Glossary P

Question 0

Perception

Answer 0

The set of processes by which we recognize, organize and make sense of the sensations we receive from environmental stimuli

Question 1

Parietal lobe

Answer 1

Associated with somatosensory processing

Question 2

Perceptual constancy

Answer 2

Occurs when our perception of an object remains the same even when our proximal sensation of the distal object changes

Question 3

Phoneme

Answer 3

The smallest unit of speech sound that can be used to distinguish one utterance in a given language from another

Question 4

Phonemic-restoration effect

Answer 4

Sounds that are missing from the speech signal are constructed by the brain so it seems to the listener that he actually heard the missing sound

Question 5

Phonological loop

Answer 5

Briefly holds inner speech for verbal comprehension and for acoustic rehearsal

Question 6

Photopigments

Answer 6

Chemical substances that absorb light, thereby starting the complex transduction process that transforms physical electromagnetic energy into an electrochemical neural impulse. Rods and cones contain different types of photopigments.

Question 7

Photoreceptors

Answer 7

The third layer of the retina contains the photoreceptors, which transduce light energy into electrochemical energy

Question 8

Phrase-structure grammar

Answer 8

Syntactical analysis of the structure of phrases as they are used

Question 9

Pons

Answer 9

Serves as a relay station because it contains neural fibers that pass signals from one part of the brain to another

Question 11

Positive transfer

Answer 11

Occurs when the solution of an earlier problem makes it easier to solve a new problem

Question 12

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans

Answer 12

measure increases in glucose consumption in active brain areas during particular tasks

Question 13

pragmatic reasoning schemas

Answer 13

general organizing principles or rules related to particular kinds of goals

Question 14

pragmatics

Answer 14

the study of how people use language

Question 15

pragmatists

Answer 15

ones who believe that knowledge is validated by its usefulness

Question 16

premises

Answer 16

propositions about which arguments are made

Question 17

primacy effect

Answer 17

refers to superior recall at the beginning of a list

Question 18

primary motor cortex

Answer 18

is chiefly responsible for directing motor commands

Question 19

primary somatosensory cortex

Answer 19

receives information from the senses about pressure, texture, temperature and pain

Question 20

prime

Answer 20

a node that activates a connected node; this activation is known as the priming effect

Question 21

proactive interference

Answer 21

occurs when the interfering material occurs before learning of the to-be-remembered material

Question 22

problem-solving cycle

Answer 22

problem identification -> problem definition -> strategy formulation -> organization of information -> allocation of resources -> monitoring -> evaluation

Question 23

problem space

Answer 23

the universe of all possible actions

Question 24

procedural knowledge

Answer 24

knowledge of procedures that can be implemented

Question 25

production

Answer 25

the generation and output of a procedure

Question 26

production system

Answer 26

an ordered set of productions

Question 27

productive thinking

Answer 27

goes beyond the bounds of existing associations -> needs insights

Question 28

proposition

Answer 28

a statement which can be true or false

Question 29

propositional theory

Answer 29

belief suggesting that knowledge is represented only in underlying propositions, not in the form of images or words or other symbols

Question 30

prototype

Answer 30

an average of a class

Question 31

prototype theory

Answer 31

suggests that categories are formed on the basis of prototypes