question

Introspection

answer

the examination of one's own thoughts and feelings.

question

Behaviorism

answer

the view that psychology should be an objective science that studies behavior without reference to mental processes.

question

Psychology

answer

the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

question

Hindsight bias

answer

after learning the outcome of an event, many believe they could have predicted that very outcome.

question

Overconfidence

answer

an excessive degree of confidence, and an effect in cognitive psychology which shows that people are systematically biased toward their own abilities.

question

Nature vs nurture

answer

how differences in traits and behavior relate to differences in heredity and environment.

question

Descriptive research

answer

technique in which one person is studied in depth to reveal underlying behavioral principles.

question

Correlational research

answer

used to predict behavior.

question

Experimental research

answer

researchers can isolate cause and effect by manipulating factors that interest us while keeping other factors under control.

question

Correlational coefficient

answer

a statistical measure of the relationship between two variables.

question

Independent variable

answer

a factor manipulated by the experimenter.

question

Dependent variable

answer

a factor that may change in response to the Ind variable; what is being measured.

question

Basic research

answer

pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base.

question

Applied research

answer

scientific study that aims to solve practical problems.

question

Biopsychosocial approach

answer

model stating that biological, psychological and social factors all play a role in human functioning.

question

Dendrites

answer

receive messages from other cells.

question

Cell body

answer

the cells life support center.

question

Axon

answer

passes messages away from the cell body to other neurons, muscles or glands.

question

Action potential

answer

neural impulse that occurs when threshold is reached.

question

Synapse

answer

gap between axon terminal of sending neuron and receiving neuron.

question

Neurotransmitters

answer

chemicals released from sending neuron.

question

Central NS

answer

the brain and spinal cord.

question

Reuptake

answer

the process where sending neuron reabsorbs excess neurotransmitters in synapse.

question

Operational definitions

answer

a statement of the procedures used to define research variables. Ex. hunger defined as "hours without eating."

question

Theory

answer

an explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes observations and predicts behaviors or events.

question

Hypothesis

answer

a testable prediction, often implied by a theory.

question

Case study

answer

an observation technique in which one person is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles.

question

Naturalistic observation

answer

observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation.

question

Survey

answer

a technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a particular group, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of the group.

question

Random sample

answer

a sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion.

question

Positive correlation

answer

indicates a direct relationship, meaning that two things increase together or decrease together.

question

Negative correlation

answer

indicates an inverse relationship, as one increases the other decreases.

question

Random assignment

answer

assigning participants to experimental and control groups by chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between the different groups.

question

Double blind procedure

answer

an experimental procedure in which both the research participants and staff are ignorant to whether they received a placebo or the treatment.

question

Placebo effect

answer

experimental results caused by the expectation of treatment.

question

Neuron

answer

a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system.

question

Peripheral NS

answer

the sensory and motor neurons that connect the CNS to the rest of the body.

question

Somatic NS

answer

the division of the peripheral NS that controls the bodes skeletal muscles.

question

Autonomic NS

answer

the part of the peripheral NS that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs.

question

Sympathetic NS

answer

the division of the autonomic NS that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations.

question

Parasympathetic NS

answer

the division of the autonomic NS that calms the body, conserving energy.

question

Endocrine system

answer

the body's "slow" chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream.

question

Hormones

answer

chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissues.

question

Adrenal glands

answer

a pair of glands that sit above the kidneys and secrete adrenaline in times of stress.

question

Pituitary gland

answer

the endocrine system's most influential gland, regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands, master gland.

question

Brainstem

answer

central core of the brain, responsible for automatic survival functions.

question

Thalamus

answer

the brains sensory router, directs messages to the sensory receiving ares in the cortex.

question

Reticular formation

answer

a nerve network that travels through the brainstem and plays an important role in controlling arousal.

question

Amygdala

answer

two lima bean sized neural clusters in the limbic system, linked to emotions of fear and anger.

question

Cerebellum

answer

located in the rear of the brainstem, functions include processing sensory input, coordinating movement and balance, and enabling nonverbal learning and memory.

question

Hypothalamus

answer

a neural structure lying below the thalamus; directs several maintenance activities, helps govern the endocrine system, and linked to emotion and reward.

question

Hippocampus

answer

important for learning and forming new memories.

question

Cerebral cortex

answer

the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemisphere, the bodes ultimate control and information processing center.

question

Frontal lobes

answer

located on front of head, involved in speaking and muscle movements and judgement.

question

Parietal lobe

answer

located on top of head, receives sensory input for touch and body position.

question

Occipital lobe

answer

located on back of head, includes areas that receive information from the visual fields.

question

Temporal lobe

answer

located above the ears, includes auditory areas, each receiving information primarily from the opposite ear.

question

Motor cortex

answer

an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements.

question

Sensory cortex

answer

area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations.

question

Plasticity

answer

the brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience.

question

Neurogenesis

answer

the formation of new neurons.

question

Behavior genetics

answer

the study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior.

question

Genes

answer

the biochemical units of heredity that make up the chromosomes

question

Epigenetics

answer

the study of environmental influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change.

question

Evolutionary psychology

answer

the study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection.

question

Natural selection

answer

the principle that, among the range of inherited trait variations, those contributing to reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations.

question

Mutation

answer

a random error in gene replication that leads to a change.

question

Developmental psychology

answer

a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social changes throughout the life span.

question

Zygote

answer

the fertilized egg; it enters a 2 week period of rapid cell division and develops into an embryo.

question

Embryo

answer

the developing human organism from about 2 weeks after fertilization through the second month.

question

Fetus

answer

the developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth.

question

Teratogens

answer

agents, such as toxins, chemicals, and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm.

question

Habituation

answer

decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation.

question

Maturation

answer

biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior, relatively uninfluenced by experience.

question

Critical period

answer

an optimal period early in the life of an organism when exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces normal development.

question

Schema

answer

a concept or framework that organizes and interprets information.

question

Assimilation

answer

interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas.

question

Accommodation

answer

adapting our current understanding to incorporate new information.

question

Object permanence

answer

the awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived.

question

Conservation

answer

the principle that properties such as mass, volume and number remain the same despite changes in the forms of objects.

question

Egocentrism

answer

the pre operational child's difficulty taking another's point of view.

question

Theory of mind

answer

people's ideas about their own and others' mental states.

question

Stranger anxiety

answer

the fear of strangers that infants commonly display, beginning by about 8 months of age.

question

Attachment

answer

an emotional tie with another person; shown in young children by their seeking closeness to the caregiver and showing distress on separation.

question

Cognition

answer

refers to all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering and communicating.

question

Sensorimotor stage

answer

the stage during which infants know the world mostly in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activities.

question

Preoperational stage

answer

the stage during which a child learns to use language but does not yet comprehend the mental operations of concrete logic.

question

Formal operational stage

answer

the stage of cognitive development during which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts.

question

Concrete operational stage

answer

the stage of cognitive development during which children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete events.

General Psychology Midterm 1 – Flashcards

Unlock all answers in this set

Haven't found what you were looking for?

Search for samples, answers to your questions and flashcards