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AP PSYCH
Midterm
199
Psychology
12th Grade
12/15/2012

Additional Psychology Flashcards

 


 

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Term
Wilhelm Wundt
Definition
-"Father of Experimental Psychology"
-first psychology lab in 1879
Term
Albert Bandura
Definition
-Bobo doll experiment (observational learning)
-Observational learning requires attention, memory, imitation, motivation
Term
Sigmund Freud
Definition
-"Father of Psychoanalysis"
-Concepts of repression and the unconscious (early childhood experiences)
Term
Ivan Pavlov
Definition
-Russian physiologist
-father of classical conditioning
Term
B.F. Skinner
Definition
-Behaviorist
-Developed operant conditioning
Term
John Watson
Definition
-"Father of Behaviorism"
-"Little Albert"
Term
Herman Ebbinghaus
Definition
-German psychologist
-pioneer in the study of memory, discovered the "forgetting curve"
Term
Max Wertheimer
Definition
-"Gestalt Psychology"
-German
Term
Edward Titchener
Definition
-British Psychologist
-father of structuralism
Term
Structuralism
Definition
early perspective in psychology associated with Wilhelm Wundt and Edward Titchener, in which the focus of study is the structure or basic elements of the mind
Term
Functionalism
Definition
early perspective in psychology associated with William James, in which the focus of study is how the mind allows people to adapt, live, and play
Term
Gestalt Psychology
Definition
early perspective in psychology focusing on perception and sensation, particularly in the perception of patterns and whole figures
Term
Psychoanalysis
Definition
Freud's term for both the theory of personality and the therapy based on it
Term
Behaviorism
Definition
the science of behavior that focuses on observable behavior only
Term
Scientific Method
Definition
system of gathering data so that bias and error in measurement are minimal
Term
Naturalistic Observation
Definition
Observing behavior of animals/people in their normal environment
Term
Laboratory Observation
Definition
Observing behavior in a controlled environment
Term
case study
Definition
a study of one individual in great detail
Term
Survey
Definition
asking a series of questions about the topic of study. good way of getting private information or a great quantity of data
Term
correlation
Definition
a measure of the relationship between two variables
Term
correlation coefficient
Definition
a number derived from the formula for measuring a correlation and indicating the strength and direction of a correlation
Term
independent variable
Definition
variable in an experiment that is manipulated by the experimenter
Term
dependent variable
Definition
variable in an experiment that represents the measurable response or behavior of the subjects in the experiment
Term
control group
Definition
subjects in an experiment who are not subjected to the independent variable and who may receive a placebo treatment
Term
experimental group
Definition
subjects in an experiment who are subjected to the independent variable
Term
random assignment
Definition
process of assigning subjects to the experimental or control groups randomly, so that each subject has an equal chance of being in either group
Term
placebo effect
Definition
the phenomenon in which the expectations of the participants in a study can influence their behavior
Term
single-blind study
Definition
study in which the subjects do not know if they are in the experimental or the control group
Term
double-blind study
Definition
study in which neither the experimenter nor the subjects know if the subjects are in the experimental group
Term
neuron
Definition
the basic cell that makes up the nervous system and that receives and sends messages within that system
Term
axon
Definition
tubelike structure that carries the neural message to other cells
Term
glial cells
Definition
cells that provide support for the neurons to grow on and around, deliver nutrients to neurons, produce myelin to coat axons, clean up waste products and dead neurons, influence information processing, and, during prenatal development, influence the generation of new neurons
Term
resting potential
Definition
the state of the neuron when not firing a neural impulse
Term
action potential
Definition
the release of the neural impulse consisting of a reversal of the electrical charge within the axon
Term
synaptic knob
Definition
rounded areas on the end of the axon terminals
Term
synaptic vesicles
Definition
saclike structures found inside the synaptic knob, containing chemicals
Term
neurotransmitter
Definition
chemical found in the synaptic vesicles that, when released, has an effect on the next cell
Term
reuptake
Definition
process by which neurotransmitters are taken back into the synaptic vesicles
Term
Central Nervous System
Definition
part of the nervous system consisting of the brain and spinal cord
Term
spinal cord
Definition
a long bundle of neurons that carries messages between the body and the brain and is responsible for very fast, lifesaving reflexes
Term
afferent (sensory) neuron
Definition
a neuron that carries information from the senses to the central nervous system
Term
efferent (motor) neuron
Definition
a neuron that carries messages from the central nervous system to the muscles of the body
Term
interneuron
Definition
a neuron found in the center of the spinal cord that receives information from the afferent neurons and sends commands to the muscles through the efferent neurons. these also make up the bulk of the neurons in the brain
Term
peripheral nervous system
Definition
all nerves and neurons that are not contained in the brain and spinal cord but that run through the body itself
Term
somatic nervous system
Definition
division of the PNS consisting of nerves that carry information from the senses to the CNS and from the CNS to the voluntary muscles of the body
Term
autonomic nervous system
Definition
division of the PNS consisting of nerves that control all of the involuntary muscles, organs, and glands
Term
medulla
Definition
the first large swelling at the top of the spinal cord, forming the lowest part of the brain, which is responsible for life-sustaining functions such as breathing, swallowing, and heart rate
Term
pons
Definition
the larger swelling above the medulla that connects the top of the brain to the bottom and that plays a part in sleep, dreaming, left-right body coordination, and arousal
Term
reticular formation
Definition
an area of neurons running through the middle of the medulla and the pons and slightly beyond that play a role in general arousal, alertness, and sleep
Term
cerebellum
Definition
part of the lower brain located behind the pons that controls and coordinates involuntary, rapid, fine motor movement
Term
thalamus
Definition
part of the limbic system located in the center of the brain, this structure relays sensory information from the lower part of the brain to the proper areas of the cortex and processes some sensory information before sending it to its proper area
Term
hypothalamus
Definition
small structure in the brain located below the thalamus and directly above the pituitary gland, responsible for motivational behavior such as sleep, hunger, thirst, and sex
Term
hippocampus
Definition
curved structure located within each temporal lobe, responsible for the formation of long-term memories and the storage of memory for the location of objects
Term
amygdala
Definition
brain structure located near the hippocampus, responsible for fear responses and memory of fear
Term
cortex
Definition
outermost covering of the brain consisting of densely packed neurons, responsible for higher thought processes and interpretation of sensory input
Term
occipital lobe
Definition
section of the brain located at the rear and bottom of each cerebral hemisphere containing the visual centers for the brain
Term
parietal lobes
Definition
sections of the brain located at the top and back of each cerebral hemisphere containing the centers for touch, taste, and temperature sensations
Term
temporal lobes
Definition
areas of the cortex located just behind the temples containing the neurons responsible for the sense of hearing and meaningful speech
Term
frontal lobes
Definition
areas of the cortex located in the front and top of the brain, responsible for higher mental processes and decision making as well as the production of fluent speech
Term
Broca's Area
Definition
area of the brain in the left frontal lobe which allows a person to speak smoothly and fluently
Term
Wernicke's Area
Definition
are of the brain in the left temporal lobe which is involved in the understanding of words' meanings
Term
pituitary gland
Definition
gland located in the brain that secretes human growth hormone and influences all other hormone-secreting glands
Term
pineal gland
Definition
endocrine gland located near the base of cerebrum; secretes melatonin
Term
thyroid gland
Definition
endocrine gland found in the neck; regulates metabolism
Term
adrenal glands
Definition
endocrine glands located on top of each kidney that secrete over 30 different hormones to deal with stress, regulate salt intake, and provide a secondary source of sex hormones affecting the sexual changes that occur during adolescence
Term
endocrine glands
Definition
glands that secrete chemicals called hormones directly into the bloodstream
Term
sensation
Definition
this occurs when special receptors in the sense organs are activated, allowing various forms of outside stimuli to become neural signals in the brain
Term
gustation
Definition
sense of taste
Term
olfaction
Definition
sense of smell
Term
somesthetic sense
Definition
the body senses consisting of the skin senses, the kinesthetic sense, and the vestibular sense
Term
skin senses
Definition
the sensations of touch, pressure, temperature and pain (TPTP)
Term
kinesthetic sense
Definition
sense of the location of body parts in relation to the ground and each other
Term
vestibular sense
Definition
the sensations of movement, balance, and body position
Term
perception
Definition
the method by which the sensations experienced at any given moment are interpreted and organized in some meaningful fashion
Term
size constancy
Definition
the tendency to interpret an object as always being the same actual size, regardless of distance
Term
shape constancy
Definition
the tendency to interpret the shape of an object as being constant, even when its shape changes on the retina
Term
brightness constancy
Definition
the tendency to perceive the apparent brightness of an object as the same even when the light conditions change
Term
figure-ground
Definition
the tendency to perceive objects, or figures, as existing on a background
Term
reversible figures
Definition
visual illusions in which the figure and ground can be reversed
Term
proximity
Definition
the tendency to perceive objects that are close to each other as part of the same grouping
Term
similarity
Definition
the tendency to perceive things that look similar to each other as being part of the same group
Term
closure
Definition
the tendency to complete figures that are incomplete
Term
continuity
Definition
the tendency to perceive things as simply as possible with a continuous pattern rather than with a complex, broken-up pattern
Term
contiguity
Definition
the tendency to perceive two things that happen close together in time as being related
Term
monocular cues
Definition
cues for perceiving depth based on one eye only
Term
linear perspective
Definition
the tendency for parallel lines to appear to converge on each other
Term
relative size
Definition
perception that occurs when objects that a person expects to be of a certain size appear to be small and are, therefore, assumed to be much farther away
Term
texture gradient
Definition
the tendency for textured surfaces to appear to become smaller and finer as distance from the viewer increases
Term
motion parallax
Definition
the perception of motion of objects in which close objects appear to move more quickly than objects that are farther away
Term
accomodation
Definition
as a monocular cue, the brain's use of information about the changing thickness of the lens of the eye in response to looking at objects that are close or far away
Term
binocular cues
Definition
cues for perceiving depth based on both eyes
Term
convergence
Definition
the rotation of the two eyes in their sockets to focus on a single object, resulting in greater convergence for closer objects and lesser convergence if objects are distant
Term
binocular disparity
Definition
the difference in images between the two eyes, which is greater for objects that are close and smaller for distant objects
Term
perceptual expectancy
Definition
the tendency to perceive things a certain way because previous experiences or expectations influence those perceptions
Term
top-down processing
Definition
the use of pre-existing knowledge to organize individual features into a unified whole
Term
bottom-up processing
Definition
the analysis of the smaller features to build up to a complete perception
Term
consciousness
Definition
a person's awareness of everything that is going on around him/her at any given moment, which is used to organize behavior
Term
sleep deprivation
Definition
any significant loss of sleep, resulting in problems in concentration and irritability
Term
REM
Definition
stage of sleep in which the eyes move rapidly under the eyelids and the person is typically experiencing a dream
Term
NREM sleep
Definition
any of the stages of sleep that do not include REM
Term
NREM stage 1
Definition
hypnagogic images and hypnic jerks occur in this stage. theta waves are released
Term
NREM stage 2
Definition
sleep spindles occur in this stage. theta waves are released
Term
NREM stage 3
Definition
deep sleep, delta waves released (20-50%)
Term
NREM stage 4
Definition
deep sleep, delta waves released (50+%)
Term
delta waves
Definition
long, slow waves that indicate the deepest stage of sleep
Term
alpha waves
Definition
brain waves that indicate a state of relaxation or light sleep
Term
theta waves
Definition
brain waves indicating the early stages of sleep
Term
beta waves
Definition
small, fast brain waves indicating an alert, awake state
Term
night terrors
Definition
relatively rare disorder in which the person experiences extreme fear and screams or runs around during deep sleep without waking fully
Term
insomnia
Definition
the inability to get to sleep, stay asleep, or get a good quality of sleep
Term
sleep apnea
Definition
disorder in which the person stops breathing for nearly half a minute or more
Term
narcolepsy
Definition
sleep disorder in which a person falls immediately into REM sleep during the day without warning
Term
manifest content
Definition
the actual dream itself
Term
latent content
Definition
symbols in a dream that express the dream's true meaning
Term
activation-synthesis hypothesis
Definition
explanation that states that dreams are created by the higher centers of the cortex to explain the activation by the brain stem of cortical cells during REM sleep periods
Term
activation-information-mode model (AIM)
Definition
revised version of the activation-synthesis explanation of dreams in which information that is accessed during waking hours can have an influence on the synthesis of dreams
Term
hypnosis
Definition
state of consciousness in which the person is especially susceptible to suggestion
Term
psychoactive drugs
Definition
drugs that alter thinking, perception, and memory
Term
physical dependence
Definition
condition occurring when a person's body becomes unable to function normally without a particular drug
Term
withdrawal
Definition
physical symptoms that can include nausea, pain, tremors, crankiness, and high blood pressure, resulting from a lack of an addictive drug in the body systems
Term
psychological dependence
Definition
the feeling that a drug is needed to continue a feeling of emotional or psychological well-being
Term
stimulants
Definition
drugs that increase the functioning of the nervous system
Term
depressants
Definition
drugs that decrease the functioning of the nervous system
Term
narcotics
Definition
a class of opium-related drugs that suppress the sensation of pain by binding to and stimulating the nervous system's natural receptor sites for endorphins
Term
hallucinogenics
Definition
drugs including hallucinogens and marijuana that produce hallucinations or increased feelings of relaxation and intoxication
Term
amphetamines
Definition
stimulants that are synthesized in laboratories rather than being found in nature
Term
cocaine
Definition
a natural drug derived from the leaves of the cocoa plant
Term
nicotene
Definition
the active ingredient in tobacco (stimulant)
Term
caffeine
Definition
a mild stimulant found in coffee, tea, and several other plant-based substances
Term
barbiturates
Definition
depressant drugs that have a sedative effect
Term
benzodiazepines
Definition
drugs that lower anxiety and reduce stress
Term
alcohol
Definition
the chemical resulting from fermentation or distillation of various kinds of vegetable matter
Term
morphine
Definition
narcotic drug derived from opium, used to treat severe pain
Term
heroin
Definition
narcotic drug derived from opium that is extremely addictive
Term
methadone
Definition
a derivative of opium that does not produce the euphoric high of morphine and heroin
Term
LSD
Definition
powerful synthetic hallucinogen
Term
PCP
Definition
synthesized drug now used as an animal tranquilizer that can cause stimulant, depressant, narcotic, or hallucinogenic effects
Term
MDMA (Ecstasy)
Definition
designer drug that can have both stimulant and hallucinatory effects
Term
mescaline
Definition
natural hallucinogen derived from the peyote cactus buttons
Term
marijuana
Definition
mild hallucinogen derived from the leaves and flowers of a particular type of hemp plant
Term
classical conditioning
Definition
learning to make an involuntary response to a stimulus other than the original, natural stimulus that normally produces the reflex
Term
Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)
Definition
a naturally occurring stimulus that leads to an involuntary response
Term
Unconditioned Response (UCR)
Definition
an involuntary response to a naturally occurring or unconditioned stimulus
Term
Conditioned Stimulus (CS)
Definition
stimulus that becomes able to produce a learned reflex response by being paired with the original unconditioned stimulus
Term
Conditioned Response (CR)
Definition
learned reflex response to a conditioned stimulus
Term
stimulus generalization
Definition
the tendency to respond to a stimulus that is only similar to the original conditioned stimulus with the conditioned response
Term
stimulus discrimination
Definition
the tendency to stop making a generalized response to a stimulus that is similar to the original conditioned stimulus because the similar stimulus is never paired with the unconditioned stimulus
Term
extinction
Definition
the disappearance or weakening of a learned response following the removal or absence of the unconditioned stimulus (in CC) or the removal of a reinforcer (in OC)
Term
spontaneous recovery
Definition
the reappearance of a learned response after extinction has occurred
Term
higher-order conditioning
Definition
occurs when a strong conditioned stimulus is paired with a neutral stimulus is paired with a neutral stimulus, causing the neutral stimulus to become a second conditioned stimulus
Term
vicarious conditioning
Definition
classical conditioning of a reflex response or emotion by watching the reaction of another person
Term
Operant Conditioning
Definition
the learning of voluntary behavior through the effects of pleasant and unpleasant consequences to responses
Term
Thorndike's Law of Effect
Definition
law stating that if an action is followed by a pleasurable consequence it will tend to be repeated. (vice versa)
Term
positive reinforcement
Definition
the reinforcement of a response by the addition or experiencing of a pleasurable stimulus
Term
negative reinforcement
Definition
the reinforcement of a response by the removal, escape from, or avoidance of an unpleasant stimulus
Term
punishment
Definition
any event or object that, when following a response, makes that response less likely to happen again
Term
partial reinforcement effect
Definition
the tendency for a response that is reinforced after some, but not all, correct responses to be very resistant to extinction
Term
continuous reinforcement
Definition
the reinforcement of each and every correct response
Term
fixed interval schedule of reinforcement
Definition
schedule of reinforcement in which the interval of time that must pass before reinforcement becomes possible is always the same
Term
variable interval schedule of reinforcement
Definition
schedule of reinforcement in which the interval of time that must pass before reinforcement becomes possible is different for each trial or event
Term
fixed ratio schedule of reinforcement
Definition
schedule of reinforcement in which the number of responses required for reinforcement is always the same
Term
variable ratio schedule of reinforcement
Definition
schedule of reinforcement in which the number of responses required for reinforcement is different for each trial or event
Term
observational learning
Definition
learning new behavior by watching a model perform that behavior
Term
latent learning
Definition
learning that remains hidden until its application becomes useful
Term
memory
Definition
an active system that receives information from the senses, puts that information into a usable form, and organizes it as it stores it away, and then retrieves the info from storage
Term
encoding
Definition
the set of mental operations that people perform on sensory information to convert that information into a form that is usable in the brain's storage systems
Term
storage
Definition
holding onto information for some period of time
Term
retrieval
Definition
getting information that is in storage into a form that can be used
Term
information processing model
Definition
model of memory that assumes that processing of information for memory storage is similar to the way a computer processes memory in a series of three stages
Term
parallel distributed processing (PDP) model
Definition
a model of memory in which memory processes are proposed to take place at the same time over a large network of neural connections
Term
sensory memory
Definition
the very first stage of memory, the point at which information enters the nervous system through the sensory systems
Term
iconic memory
Definition
visual sensory memory, lasting only a fraction of a second
Term
echoic memory
Definition
the brief memory of something a person has just heard
Term
short-term memory
Definition
the memory system in which information is held for brief periods of time while being used
Term
selective attention
Definition
the ability to focus on only one stimulus from among all sensory input
Term
working memory
Definition
an active system that processes the information in short-term memory
Term
maintenance rehearsal
Definition
practice of saying some information to be remembered over and over in one's head in order to maintain it in short-term memory
Term
chunking
Definition
combining bits of information into meaningful units in order to hold more in the short term memory
Term
digit span test
Definition
test in which a series of numbers is read to subjects who are then asked to recall the numbers in order
Term
seven items (+/-2)
Definition
capacity of short term memory
Term
Long Term Memory
Definition
the system of memory into which all the information is placed to be kept more or less permanently
Term
procedural (non-declarative) memory
Definition
type of long-term memory including memory for skills, procedures, habits, and conditioned responses. These memories are not conscious but are implied to exist because they affect conscious behavior
Term
declarative memory
Definition
type of long term memory containing information that is conscious and known
Term
implicit memory
Definition
memory that is not easily brought into conscious awareness such as procedural memory
Term
episodic memory
Definition
type of declarative memory containing personal information not readily available to others, such as daily activities and events
Term
explicit memory
Definition
memory that is consciously known, such as declarative memory
Term
semantic network model
Definition
model of memory organization that assumes information is stored in the brain in a connected fashion, with concepts that are related stored physically closer to each other than concepts that are not highly related
Term
retrieval cue
Definition
a stimulus for remembering
Term
encoding specificity
Definition
the tendency for memory of information to be improved if related information (such as surroundings or physiological state) available when the memory is first formed is also available when the memory is being retrieved
Term
recall
Definition
type of memory retrieval in which the information to be retrieved must be "pulled" from memory with very few external cues
Term
recognition
Definition
the ability to match a piece of information or a stimulus to a stored image or fact
Term
curve of forgetting
Definition
a graph showing a distinct pattern in which forgetting is very fast within the first hour after learning a list and then tapers off gradually
Term
encoding failure
Definition
failure to process information into memory
Term
distributed practice
Definition
spacing the study of material to be remembered by including breaks between study periods
Term
memory trace decay
Definition
loss of memory due to the passage of time, during which the memory trace is not used
Term
proactive interference
Definition
memory retrieval problem that occurs when older information prevents or interferes with the retrieval of newer information
Term
retroactive interference
Definition
memory retrieval problem that occurs when newer information prevents or interferes with the retrieval of older information
Term
retrograde amnesia
Definition
loss of memory from the point of some injury or trauma, backwards, or loss of memory for the past
Term
anterograde amnesia
Definition
loss of memory from the point of some injury or trauma onwards, or loss of the ability to make new memories
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