keywords and definitions Flashcards
Cognitive Development
The study of how thinking and reasoning skills develop from infancy through adulthood.
Schema
A mental framework that helps organize and interpret information.
Assimilation
The process of taking in new information and incorporating it into existing cognitive schemas.
Accommodation
The process of altering existing schemas or creating new ones in response to new information.
Attachment
A deep and enduring emotional bond that connects one person to another across time and space.
Classical Conditioning
A type of learning in which a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a response originally produced by another stimulus.
Operant Conditioning
A type of learning where behaviour is controlled by consequences, such as rewards and punishments.
Observational Learning
Learning by observing and imitating the behaviour of others.
Memory
The processes by which information is encoded, stored, and retrieved.
Encoding
The process of converting information into a form that can be stored in memory.
Storage
The process of maintaining information in memory over time.
Retrieval
The process of recalling information stored in memory.
Long-Term Memory (LTM)
A memory system with a virtually unlimited capacity that stores information over long periods.
Sensory Memory
The immediate, very brief recording of sensory information in the memory system.
Short-Term Memory (STM)
A limited-capacity memory system where information is retained for a brief period.
Neuron
A nerve cell that is the basic building block of the nervous system.
Central Nervous System (CNS)
The brain and spinal cord, which are responsible for processing and transmitting information in the body.
Synapse
The junction between two neurons where neurotransmitters are released to transmit impulses.
Neurotransmitters
Chemical messengers that transmit signals across a synapse from one neuron to another.
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
The part of the nervous system that consists of the nerves and ganglia outside the brain and spinal cord.
Hippocampus
A part of the brain involved in the formation of new memories.
Frontal Lobe
The part of the brain associated with reasoning, planning, problem-solving, and controlling behavior.
Amygdala
A brain structure involved in processing emotions, especially fear and pleasure.
Hypothalamus
A brain structure that regulates vital functions such as hunger, thirst, sleep, and body temperature.
Neuroplasticity
The brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life.
Classical Conditioning
A type of learning in which a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a response originally produced by another stimulus.
Operant Conditioning
A type of learning where behaviour is controlled by consequences, such as rewards and punishments.
Social Learning Theory
The theory that behavior is learned through observing and imitating others, as well as through the rewards and punishments received for those behaviors.
Conformity
The tendency to change one’s behavior or beliefs to match those of others, often in response to real or imagined group pressure.
Obedience
Following orders or commands from an authority figure.
Social Facilitation
The tendency for people to perform tasks better when in the presence of others.
Social Loafing
The tendency for individuals to put in less effort when working in a group than when working alone.
Bystander Effect
The phenomenon where individuals are less likely to help someone in need when other people are present.
Psychological Disorder
A condition characterized by abnormal thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Depression
A mood disorder characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and a lack of interest or pleasure in activities.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
A disorder characterized by unwanted repetitive thoughts (obsessions) and/or actions (compulsions).
phobia
An intense, irrational fear of a specific object, situation, or activity.
Anxiety
A mental health disorder characterized by excessive fear or anxiety that interferes with daily activities.
Schizophrenia
A severe mental disorder characterized by distorted thinking, perceptions, emotions, and behavior.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
A mental health condition triggered by experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event.
bipolar disorder
A mood disorder characterized by periods of depression and periods of elevated mood or mania.
Antidepressants
Medications used to treat depression and other mood disorders by altering the balance of chemicals in the brain.
Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
A type of psychotherapy that aims to change patterns of thinking or behavior that are causing people’s problems, thereby changing the way they feel.
Placebo Effect
Improvement in a patient’s condition resulting from the mere expectation of treatment.
Locus of Control
The degree to which people believe they have control over the outcome of events in their lives.
Intrinsic Motivation
Performing an activity for its inherent satisfaction rather than for some separable consequence.
Extrinsic Motivation
Performing an activity to obtain an outcome that is separable from the activity itself.
Self-Actualization
The realization or fulfilment of one’s talents and potentialities, considered as a drive or need present in everyone.
Neurotransmission
The process by which signalling molecules called neurotransmitters are released by a neuron to send signals to other neurons.
Plasticity
The capacity of the brain to change and adapt as a result of experience and new learning.
