Psych exam 3 Flashcards
concept
mental category that groups things together with common properties
prototype
a representative example of a concept (golden retriever for dog instead of a basenji)
whorf
our language affects how we look at the world (ex. english vs inuit snow)
cognitive schema
integrated mental network of knowledge, beliefs and expectations about aspects of the world (mental images are important to help create these)
subconscious processes
occur outside of conscious awareness but can be accessed if necessary
nonconscious
occur outside of awareness and can’t be brought into it
implicit learning
when you acquire knowledge without being aware of how you did (not being able to state exactly what you have learned)
algorithm
problem-solving strategy guaranteed to produce a solution even if the person doesn’t know how it works (ex. pythagorim theorium, no clue how it works but we use it)
heuristic
a rule of thumb that suggests a course of action or guides problem solving but doesn’t guarantee an optimal solution (narrowing things down)
reasoning
drawing conclusions or inferences from observation, facts or assumptions
dialectical reasoning
process in which opposing facts or ideas are weighed and compared with a goal to find the best solution or resolve differences
affect heuristic
to judge the “goodness” or “badness” of a situation rather than judging the probabilities objectively
availability heuristic
judging the probability of an event by how easily you can think of examples (we remember catastrophic event more, that’s why we overestimate the frequency of deaths by tornado vs asthma)
framing effect
tendency for people’s choices to be affected by how that choice is presented, framed (if it’s worded in terms of potential losses or gains)
fairness bias
we like things to fair
hindsight bias
tendency to overestimate one’s ability to have predicted an event after the outcome is known
confirmation bias
tendency to look for or pay attention only to information that confirms your own beliefs and ignore or challenge things that don’t agree with it
mental set
solve problems using similar strategies that have worked before on similar problems
bias blindspot
can recognize other have biases but not themselves
intelligence
ability to profit from experience, aquire knowledge, think abstractly, act purposefully or adapt to changes in environment
g-factor
general intellectual ability assumed in underlie specific mental abilities and talents
crystalized intelligence
knowledge and skills (math, words, decisions) (very dependent on education
fluid intelligence
capacity to reason and use info to solve new problems
mental age
measure of development expressed in the terms of the average mental ability at a given age
IQ
measure of intelligence (originally calculated by dividing mental age by real age and x100)
stereotype threat
aware of negative stereotypes about their groups abilities, a person feels a burden of doubt about their performance
working memory
capacity that lets you manipulate info retrieved from long-term memory and interpret appropriately for a given task
metacognition
knowledge/awareness of your own cognitive processes and how to monitor/control them
triarchic theory
theory of intelligence that emphasizes analytic, creative and practical abilities
analytical intelligence
info-processing strategies, recognizing and defining ex. solving problems on a test
creative intelligence
transferring skills to new situations ex. using a familiar object to solve a new problem
practical intelligence
application of intelligence, requiring taking into account the different contexts/environments you find yourself in ex. responding properly to your bosses mood
tacit knowledge
strategies for success that are not explicitly taught but are instead inferred ex. action oriented strategies
multiple intelligence theory
emphasizes many different ways of processing info (gardner)
emotional intelligence (EQ)
express, identify and regulate emotions clearly
cognitive ethology
study of animal behaviour
theory of mind
beliefs about the way the minds of other work and how ppl are affected by their beliefs and feelings
set-point
genetic influenced weight range that is maintained by biological mechanisms (the weight you stay at +/- 10%)
orexigenic substances
increases appetite, higher food consumption
anorexigenic
decreases appetite
brown-fat
energy-burning fat that is important in regulating body weight and blood sugar
leptin
anorexogenic protein when they are too low ppl gain weight because their body thinks they don’t have enough fat stores
gherlin
makes you hungry (opposite of leptin)
bulimia nervosa
binging followed by forced vomiting or laxatives (purging) or fasting or excessive exercise
anorexia nervosa
fear of becoming fat, body dismorphia, emaciation
passionate/romantic love
intense emotions and sexual passion
companionate love
affection and trust
physical
satisfaction and pleasure + stress reduction
goal attainmnet
make a profit, get status or revenge
emotional
experience intimacy and commitment
insecurity
reassurance that one is attractive, impress others or “keep” their partner
sexual script
set of implicit rules the dictates the proper sexual behavior for a person given their situation, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, social status and peers
goal requirements
specific, challenging yet achievable, set publicly, framed in terms of what you want (not what you don’t)
approach goals
desired outcomes or experiences
avoidance goals
preventing unpleasant experiences
performance goals
performing well in front of others, being judges favorably and avoiding criticism
mastery (learning) goals
increasing one’s competence and skills
grit
sustained dedication to a passionate interest with determination and effort over a period of years
self-efficacy
belief that one is capable of producing desired results (mastering a new skill and reaching goals)
facial feedback
facial muscles send messages to the brain about the emotion being expressed
mirror neurons
brain cells that fire when a person or animal observes another carrying out an action
mood contagion
spreading of an emotion from one person to another
amygdala
evaluates incoming sensory info, triggers body responses (to approach or withdraw), learning, recognizing and expressing fear
cortex
appraises the significance of emotional information from the amygdala and further processes the sensory info, can inhibit the amygdala and help regulate emotion, emotion-related action tendencies
appraisals
perceptions, beliefs, attributions and expectations that determine which emotion a person will feel in a certain circumstance
display rules
social and cultural rules that regulate when, how and where emotions are to be expressed or suppressed
emotion work
expression of an emotion because of a role requirement that a person doesn’t really feel (flight attendant)
general adaptation syndrome
series of physiological reactions to stressors in the 3 phases, alarm, resistance, and exhaustion
alarm phase
body mobilizes sympathetic nervous system to meet the immediate threat. boosts energy, tenses muscles, fight-or-flight
resistance phase
body attempts to resist or cope with a stressor that cant be avoided. Your body is more vulnerable to other stressors
exhaustion phase
persistent stress depletes the body of energy, increasing the likelihood of illness.
HPA axis
system activated to energize the body to respond to stressors. Hypothalamus sends chemical messengers to the pituitary gland, the adrenal cortex produces cortisol etc.
cortisol
hormone secreted by the adrenal cortex, that elevates blood sugar and protects the tissues in case of injury. When chronically elevated it can lead to hypertension, immune disorders and possibly depression
PNI (psycho-neuro-immunology)
study of the relationship between the nervous and endocrine systems and the immune system
locus of control
internal (believe that they are responsible for what happens to them), externals (believe that their lives are controlled by luck, fate or other ppl)
What week does the organism become a fetus?
8 weeks
motor reflexes
automatic, innate physical behaviour that facilitates survival (infants sucking on anything placed near their mouth)
attachment
long-lasting, intimate and emotional bond that persists across different types of interactions and social situations
conservation
understanding that the physical properties of an object (amount of liquid in a glass, or number of items in a cluster) can remain the same even when it’s form or appearance changes
sensorimotor stage
learning through concrete actions (looking and touching)
preoperational stage
increased use of symbols but still don’t understand abstract principles
concrete operation
mental abilities to actual experiences rather than abstract reasoning
formal operations
ability for abstract thought and drawing logical conclusions
theory of mind
system of beliefs about the way the minds of others work and how ppl are affected by their beliefs and feelings (ages 3-4)
telegraphic speech
child’s first word combinations, omit unnecessary words (like in a telegram)
preconventional morality
following rules to avoid punishment, egocentric view
conventional morality
living up to roles, duties and the general expectation of being good. Caring for others, meet obligations and to be viewed as a good person
postconventional morality
following self-chosen ethical principles regardless of laws, to do the greatest good for the greatest amount of ppl, emphasis on objective morality
power assertion
method of raising children in which the parent uses punishment and authority to correct misbehavior
induction
method of raising children in which the parent appeals to the child’s own abilities, sense of responsibility and feelings for others in correcting misbehavior (if you punch someone you hurt them)
authoritarian
relies on strict obedience to absolute rules
authoritative parents
seeks balance between authority and autonomy, set limits but share the reasons for those limits and permit discussion
gender identity
fundamental sense of self-identification with a gender
gender typing
process by which kids learn the abilities, interests and behaviors associated with genders
sexual orientation
pattern of romantic of sexual attraction
gender schema
set of beliefs, knowledge and expectations about what it means to be a girl or boy
adrenarche
time in middle childhood when the adrenal glands begin producing the adrenal hormones DHEA etc. that affect cognitive and social development
puberty
age at which a person becomes capable to sexual reproduction
menarche
onset of menstruation
