Definitions - Midterms

Question 1

nativism

Answer 1

knowledge is not taught by others, but is rather already existing in ones soul

Question 2

rationalism

Answer 2

the way we acquire knowledge is by the way of reasoning and thinking about the world, rather than by feeling or experiencing

Question 3

idealism

Answer 3

we experience the world around us with our senses, but our sensory input is imperfect

Question 4

empiricism

Answer 4

knowledge of the world consists of observations and classifications

Question 5

mechanistic physiology

Answer 5

seeing the body as a machine

Question 6

dualism

Answer 6

the mind and body are 2 distinct substances, each with a different essential nature

Question 7

physiognomy

Answer 7

the idea that an individuals facial features or expressions could be used to assess an individuals character or personality

Question 8

phrenology

Answer 8

the idea that if a larger brain indicated more complex behavior, maybe people with certain characteristics have certain parts of their brain larger than others

Question 9

aphasic

Answer 9

speech disorder due to brain injury

Question 9

conduction aphasia

Answer 9

the inability to integrate speech and understanding of language

Question 10

sensory aphasia

Answer 10

the inability to understand language due to brain damage (Wernicke)

Question 11

equipotentiality

Answer 11

the brain as a whole has equal responsibility for storing memories

Question 12

vitalism

Answer 12

the idea that the origin of life is dependent on a force or principle distinct from chemical or physical forces

Question 13

perceptual adaptation

Answer 13

the mind and brain adapt perception based on feedback whether it was good or bad

Question 14

psychophysics

Answer 14

relationship between physical instincts and expressed instincts

Question 15

gestalt psychology

Answer 15

organisms perceive entire patterns or configurations, not only individual components

Question 16

structralism

Answer 16

a theory of consciousness that seeks to analyze the elements of mental experiences, such as sensations mental images, and feelings, and how these elements combine to form more complex experiences

Question 17

natural selection

Answer 17

the process through which species adapt to their environments through heritability of characteristics

Question 18

sexual selection

Answer 18

selection of characteristics favorable for reproductive success

Question 19

social darwinism

Answer 19

the idea that certain people become powerful in society because they are innately better

Question 20

pragmatism

Answer 20

a philosophical position holding that the true value of a proposition or a theory is the be found in its practical consequences

Question 21

recapitulationism

Answer 21

individual in developments we go through all phases that their species has gone through

Question 22

behvaiorism

Answer 22

a theory of learning that suggests that all behaviors are acquired through conditioning processes

Question 23

classical conditioning

Answer 23

learning that occurs when a neutral stimulus (e.g., a tone) becomes associated with a stimulus (e.g., food) that naturally produces a behavior

Question 24

higher order conditioning

Answer 24

occurs when a conditioned stimulus becomes associated with a new unconditioned stimulus

Question 25

generalisation

Answer 25

once a certain reflex is conditioned a similar stimulus brings out the same response but to a lesser extent

Question 26

differentiation

Answer 26

animals can learn to differentiate very well between stimuli that look the same, but are part of different conditioning schemes

Question 27

experimental neurosis

Answer 27

maladaptive behavior observed when 2 sets of stimuli were presented which had 2 different conditioned responses

Question 28

systematic desensitization

Answer 28

a type of therapy used to help overcome fears or phobias caused by classical conditioning

Question 29

radical environmentalism

Answer 29

everything that people do is a product of their environment and conditioning they have received

Question 30

latent learning

Answer 30

knowledge that only becomes clear when a person has an incentive to display it

Question 31

purposive behaviorism

Answer 31

behavioral acts have a goal or purpose that selects and guides the behavioral sequence until the god or purpose is attained

Question 32

operant conditioning

Answer 32

a learning process where behaviors are modified through the association of stimuli with reinforcement or punishment

Question 33

shaping

Answer 33

reinforcing steps towards a behavior

Question 34

social facilitation

Answer 34

a phenomenon where being in the presence of others improves individual tasks performance

Question 35

social conformity

Answer 35

changing one’s behavior to fit in with a group of people around

Question 36

cognitive dissonance

Answer 36

a mental conflict occurring when your beliefs don’t line up with your actions

Question 37

psychotechnics

Answer 37

the we of psychological techniques for controlling and modifying human behavior, especially for practical ends

Question 38

hawthorne effect

Answer 38

if participants know they are being observed, they start working harder or better

Question 39

variation hypothesis

Answer 39

was the idea that men vary more than women on a variety of abilities, interests and traits

Question 40

functional periodicity

Answer 40

the idea of women being functionally impaired during their menstrual cycle