Behavioral Sciences Flashcards

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1
Q

Acquisition

A

In classical conditioning, the process of taking advantage of reflexive responses to turn a neutral stimulus into a conditioned stimulus.

ex. if you are training a dog to salivate to a sound, the acquisition will be more likely is the sound is noticeable and unexpected - bell sound > quiet tone/neutral sound that they hear regularly

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2
Q

Adaptation

A
  • In perception: a decrease in stimulus perception after a long duration of exposure
    ex. someone who lives near a train can perceptually adapt such that they can ignore the train whistle in order to sleep at night
  • In learning: the process by which new information is processed; consists of assimilation (absorption of knowledge) and accommodation (modifying existing mindsets after absorbing new information)
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3
Q

Adaptive Value

A

The extent to which a trait benefits a species by influencing the evolutionary fitness of the species.

ex. “concessions model” in which the dominant group member concedes some amount of reproduction rights to lower-ranking individuals in order to maintain a certain degree of advantage for the subordinates to stay within the colony

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4
Q

Alertness

A

State of consciousness in which one is aware, able to think, and able to respond to the environment; nearly synonymous with arousal

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5
Q

Aggresion

A

A behavior with the intention to cause harm or increase relative social dominance; can be physical or verbal.

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6
Q

Aligning Actions

A

An impression management strategy in which one makes questionable behavior acceptable through excuses. It is a method of self - representation in which an individual makes their actions and behaviors appear positive, rational, and understandable.

ex. explaining a work failure as a result of sickness instead of slacking off

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7
Q

Altruism

A

A form of helping behavior in which the intent is to benefit someone else at a cost to oneself.

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8
Q

Alter-Casting

A

An impression management strategy in which one imposes an identity onto another person.

ex. “you wouldn’t let your child smoke”

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9
Q

Anomie

A

A state of normlessness; these conditions erode social solidarity by means of excessive individualism, social inequality, and isolation

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10
Q

Amygdala

A

A portion of the limbic system that is important for memory and emotion, especially fear.

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11
Q

Appraisal Model

A

A similar theory to the basic model, accepting that there are biologically predetermined expressions once an emotion is experienced; accepts that there is a cognitive antecedent to emotional expression.

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12
Q

Anxiety Disorders

A

Disorders that involve worry, unease, fear, and apprehension about future uncertainties based on real or imagined events that can impair physical and psychological health.

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13
Q

Archetype

A

In Jungian psychoanalysis, a thought or image that has an emotional element and is a part of the collective unconscious.

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14
Q

Arcuate Fasciculus

A

A bundle of axons that connects Wernicke’s Area (language comprehension) with Broca’s Area (motor function of speech). Damage here causes conduction aphasia, characterized by the inability to repeat words with intact spontaneous speech production and comprehension.

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15
Q

Arousal

A

A psychological and physiological state of being awake and reactive to stimuli nearly synonymous with alertness.

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16
Q

Arousal Theory

A

A theory of motivation that states that there is a particular level of arousal required in order to perform actions optimally; summarized by the Yerkes-Dodson Law

17
Q

Assimilation

A

The process by which new information is interpreted in terms of existing schemata; in sociology, the process by which the behavior and culture of a group or an individual begins to merge with that of another group

18
Q

Associative Learning

A

The process by which a connection is made between 2 stimuli or a stimulus and a response

ex. classical conditioning, operant conditioning

19
Q

Attachment

A

A very deep emotional bond to another person, particularly a parent or caregiver.

20
Q

Attitude

A

A tendency toward expression of positive or negative feelings or evaluations of a person, place, thing, or situation.

21
Q

Attribute Substitution

A

A phenomenon observed when individuals must make judgements that are complex but instead substitute a simpler solution or perception.

ex. someone who has been thinking about their love life who is then asked about their happiness might substitute how happy they are with their love life rather than answer the question as asked.

22
Q

Attribution Theory

A

A theory that focuses on the tendency for individuals to infer the causes of other people’s behavior.

ex. is someone angry because they are bad-tempered or because something bad happened?

23
Q

Autonomy

A

The ethical tenet that the physician has the responsibility to respect patient’s choices about their own healthcare.

24
Q

Availability Heuristic

A

A shortcut in decision making that relies on the information that is most readily available, rather than the total body of information on a subject.

25
Q

Avoidance

A

A form of negative reinforcement in which one eschews the unpleasantness of something that has yet to happen.

26
Q

Back Stage

A

In the dramaturgical approach, the setting where players are free from their role requirements and not in front of the audience; these behaviors may not be deemed appropriate or acceptable and are thus kept invisible from the audience.