Chapter 11: from the book

Question 1

heritability:

Answer 1

the proportion of variation among individuals in a group that we
can attribute to genes. The heritability of a trait may vary, depending on the
range of populations and environments studied.

Question 2

stereotype threat:

Answer 2

a self-confirming concern that one will be evaluated based

on a negative stereotype.

Question 3

motivation:

Answer 3

a need or desire that energizes and directs behavior.

Question 4

instinct:

Answer 4

a complex behavior that is rigidly patterned throughout a species and
is unlearned.

Question 5

physiological need:

Answer 5

a basic bodily requirement.

Question 6

drive-reduction theory:

Answer 6

the idea that a physiological need creates an aroused state (a drive) that motivates an organism to satisfy the need.

Question 7

homeostasis:

Answer 7

a tendency to maintain a balanced or constant internal state; the
regulation of any aspect of body chemistry, such as blood glucose, around a
particular level.

Question 8

incentive:

Answer 8

a positive or negative environmental stimulus that motivates

behavior.

Question 9

Yerkes-Dodson law:

Answer 9

the principle that performance increases with arousal

only up to a point, beyond which performance decreases.

Question 10

hierarchy of needs:

Answer 10

Maslow’s pyramid of human needs, beginning at the base
with physiological needs that must first be satisfied before higher-level safety
needs and then psychological needs become active.

Question 11

glucose:

Answer 11

the form of sugar that circulates in the blood and provides the major
source of energy for body tissues. When its level is low, we feel hunger.

Question 12

set point:

Answer 12

the point at which your “weight thermostat” may be set. When your body falls below this weight, increased hunger and a lowered metabolic rate
may combine to restore lost weight.

Question 13

basal metabolic rate:

Answer 13

the body’s resting rate of energy output.

Question 14

obesity:

Answer 14

defined as a body mass index (BMI) measurement of 30 or higher.
(Overweight individuals have a BMI of 25 or higher.)

Question 15

testosterone:

Answer 15

the most important male sex hormone. Both males and females
have it, but the additional testosterone in males stimulates the growth of the
male sex organs during the fetal period and the development of the male sex
characteristics during puberty

Question 16

estrogens:

Answer 16

sex hormones, such as estradiol, that contribute to female sex
characteristics and are secreted in greater amounts by females than by males.
Estrogen levels peak during ovulation. In nonhuman mammals, this promotes
sexual receptivity.

Question 17

sexual response cycle:

Answer 17

the four stages of sexual responding described by

Masters and Johnson—excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution.

Question 18

refractory period:

Answer 18

in human sexuality, a resting period that occurs after

orgasm, during which a person cannot achieve another orgasm.

Question 19

sexual dysfunction:

Answer 19

a problem that consistently impairs sexual arousal or

functioning at any point in the sexual response cycle.

Question 20

erectile disorder:

Answer 20

inability to develop or maintain an erection due to insufficient
bloodflow to the penis.

Question 21

female orgasmic disorder:

Answer 21

distress due to infrequently or never experiencing

orgasm.

Question 22

paraphilias:

Answer 22

sexual arousal from fantasies, behaviors, or urges involving
nonhuman objects, the suffering of self or others, and/or nonconsenting
persons.

Question 23

affiliation need:

Answer 23

the need to build relationships and to feel part of a group.

Question 24

ostracism:

Answer 24

deliberate social exclusion of individuals or groups.

Question 25

narcissism:

Answer 25

excessive self-love and self-absorption.

Question 26

achievement motivation:

Answer 26

a desire for significant accomplishment; for mastery

of skills or ideas; for control; and for attaining a high standard.

Question 27

grit:

Answer 27

in psychology, passion and perseverance in the pursuit of long-term goals.