to the independent variable. | 22 | |
1062743301 | Correlation coefficient | A numerical index of the degree of relationship between two variables. | 23 | |
1062743302 | Placebo effects | The fact that subjects' expectations can lead them to experience changes even though they receive an empty, fake, or ineffectual treatment. | 24 | |
1062743303 | Extraneous variables | Any variables other than the independent variable that seem likely to influence the dependent variable in a specific study. | 25 | |
1062743304 | Inferential statistics | Statistics that are used to interpret data and draw conclusions. | 26 | |
1062743305 | Random assignment | The constitution of groups in a study such that all subjects have an equal chance of being assigned to any group or condition. | 27 | |
1062743306 | Subjects | The persons or animals whose behavior is being systematically observed in a study. | 28 | |
1062743307 | Statistical significance | The condition that exists when the probability that the observed findings are due to chance is very low. | 29 | |
1062743308 | Variables | Any measurable conditions, events, characters, or behaviors that are controlled or observed in a study. | 30 | |
1062743309 | Dependent variable | In an experiment, the variable that is thought to be affected by the manipulation of the independent variable. | 31 | |
1062743310 | Double-blind procedure | A research strategy in which neither subjects nor experimenters know which subjects are in the experimental or control groups. | 32 | |
1062743311 | Operational definition | A definition that describes the actions or operations that will be made to measure or control a variable. | 33 | |
1062743312 | Population | The larger collection of animals or people from which a sample is drawn and that researchers want to generalize about. | 34 | |
1062743313 | Mean | The arithmetic average of the scores in a distribution. | 35 | |
1062743314 | Median | The score that falls exactly in the center of a distribution of scores. | 36 | |
1062743315 | Mode | The score that occurs most frequently in a distribution. | 37 | |
1062743316 | Experiment | A research method in which the investigator manipulates a variable under carefully controlled conditions and observes whether any changes occur in a second variable as a result. | 38 | |
1062743317 | Hypothesis | A tentative statement about the relationship between two or more variables. | 39 | |
1062743347 | Action potential | A brief shift in a neuron's electrical charge that travels along an axon. | 40 | |
1062743348 | Absolute refractory period | The minimum length of time after an action potential during which another action potential cannot begin. | 41 | |
1062743361 | Afferent nerve fibers | Axons that carry information inward to the central nervous system from the periphery of the body. | 42 | |
1062743355 | Agonist | A chemical that mimics the action of a neurotransmitter. | 43 | |
1062743356 | Antagonist | A chemical that opposes the action of a neurotransmitter. | 44 | |
1062743363 | Autonomic nervous system (ANS) | Nerves that connect to the heart, blood vessels, smooth muscles, and glands. | 45 | |
1062743342 | Axon | A long, thin fiber that transmits signals away from the soma to other neurons or to muscles or glands. | 46 | |
1062743366 | Central nervous system (CNS) | The brain and the spinal cord. | 47 | |
1062743378 | Cerebral cortex | The convoluted outed layer of the cerebrum. | 48 | |
1062743367 | Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) | Nourishes the brain and provides a protective cushion for it. | 49 | |
1062743380 | Corpus callosum | The structure that connects the two cerebral hemispheres. | 50 | |
1062743341 | Dendrites | The parts of a neuron that are specialized to receive information. | 51 | |
1062743362 | Efferent nerve fibers | Axons that carry information outward from the central nervous system to the periphery of the body. | 52 | |
1062743370 | Electrical stimulation of the brain (ESB) | Sending a weak electrical current into a brain structure to stimulate (activate) it. | 53 | |
1062743368 | Electroencephalograph (EEG) | A device that monitors the electrical activity of the brain over time by means of recording electrodes attached to the surface of the scalp. | 54 | |
1062743383 | Endocrine system | Glands that secrete chemicals into the bloodstream that help control bodily functioning. | 55 | |
1062743357 | Endorphins | Internally produced chemicals that resemble opiates in structure and effects. | 56 | |
1062743374 | Forebrain | The larges and most complex region of the brain, encompassing a variety of structures, including the thalamus, hypothalamus, limbic system, and cerebrum. | 57 | |
1062743372 | Hindbrain | The cerebellum and two structures found in the lower part of the brainstem: the medulla and the pons. | 58 | |
1062743384 | Hormones | The chemical substances released by the endocrine glands. | 59 | |
1062743376 | Hypothalamus | A structure found near the base of the forebrain that is involved in the regulation of basic biological needs. | 60 | |
1062743369 | Lesioning | Destroying a part of the brain. | 61 | |
1062743377 | Limbic system | A loosely connected network of structures located roughly along the border between the cerebral cortex and deeper subcortical areas. | 62 | |
1062743373 | Midbrain | The segment of the brainstem that lies between the hindbrain and the forebrain. | 63 | |
1062743343 | Myelin sheath | Insulating material that encases some axons. | 64 | |
1062743359 | Nerves | Bundles of neuron fibers (axons) that are routed together in the peripheral nervous system. | 65 | |
1062743339 | Neurons | Individual cells in the nervous system that receive, integrate, and transmit information. | 66 | |
1062743350 | Neurotransmitters | Chemicals that transmit information from one neuron to another. | 67 | |
1062743365 | Parasympathetic division | The branch of the autonomic nervous system that generally conserves bodily resources. | 68 | |
1062743385 | Pituitary gland | A gland that releases a great variety of hormones that fan out around the body, stimulating actions in the other endocrine glands. | 69 | |
1062743354 | Reuptake | A process in which neurotransmitters are sponged up fro the synaptic cleft by the presynaptic membrane. | 70 | |
1062743340 | Soma | The cell body, contains the cell nucleus and much of the chemical machinery common to most cells. | 71 | |
1062743381 | Split-brain surgery | The bundle of fibers that connect the cerebral hemispheres (the corpus callosum) is cut to reduce the severity of epileptic seizures. | 72 | |
1062743360 | Somatic nervous system | Nerves that connect to voluntary skeletal muscles and to sensory receptors. | 73 | |
1062743364 | Sympathetic division | The branch of the autonomic nervous system that mobilizes the body's resources for emergencies. | 74 | |
1062743349 | Synaptic cleft | A microscopic gap between the terminal button of one neuron and the cell membrane of another neuron. | 75 | |
1062743375 | Thalamus | A structure in the forebrain through which all sensory information (except smell) must pass to get to the cerebral cortex. | 76 | |
1062743411 | Absolute threshold | The minimum stimulus an organism can detect. | 77 | |
1062743432 | Feature detectors | Neurons that respond selectively to very specific features of more complex stimuli. | 78 | |
1062743467 | Gustatory system | The sensory system for taste. | 79 | |
1062743442 | Inattentional blindness | The failure to see visible objects or events because one's attention is focused elsewhere. | 80 | |
1062743412 | Just noticeable difference (JND) | The smallest difference in stimulus intensity that a specific sense can detect. | 81 | |
1062743468 | Olfactory system | The sensory system for smell. | 82 | |
1062743439 | Opponent process theory | Color perception depends on receptors that make antagonistic responses to three pairs of colors. | 83 | |
1062743430 | Optic chiasm | The point at which the optic nerves from the inside half of the eye cross over and then project to the opposite half of the brain. | 84 | |
1062743422 | Optic disk | A hole in the retina where the nerve fibers exit the eye. | 85 | |
1062743409 | Perception | The selection, organization, and interpretation of sensory input. | 86 | |
1062743441 | Perceptual set | A readiness to perceive a stimulus in a particular way. | 87 | |
1062743463 | Place theory | Perception of pitch corresponds to the vibration of different portions, or places, along the basilar membrane. | 88 | |
1062743425 | Rods | Specialized visual receptors that play a key role in night vision and peripheral vision. | 89 | |
1062743416 | Sensory adaptation | A gradual decline in sensitivity to prolonged stimulation. | 90 | |
1062743414 | Signal detection theory | The detection of stimuli involves decision processes as well as sensory processes, which are both influenced by a variety of factors besides stimulus intensity. | 91 | |
1062743415 | Subliminal perception | The registration of sensory input without conscious awareness. | 92 | |
1062743445 | Top-down processing | A progression from the whole to the elements. | 93 | |
1063410988 | Trichromatic theory | The human eye has three types of receptors with differing sensitivities to different light wavelengths | 94 | |
1062743471 | Vestibular system | Responds to gravity and keeps you informed of your body's location in space. | 95 | |
1062743413 | Weber's law | The size of a just noticeable difference is a constant proportion to the size of the initial stimulus. | 96 | |
1062743319 | Attributions | Inferences that people draw about the causes of events, others' behavior, and their own survival. | 97 | |
1062743330 | Bystander effect | People are less likely to provide needed help when they are in groups than when they are alone. | 98 | |
1062743325 | Companionate love | A warm, trusting, tolerant affection for another whose life is deeply intertwined with one's own. | 99 | |
1062743336 | Foot-in-the-door technique | Getting people to agree to a small request to increase the chance that they will agree to a larger request later. | 100 | |
1062743326 | Ingroup | A group that one belongs to and identifies with. | 101 | |
1062743327 | Conformity | When people yield to real or imagined social pressure. | 102 | |
1062743332 | Group polarization | When group discussion strengthens a group's dominant point of view and produces a shift toward a more extreme decision in that direction. | 103 | |
1062743324 | Matching hypothesis | Males and females of approximately equal physical attractiveness are likely to select each other as partners. | 104 | |
1062743322 | Defensive attribution | A tendency to blame victims for their misfortune, so that one feels less likely to be victimized in a similar way. | 105 | |
1062743333 | Groupthink | When members of a cohesive group emphasize concurrence at the expense of critical thinking in arriving at a decision. | 106 | |
1062743328 | Obediance | A form of compliance that occurs when people follow direct commands, usually from someone in a position of authority. | 107 | |
1062743335 | Discrimination | Behaving differently, usually unfairly, toward the members of a group. | 108 | |
1062743318 | Illusory correlation | When people estimate that they have encountered more confirmations of an association between social traits than they have actually seen. | 109 | |
1063918754 | Person perception | The process of forming impressions of others. | 110 | |
1062743321 | External attributions | Ascribes the causes of behavior to situational demands and environmental constraints. | 111 | |
1062743338 | Individualism | Putting personal goals ahead of group goals and defining one's identity in terms of personal attributes rather than in group memberships. | 112 | |
1062743334 | Prejudice | A negative attitude held towards members of a group. | 113 | |
1062743337 | Reciprocity norm | The rule that we should pay back in kind what we receive from others. | 114 | |
1062743323 | Self-serving bias | The tendency to attribute one's successes to personal factors and one's failures to situational factors. | 115 | |
1062743331 | Social loafing | A reduction in effort by individuals when they work in groups as compared to when they work by themselves. | 116 | |
1062743475 | Social Psychology | The branch of psychology concerned with the way individuals' thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by others. | 117 | |
1062743329 | Social roles | Widely shared expectations about how people in certain positions are supposed to behave. | 118 | |
1062743476 | Social Schema | Organized clusters of ideas about categories of social events and people. | 119 |