B's in Glossary Flashcards
babbling stage
beginning at about 4 months, the stage of speech development in which the infant spontaneously utters various sounds at first unrelated to the household language
barbiturates
drugs that depress central nervous system activity, reducing anxiety but impairing memory and judgement
basal metabolic rate
the body’s resting rate of energy expenditure.
basic research
pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base
basic trust
according to Erikson, a sense that the world is predictable and trustworthy; said to be formed during infancy by appropriate experiences with responsive caregivers.
behavior genetics
the study of relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior.
behavior therapy
therapy that applies learning principles to the elimination of unwanted behaviors
behaviorism
the view that psychology should be an objective science that studies behavior without reference to mental processes.
belief perseverance
clinging to one’s initial conceptions after the basis on which they were formed has been discredited.
binge-eating disorder
significant binge-eating episodes, followed by distress disgust, or guilt, but without the compensatory purging, fasting, or excessive exercise that marks bulimia nervosa
binocular cues
depth cues that depend on the use of two eyes.
biological perspective
concerned with the links between biology and behavior. includes psychologists working in neuroscience, behavior genetics, and evolutionary psychology.
biomedical therapy
prescribed medications or procedures that act directly on the person’s physiology
biopsychosocial approach
an integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological, and social-cultural levels of analysis.
bipolar disorder
a mood disorder in which a person alternates between the hopelessness and lethargy of depression and the overexcited state of mania.
blind spot
the point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a “blind” spot because no receptor cells are located there.
blindsight
a condition in which a person can respond to a visual stimulus without consciously experiencing it.
bottom-up processing
analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain’s integration of sensory info.
brain stem
the oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; the brain stem is responsible for automatic survival functions
Broca’s area
controls language expression– an area of the frontal lobe, usually in the left hemisphere, that directs the muscle movements involved in speech.
bulimia nervosa
an eating disorder in which a person alternates binge eating with purging, fasting, or excessive exercise.
bystander effect
the tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present.
