Ch. 1 Flashcards
Learning
The process by which changes in behavior arise as a result of experiences interacting with the world
Memory
The record of past experiences acquired through learning
Data
Facts and figures from which conclusions can be inferred
Theory
A set of statements devised to explain a group of facts
Associationism
The principle that memory depends on the formation of linkages between pairs of events, such that recalling or experiencing one member of the pair elicits a memory or anticipation of the other.
Contiguity
Nearness in time(temporal contiguity) or space(spatial contiguity)
Empiricism
A philosophical school of though that holds that all the ideas we have are the result of experience
Nativism
A philosophical school of thought that holds that the bulk of knowledge is inborn
Dualism
The principle that the mind and body exist as separate entities.
Stimulus
A sensory event that provides information about the outside world
Response
The behavioral consequence of perception of a stimulus
Reflex arc.
An automatic pathway from a sensory stimulus to a motor response
Psychology
The study of mind and behavior
Evolution
The theory that species change over time, with new traits or characteristics passed from one generation to the next; natural selection is one mechanism by which evolution occurs
Natural selection.
A proposed mechanism for evolution. Also known as “ survival of the fittest” which holds that species evolve when there is some trait that varies naturally across individuals. Is inheritable, and increases an individual’s “fitness,” or chance of survival and pro productive success.
Evolutionary psychology
A branch of psychology that studies how behavior evolves through natural selection
Experiment
A test made to examine the validity of a hypothesis, usually by actively manipulating the variable(s) being investigated and measuring the effect on a behavior
