Definitions Flashcards
Psychology
Psyche = Soul Logos = Word Psychology = a word about the soul
Secular Psychology
The scientific study of the mind
Memory
Learning that has persisted over time - information that has been stored and, in many cases, can be recalled.
Mnemonics
Memory aids, especially those techniques that use vivid imagery and organizational devices
Developmental Psychology
The study of our physical, cognitive, social, and emotional changes throughout our whole lives - from prenatal to preteen to post-retirement
Maturation
The biological growth process that enables orderly changes in behavior, relatively uninfluenced by experience
Emotion
The mind and body’s integrated response to a stimulus of some kind
Stress
The process by which we perceive and respond to certain events or stressors that we view as challenging or threatening
Schemas
How we categorize things
Self-Conscious Emotions
Emotions that relate to our sense of self and our consciousness of others reactions to us
Social Psych
The scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to others
Attribution
The process of explaining events
Actor-Observer Effect
The tendency to attribute our own behavior to external, situation causes - but that of others to internal causes
Facial Feedback Hypothesis
Faces/bodies don’t just show our emotions, they can influence our emotions as well
Attribution
The process of explaining events, or inferring their causes
Attribution Theory
The theory that we can explain someone’s behavior by crediting either their stable, enduring traits (also known as their disposition) or the situation at hand
Fundamental Attribution Error
The tendency for observers, when analyzing another’s behavior, to underestimate the impact of the situation and overestimate the impact of personal disposition
Explicit (Declarative) Memory
Memory of facts and experiences that one can consciously know and declare.
Implicit (Non-Declarative) Memory
Retention independent of conscious recollection
Iconic Memory
Perfect visual memory - last about 1/2 a second
Echoing Memory
Sensory memory of auditory stimuli - lasts 2-4 seconds
Physiological Arousal
Automatic physical response
Expressive Behavior
Body posture, gesture, facial expression
Conscious Experience
Subjective feelings, interpretation, perception, memories
Stressors
Catastrophes, significant life changes, everyday inconveniences
Goal
Understanding, explaining, and predicting social cognition and social behavior
Self-Serving Bias
The tendency to view positive outcomes as stemming from internal causes (our own effort or ability) but negative outcomes as stemming from external factors
Conformity
Describes how we adjust our behavior or thinking to follow the behavior or rules of the group we belong to
Normative Social Influence
The idea that we comply in order to fuel our need to be liked or belong
Compliance
Changing a behavior in response to a direct request
Obedience
Social influence by demand
Social Facilitation
Effects on performance stemming from the presence of others
Social Loafing
The tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal than when individually accountable
Deindividualization
The loss of self-awareness and restraint that can occur in group situations
Group Polarization
The enhancement of a group’s prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group
Bystander Effect
The tendency to assume someone else will take the lead (go first) when in a group of people
