P Flashcards
an anxiety disorder marked by a minutes-long episode of intense dread in which a person experiences terror and accompanying chest pain, choking, or other frightening sensations
panic disorder
the processing of several aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain’s natural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision. Contrasts with the step-by-step (serial) processing of most computers and of conscious problem solving.
parallel processing
the study of paranormal phenomena, including ESP and psychokinesis.
parapsychology
the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body conserving its energy
parasympathetic nervous system
-the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; includes the sensory cortex.
parietal lobes
reinforcing a response only part of the time; results in slower acquisition of a response but much greater resistance to extinction than does continuous reinforcement,
partial reinforcement
an aroused state of intense positive absorption in another, usually present at the beginning of a love relationship.
passionate love
the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events.
percepton
in vision, the ability to adjust to an artificially displaced or even inverted visual field
perceptual adaptation
perceiving objects as unchanging (having consistent lightness, color, shape, and size) even as illumination and retinal images change.
perceptual constancy
a mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another
perceptual set
the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system (CN S) to the rest of the body.
peripheral nervous system
our sense of controlling our environment rather than feeling helpless
personal control
psychological disorders characterized by inflexible and enduring behavior patterns that impair social functioning
personality disorders
a questionnaire (often with true-false or agree-disagree items) on which people respond to items designed to gauge a wide range of feelings and behaviors; used to assess selected personality traits.
personality inventory
scan a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task
PET
an Illusion of movement created when two or more adjacent lights blink on and off in succession.
phi phenomenon
an anxiety disorder marked by a persistent, irrational fear and avoidance of a specific object or situation.
phobia
in a spoken language, the smallest distinctive sound unit.
phoneme
a physiological need for a drug, marked by unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when the drug is discontinued.
physical dependence
a tone’s highness or lowness; depends on frequency
pitch
the endocrine system’s most influential gland. Under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands.
pituitary gland
in hearing, the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea’s membrane is stimulated
place theory
an inert substance or condition that may be administered instead of a presumed active agent, such as a drug, to see if it triggers the effects believed to characterize the active agent.
placebo
the brain’s capacity for modification, as evident in brain reorganization following damage (especially in children) and in experiments on the effects of experience on brain development
plasticity
a machine, commonly used in attempts to detect lies, that measures several of the physiological responses accompanying emotion (such as perspiration, heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing changes).
polygraph
all the cases in a group, from which samples may be drawn for a study
population
the scientific study of optimal human functioning; aims to discover and promote conditions that enable individuals and communities to thrive
positive psychology
amnesia supposed inability to recall what one experienced during hypnosis; induced by the hypnotist’s suggestion.
posthypnotic
a suggestion, made during a hypnosis session, to be carried out after the subject is no longer hypnotized; used by some clinicians to help control undesired symptoms and behaviors
posthypnotic suggestion
information that is not conscious but is retrievable into conscious awareness.
preconcious
the success with which a test predicts the behavior it is designed to predict; it is assessed by computing the correlation between test scores and the criterion behavior
predictive validity
an unjustifiable (and usually negative) attitude toward a group and its members. Prejudice generally involves stereotyped beliefs, negative feelings, and a predisposition to discriminatory action
prejudice
in Piaget’s theory, the stage (from about 2 to 6 or 7 years of age) during which a child learns to use language but does not yet comprehend the mental operations of concrete logic
preoperational stage
an innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need
primary reinforcer
the body structures (ovaries, testes, and external genitalia) that make sexual reproduction possible.
primary sex characteristics
the activation, often unconsciously of particular associations in memory
priming
the disruptive effect of prior learning on the recall of new information
proactive interference
defense mechanism by which people disguise their own threatening impulses by attributing them to others.
projection
a personality test, such as the Rorschach or TAT, that provides ambiguous stimuli designed to trigger projection of one’s inner dynamics
projective test
positive, constructive, helpfu1 behavior The opposite of antisocial behavior
prosocial behavior
a mental image or best example of a category. Matching new items to the prototype provides a quick and easy method for including items in a category (as when comparing feathered creatures to a prototypical bird, such as a robin).
prototype
a branch of medicine dealing with psychological disorders; practiced by physicians who sometimes provide medical (for example, drug) treatments as well as psychological therapy
psychiatry
a chemical substance that alters perceptions and mood
psychoactive drug
Freud’s theory of personality that attributes our thoughts and actions to unconscious motives and conflicts; the techniques used in treating psychological disorders by seeking to expose and interpret unconscious tensions
psychoanalysis
Sigmund Freud’s therapeutic technique. Freud believed the patient’s free associations, resistances, dreams, and transferences-and the therapist’s interpretations of them - released previously repressed feelings, allowing the patient to gain self insight.
psychoanalysis
a psychological need to use a drug, such as to relieve negative emotions
psychological dependence
a “harmful dysfunction” in which behavior is judged to be atypical, disturbing, maladaptive, and unjustifiable
psychological disorder
the science of behavior and mental processes
psychology
the study of the effects of drugs on mind and behavior
psychopharmocology
the study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity, and our psychological experience of them
psychophysics
literally, “mind-body” illness; any stress-related physical illness, such as hypertension and some headaches. Note: This is distinct from hypochondriasis-misinterpreting normal physical sensations as symptoms of a disease.
psychophysiological illness
the childhood stages of development (oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital) during which, according to Freud, the id’s pleasure-seeking energies focus on distinct erogenous zones
psychosexual stages
surgery that removes or destroys brain tissue in an effort to change behavior.
psychosurgery
an emotionally charged, confiding interaction between a trained therapist and someone who suffers from psychological difficulties
psychotherapy
a psychological disorder in which a person loses contact with reality, experiencing irrational ideas and distorted perceptions.
psychotic disorder
an event that decreases the behavior that it follows
punishment
the adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters
pupil
