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Definition
the scientific study of mind and behavior
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| our private inner experience of perceptions, thoughts, memories, and feelings |
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| observable actions of human beings and nonhuman animals |
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| the philosophical view that certain kinds of knowledge are innate or inborn |
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| the philosophical view that all knowledge is acquired through experience |
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| a now defunct theory that specific mental abilities and characteristics, ranging from memory to the capacity for happiness, are localized in specific regions of the brain |
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| the study of biological processes, especially in the human body |
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| sensory input from the environment |
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| the amount of time taken to respond to a specific stimulus |
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| a person's subjective experience of the world and the mind |
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| the analysis of the basic elements that constitute the mind |
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| the subjective observation of one's own experience |
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| the study of the purpose mental processes serve in enabling people to adapt to their environment |
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| Charles Darwin's theory that the features of an organism that help it survive and reproduce are more likely than other features to be passed on to subsequent generations |
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| errors of perception, memory, or judgment in which subjective experience differs from objective reality |
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| a psychological approach that emphasizes that we often perceive the whole rather than the sum of the parts |
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| dissociative identity disorder |
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Definition
| a condition that involves the occurence of two or more distinct identities within the same individual |
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| a temporary loss of cognitive or motor functions, usually as a result of emotionally upsetting experiences |
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| the part of the mind that operates outside of conscious awareness but influences conscious thoughts, feelings, and actions |
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| sigmund freud's approach to understanding human behavior that emphasizes the importance of unconscious mental processes in shaping feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. |
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| a therapeutic approach that focuses on bringing unconscious material into conscious awareness to better understand psychological disorders |
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| an approach to understanding human nature that emphasizes the positive potential of human beings |
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| an approach that advocates that psychologists restrict themselves to the scientific study of objectively observable behavior |
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| an action os psychological change elicited by a stimulus |
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| the consequences of a behavior that determine whether it will be more likely that the behavior will occur again |
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| the scientific study of mental processes, including perception, thought, memory, and reasoning |
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| an approach to psychology that links psychological processes to activities in the nervous system and other bodily processes |
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| a field that attempts to understand the links between cognitive processes and brain activity |
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| a psychological approach that explains mind and behavior in terms of the adaptive value of abilities that are preserved over time by natural selection |
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| a subfield of psychology that studies the causes and consequences of interpersonal behavior |
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| the study of how cultures reflect and shape the psychological processes of their members. |
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| originally a greek school of medicine that stressed the imprtance of observation, and now generally used to describe any attempt to acquire knowledge by observing objects or events |
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| a set of rules and techniques for observation that allow researchers to avoid the illusions, mistakes, and erroneous conclusions that simple observation can produce |
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| a description of an abstract property in terms of a concrete condition that can be measured |
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| a device that can detect the measurable events to which an operational definiton refers |
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| a device that measures muscle contractions under the surface of a person's skin |
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| the characteristic of an observation that allows one to draw accurate inferences from it |
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| the tendency for an operational definition and a property to have a clear conceptual relation |
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| the tendency for an operational definition to be related to other operational definitions |
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| the tendency for a measure to produce the same result whenever it is used to measure the same thing |
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| the tendency for a measure to produce different results when it is used to measure different things |
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| a method of gathering scientific knowledge by studying a single individual |
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| the complete collection of participants who might possibly be measured |
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| the partial collection of people who actually were measured in a study |
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| a statistical law stating that as sample size increases, the attributes of a sample will more closely reflect the attributes of the population from which it was drawn |
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| a graphical representation of the measurements of a sample that are arranged by the number of times each measurement was observed |
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| a frequency distribution in which most measurements are concentrated around the mean and dall off toward the tails, and the two sides of the distribution are symmetrical |
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| the "most frequent" measurement in a frequency distribution |
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| the average of the measurements in a frequency distribution |
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| the "middle" measurement in a frequency distribution. half the measurements in a frquency distribution are greater than or equal to the median |
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| the numerical difference between the smallest and largest measurements in a frequency distribution |
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| those aspects of an observational setting that cause people to behave as they think an observer wants or expects them to behave |
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| a method of gathering scientific knowlegde by unobtrusively observing people in their natural environments |
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| an observation whose true response is hidden from the researcher as well as from the particpant |
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| a property whose value can vary or change |
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| the "co-relationship" or pattern of covariation between two variables, each of which has been measured several times |
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| a correlation observed between naturally occurring variables |
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| a correlation observed between naturally occurring variables |
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| third-variable correlation |
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Definition
| the fact that two variables may be correlated only because they are both caused by a third variable |
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| an observational technique that involves matching the average of the participants in the experimental and control groups in order to eliminate the possibility that a third variable caused changes in the dependent variable |
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| an observational technique that involves matching the average of the participants in the experimental group with a specific participant in the control group in order to eliminate the possibility that a third variable caused changes in the dependent variable |
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| the fact that the casual relationship between two variables cannot be inferred from the correlation between them because of the ever-present possibility of third-variable correlation |
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| a technique for establishing the casual relationship between variables |
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| a characteristic of experimentation in which the researcher artificially creates a pattern of variation in an independent variable in order to determine its casual powers. manipulation usually results in the creation of an experimental group and a control group |
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| the variable that is manipulated in an experiment |
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| the characteristics of an experiment that allows one to draw accurate inferences about the casual relationship between an independent and dependent variable |
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| a characteristic of an experiemnt in which the independent and dependent variables are operationally defined in a normal, typical, or realistic way |
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Definition
| cells in the nervous system that communicate with one another to perform info-processing tasks |
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| teh part of a neuron that coordinates info-processing tasks and keeps the cell alive |
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| the part of a neuron that receives info from other neurons and relays it to the cell body |
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| the part of a neuron that transmits info to other neurons, muscles, or glands |
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| an insulating layer of fatty material |
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| support cells found in the nervous system |
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| the junction or region between the axon of one neuron and the dendrites or cell body of another |
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| neurons that receive info from the external world and convey this info to the brain via spinal cord |
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| neurons that carry signals from the spinal cord to the muscles to produce movement |
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| neurons that connect sensory neurons, motor neurons, or other interneurons |
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Definition
| teh difference in electric charge between the inside and outside of a neuron's cell membrane |
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Definition
| an electric signal that is conducted an axon to a synapse |
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| the time following an action potential during which a new action potential cannot be initiated |
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| knoblike structures that branch out from an axon |
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| chemicals that transmit info across the synapse to a receiving neuron's dendrites |
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| parts of the cell membrane that receive the neurotransmitter and initiate a new electric signal |
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Definition
| a neurotransmitter involved in a number of functions, including voluntary motor control |
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Definition
| a neurotransmitter that regulates motor behavior, motivation, pleasure, and emotional arousal |
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Definition
| a major exitatory neurotransmitter involved in infromation transmission throughout the brain |
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| GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) |
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Definition
| the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain |
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Definition
| a neurtransmitter that influences mood and arousal |
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| a neurotransmitter that is involved in the regulation of sleep and wakefulness, eating, and aggressive behavior |
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| chemicals that act within the pain pathways and emotion centers of the brain |
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| drugs that increase the action of a neurotransmitter |
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| drugs that block the function of a neurotransmitter |
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Definition
| an interacting network of neurons that conveys electrochemical info throughout the body |
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| central nervous system (CNS) |
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Definition
| the part of the nervous system that is composed of the brain and spinal cord |
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| peripheral nervous system (PNS) |
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Definition
| the part of the nervous system that is connects the central nervous system to the body's organs and muscles |
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Definition
| a set of nerves that conveys info into and out of the central nervous system |
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| autonomic nervous system (ANS) |
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Definition
| a set of nerves that carries involuntary and automatic commands that control blood vessels, body organs, and glands |
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| sympathetic nervous system |
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Definition
| a set of nerves that prepares teh body for action in threatening situations |
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| parasympathetic nervous system |
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Definition
| a set of nerves that helps the body return to a normal resting state |
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Definition
| an area of the brain that coordinates information coming into and out of the spinal cord |
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| an extension of the spinal cord into the skull that coordinates heart rate, circulation, and respiration |
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Definition
| a brain structure that regulates sleep, wakefulness, and levels of arousal |
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| a large structure of the hindbrain that controls fine motor skills |
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| a brain stucture that relays info from the cerebellum to the rest of the brain |
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| a part of the midbrain that orients an organism in the environment |
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| a part of the midbrain that is involved in movement and arousal |
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| teh outermost layer of the brain, visible to the naked eye divided into two hemispheres |
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| areas of the forebrain housed under the cerebral cortex near the very center of the brain |
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| a subcortical structure that relays and filters info from the senses and transmits the info to the cerebral cortex |
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| a subcortical structure that regulates body temp, hunger, thirst, and sexual behavior |
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| the "master gland" of the body's hormone- producing system, whcih releases hormones that direct the functions of many other glands in the body |
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Definition
| a group of forebrain structures including the hypothalamus, the amygdala, and the hippocampus, which are involved in motivation, emotion, learning and memory |
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Definition
| a structure critical for creating new memories and intergrating them into a network of knowledge so that they can be stored indefinitely in other parts of the cerebral cortex |
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| a part of the limbic system that plays a central role in many emotional processes, particularly the formation of emotional memories |
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| a set of subcortical structures that directs intentional movements |
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Definition
| a thick band of nerve fibers that connects large areas of the cerebral cortex on each side of the brain and supports communication of info across the hemispheres |
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| a region of the cerebral cortex that processes visual info |
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| a region of the cerebral cortex whose functions include processing info about touch |
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| a region of the cerebral cortex responsible for hearing and language |
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| a region of the cerebral cortex that has specialized areas for movement, abstract thinking, planning, memory, and judgement |
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| areas of the cerebral cortex that are composed of neurons that help provide sense and meaning to info registered in the cortex |
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| teh perceptual experience of one sense that is evoked by another sense |
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Definition
| simple awareness due to the stimulation of a sense organ |
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Definition
| the organization, identification, and interpretation of a sensation in order to form a mental representation |
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| what takes place when many sensors in the body convert physical signals from the environment into neural signals sent to the central nervous system |
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| methods that measure the strength of a stimulus and the observer's sensitivity to that stimulus |
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Definition
| the minimal intensity needed to just barely detect a stimulus |
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| just noticeable difference (JND) |
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Definition
| the minimal change in a stimulus that can just barely be detected |
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Definition
| the just noticeable difference of a stimulus is a constant proportion despite variations in intensity |
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Definition
| an observation that the response to a stimulus depends both on a person's sensitivity to the stimulus in the presence of noise and on a person's response criterion |
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| sensitivity to prolonged stimulation tends to decline over time as an organism adapts to current conditions |
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| light-sensitive tissue lining the back of the eyeball |
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Definition
| the process by which the eye maintains a clear image on the retina |
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| photoreceptors that detect color, operate under normal daylight conditions, and sllow us to focus on the fine detail |
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Definition
| photoreceptors that become active only under low-light conditions for night vision |
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| an area of the retina where visions is the clearest and there are no rods at all |
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Definition
| an area of the retina that contains neither rods nor cones and therefore has no mechanism to sense light |
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Definition
| the region of the sensory surface that, when stimulated, causes a change in the firing rate of that neuron |
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| trichromatic color representation |
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Definition
| the pattern of the responding accross the three types of cones that provides a unique code for each color |
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Definition
| pairsof visual neurons that work in opposition |
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| the inability to recognize objects by sight |
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Definition
| a perceptual principle stating that even as aspects of sensory signals change, perception remains consistent |
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| a mental representation that can be directly compared to a viewed shape in teh retinal image |
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| aspects of a scene that yield info about depth when viewed with only one eye |
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| two difference in the retinal images of the two eyes that provides info about depth |
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| a depth cue based on the movement of the head over time |
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| the perception of movement as a result of alternating signals appearing in a rapid succession in different locations |
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| how high or low a sound is |
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| a listener's experience of sound quality or resonance |
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| a fluid filled tube that is the organ of auditory transduction |
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Definition
| a structure in the inner ear that undulates when vibrations from the ossicles reach the cochlear fluid |
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Definition
| specialized auditory receptor neurons embedded in the basilar membrane |
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Definition
| a portion of the temporal lobe that contains the primary auditory cortex |
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Definition
| the cochlea encodes different frequencies at different locations along the basilar membrane |
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Definition
| the cochlea registers low frequencies via the firing rate of action potentials entering the auditory nerve |
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| the active exploration of the environment by touching and grasping objects with our hands |
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| feeling of pain when sensory info from internal and external areas converge on the same nerve cells in the spinal cord |
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Definition
| a theory of pain perception based on the idea that signals arriving from pain receptors in the body can be stopped, or gated, by inteneurons in the spinal cord via feedback from two directions |
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Definition
| the three fluid filled semicircular canals and adjacent organs located next to the cochlea in each inner ear |
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| olfactory receptor neurons (ORNS) |
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Definition
| receptor cells that initiate the sense of smell |
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| a brain structure located above the nasal cavity beneath the frontal lobes |
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| the organ of taste transduction |
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| the ability to store and retrieve info over time |
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| the process by which we transform what we perceive, think, or feel into an enduring memory |
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| the process of maintaing info in memory over time |
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| the process of bringing to mind info that had been previously encoded and stored |
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| the process of actively relating new info to knowledge that is already in memory |
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| the process of storing new info by converting it into mental pictures |
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| the act of categorizing info by noticing the relationships among a series of items |
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| the process of maintaining info in memory over time |
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| the place in which sensory info is kept for a few seconds or less |
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| a fast-decaying store of visual info |
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| a fast decaying store auditory memory |
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| a place where nonsensory info is kept for more than a few seconds but less than a minute |
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Definition
| the process of keeping info in short-term memory but mentally repeating it |
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Definition
| combining small pieces of info into larger clusters or chunks that are more easily held in short-term memory |
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| active maintenance of info in short-term storage |
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| a place in whcih info can be kept for hours, days, weeks, or years |
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| the inability to transfer new info from the short-ter, store into the long-term store |
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Definition
| the inability to retreive info that was acquired before a particular date, usually the date of an injury of operation |
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| long-term potentiation (LTP) |
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Definition
| enhanced neural processing that results from teh strengthening of synaptic connections |
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Definition
| a hippocampal receptor site that influences the flow of info from one neuron to another across the synapse by controlling the initiation of long-term potentiation |
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Definition
| external info that is associated with stored info and helps bring it to mind |
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| encoding specificity principle |
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Definition
| the idea that a retrieval cue can serve as an effective reminder when it helps re-create teh specific way in which info was initially encoded |
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| state-dependent retrieval |
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Definition
| the tendency for info to be better recalled when the person is in the same state during encoding and retrieval |
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| transfer- appropriate processing |
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Definition
| the idea that memory is likely to transfer from one situation to another when we process info in a way that is appropriate to the retrieval cues that will be available later. |
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Definition
| the act of consciously or intentionally retrieving past experiences |
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Definition
| the influence of past experiences on later behavior and performance, even though people are not trying to recollect them and are not aware that they are remembering them |
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Definition
| the gradual acquisition of skills as a result of practice, or "knowing how", to do things |
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Definition
| an enhanced ability to think of a stimulus, such as a word or object, as a result of a recent exposure to the stimulus |
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| a network of associated facts and concepts that make up our general knowledge of the world |
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| the collection of past personal experiences that occurred at a particular time and place |
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| forgetting what occurs with the passage of time |
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| situations in which later learning impairs memory for information acquired earlier |
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| situations in which earlier learning impairs memory for info acquired later |
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| a lapse in attention that results in memory failure |
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Definition
| remembering to do things in the future |
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Definition
| a failure to retrieve info that is available in memory even though you are trying to produce it |
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| tip-of-the-tongue experience |
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Definition
| the temporary inability to retirieve info that is stored in memory, accompanied by the feeling that you are on the verge of remembering the info |
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Definition
| assigning a recollection or an idea to the wrong source |
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| recall of when, where, and how info was acquired |
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| a feeling of familiarity about something that hasn't been encountered before |
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Definition
| the tendency to incorporate misleading info from external sources into personal recollections |
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Definition
| detailed recollections of when and where we heard about shocking events |
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