Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Psychology > Psych glossary > Flashcards

Psych glossary Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
Psychology 101 flashcards GRE® Psychology flashcards AP® Psychology flashcards
1
Q

accommodation

A

changing schemas to include new experiences and information that cannot fit into existing schemas

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

active listening

A

active involvement by the listener in the conversation,

shown to the speaker by nodding, responding, asking questions etc.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

altruistic behavior

A

doing something for someone else without any expectation of reward

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

anti-social behavior

A

voluntary, intentional behavior designed to hurt or cause distress to another person, physically or psychologically

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

assertive communication

A

the honest expression of opinions and feelings in a way that does not disregard (infringe on) the rights of others

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

assimilation

A

a process by which individuals include new experiences and information in their current schemas

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

association areas

A

all areas of the cortex that do not have specific motor or sensory functions but integrate information from other brain structures

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

attitude formation

A

the development of attitudes through experience and observing others

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

attitudes

A

long-lasting evaluations we hold about ourselves, other people, objects and issues that involve affect (emotions), cognition (thoughts) and behavior

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

average

A

normal, most representative

n.b. this is not a maths definition!!

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

axon

A

part of the nerve cell that transmits information from the cell body to other neurons or to cells in glands and muscles.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

bar graph

A

a graph for discrete (not continuous) variables.

the bars do not touch each other

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

barrier to effective listening

A

a behavior that stops a message from being received as intended.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

bell curve

normal distribution

A

a bell-shaped graph that is representative of the distribution of values, probabilities and frequencies of a set of data

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

bilingualism

A

the teaching and learning of two languages separately.

Deaf - gesture and spoken

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

body language

A

communication using bodily movement, posture (how you are sitting/standing) and facial expression

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

brainstorming

A

group problem solving in which members are encouraged to be uninhibited in generating ideas.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

bullying

A

behavior intended to harm the recipient (e.g. hitting. offensive gestures, intimidation, verbal insults).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

bystander effect

A

the tendency for a person who is present in an emergency to be less likely to try to help if other people are present

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

cardinal traits

A

basic building blocks for personality development

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

case study

A

an intensive study of an individual

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

cell body

A

the part of a cell that contains the nucleus; controls the maintenance and metabolic function of the cell

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

central traits

A

building blocks of personality more commonly recognized than cardinal traits

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

cerebellum

A

part of the hindbrain the receives information from sensory organs, spinal cord and other parts of the brain to regulate posture and balance and coordinate fine movement

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

posture

A

how you hold your body

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

cerebral cortex

A

the outer layer of the forebrain. It has two halves or hemispheres.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

cerebrum

A

comprises most of the forebrain; it is located above and in front of the cerebellum

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

clinical neuropsychology

A

an area of psychology concerned with how brain injuries or illnesses affect a person’s thinking, emotions and behavior.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

clinical psychology

A

an area of psychology concerned with the assessment and treatment of mental disorders and psychological problems in adults and children

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

cognition

A

thinking and reasoning

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

cognitive development

A

changes in abilities, such as thinking and reasoning, memory, attention, imagination and language.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

cohort

A

a group of people who have some aspect of their lives such as age, in common

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

collectivist culture

A

a culture in which priority is given to the needs and goals of the group rather than the individual.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

common traits

A

traits that are common within a culture

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

communication

A

when a message is sent by one person and received by another

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

community psychology

A

an area of psychology concerned with helping improve the wellbeing of people who are members of communities.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

competitiveness

A

rivalry and the desire to win

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

CAT Computed Axial Tomography

A

a type of X ray that provides cross sectional pictures of the brain.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
39
Q

conductive hearing loss

A

a form of hearing impairment resulting from problems in the middle or outer ear

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
40
Q

consciousness

A

awareness of the existence of ourselves and of objects and events in the world.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
41
Q

construct

A

a hypothetical concept that is created to explain a phenomenon that is believed to exist but cannot be directly observed or measured

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
42
Q

control group

A

the group of participants in an experiment that is not exposed to the independent variable; used to provide a comparison with the experimental group.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
43
Q

controlled variable

A

a variable that is the SAME for the control and experimental groups throughout an experiment so that the changes observed are the result of the independent variable

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
44
Q

convenience sample

A

a subset of the population that is easily obtainable as participants for a study but which may not be representative of the population.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
45
Q

corpus callosum

A

a thick band of fibres in the middle of the brain that allows messages to be sent from one hemisphere to the other.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
46
Q

correlation

A

a statistical term that describes the relationship between two sets of numbers

Co- relate. often both increase/decrease

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
47
Q

correlation coefficient

A

a number describing the strength and direction of a correlation.
e.g. 0.6 = 60% both increase.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
48
Q

cortex

A

the outer layer of the forebrain; it has two halves or hemispheres

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
49
Q

cost-benefit ratio

A

a calculation of what it will cost to be rewarded by another person; this is thought to determine how much we like the other person.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
50
Q

counselling psychology

A

an area of psychology concerned with assisting individuals, groups and organizations in areas such as personal wellbeing, relationships, health and crises.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
51
Q

cross-sectional design

A

a research design comparing groups of people of different ages at one point in time to investigate developmental changes.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
52
Q

culture

A

the behaviors, beliefs, attitudes and traditions that are shared by a group of people and passed on from one generation to the next.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
53
Q

daydream

A

a state of consciousness in which we focus on internal thoughts, feelings and activities

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
54
Q

defense mechanism

A

unconscious psychological mechanisms that deny, distort or falsify reality

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
55
Q

deindividuation

A

abandoning usual restraints to join in group behaviour

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
56
Q

dendrites

A

fine branches that stretch from the cell body; they receive incoming information from other neurons and transmit it to the cell body.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
57
Q

dependent variable (DV)

A

In an experiment, the variable that is measured in response to changes in another variable (IV) that has been manipulated by the experimenter

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
58
Q

depressant

A

a drug that slows the activity of the nervous system and slows bodily functions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
59
Q

descriptive statistics

A

a means of describing, organizing and summarizing data (information) to assist in interpretation and reporting.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
60
Q

diffusion of responsibility

A

the assumed reduction in responsibility to provide assistance in an emergency if other people are present

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
61
Q

dishabituation

A

a change in events or activities that causes us to become aware of them
(they are no longer normal!)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
62
Q

disinhibition

A

the loss of inhibition; leads to some normally placid people becoming aggressive, even when unprovoked

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
63
Q

divided attention

A

attending to and undertaking two different activities simultaneously

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
64
Q

double-blind procedure

A

an experimental procedure in which neither the participants nor the person collecting the data know whether the participants are in the experimental or control group; they are all ‘blind’ to group membership

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
65
Q

educational and developmental psychology

A

an area of psychology concerned with understanding and supporting the development and learning of people throughout their lives

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
66
Q

effective communication

A

when the listener receives, interprets and understands the message as intended by the speaker

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
67
Q

ego

A

in Freud’s theories, the subconscious par of us that acts as the regulator and setter of standards.
(like an adult)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
68
Q

egocentric

A

inability to see something from another person’s point of view

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
69
Q

electroencephalograph EEG

A

an external recording techinique used to measure brain waves or electrical activity in the brain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
70
Q

emotional development

A

changes with age in the recognition and expression of emotions (strong feelings)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
71
Q

emotional intelligence EQ

A

a term made up by Salovey and Mayer 1990.
defined as the ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings and emotions,
to discriminate among them,
to use this information to guide one’s own thinking and action

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
72
Q

empathy

A

the ability to identify with and understand the feelings of others.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
73
Q

erogenous zones

A

pleasure-sensitive areas of the body.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
74
Q

evidence

A

data collected from research studies

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
75
Q

experimental methods

A

methods used to test whether changes in one variable or group of variables have an effect on another variable

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
76
Q

experimenter effect

A

the effect observed when an experimenter’s actions affect how the participants in a research study respond.
most likely to occur if the members of the experimental and control groups are treated differently

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
77
Q

extraversion

A

personality trait defined by being more outgoing, talkative and energetic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
78
Q

facial expression

A

a form of non-verbal communication using the face; e.g. frowning, smiling

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
79
Q

factor analysis

A

a statistical technique used to determine groupings of variables

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
80
Q

fixation

A

an emotional “hang-up” caused by thepsychosexual issue at a particular stage of development not being resolved satisfactorily.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
81
Q

fixed-response interview

A

an interview in which participants’ respnses are restricted to a range of alternatives offered bu the interviewer.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
82
Q

focus group

A

a small group discussion, limited in scope (i.e. has a specific purpose) in which the interviewer asks group members a series of open-ended questions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
83
Q

forebrain

A

the largest and highly-developed part of the brain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
84
Q

forensic psychology

A

an area of psychology concerned with applying psychological understanding to the legal and criminal justice systems

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
85
Q

forms of address

A

the terms used to initiate contact with another person

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
86
Q

frequency polygon

A

a type of graph that looks like a line graph but is only used to show the frequency.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
87
Q

frontal lobes

A

the front part of the brain’s cortex; associated with motor activity and and higher mental ability.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
88
Q

functional magnetic resonance imaging MRI

A

a technique that measures brain activity by means of oxygen consumption of the neurons

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
89
Q

galvanic skin response GSR

A

changes in the electrical conductivity of the skin

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
90
Q

general intelligence

A

the idea that intelligence is a general ability that shows itself in different ways

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
91
Q

generation gap

A

the social and cultural differences between young people and older adults.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
92
Q

gesture

A

a form of non-verbal communication involving hand movements but not touch.
e.g. fist closed, thumb up = good

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
93
Q

group

A

collections of individuals who relate to one another in such a way that there is interdependence between them

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
94
Q

group norms

A

unwritten and often unspoken informal rules that govern individual behaviors in a group

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
95
Q

habituation

A

learning not to respond to events or activities that occur repeatedly

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
96
Q

hallucinogen

A

a drug that changes perceptions and gives sensory images without input from from the senses

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
97
Q

halo effect

A

a biased judgement of a person based on one favourable impression.
An example of cognitive bias.

98
Q

Hawthorne effect

A

a behavior change in an experiment brought about by participants’ expectations when they know they are involved in a study.
Can lead to incorrect conclusions

99
Q

health psychology

A

an area of psychology focusing on understanding processes that are relevant to health and illness and improving health at an individual or societal level.

100
Q

hemispheres

A

the two halves of the cerebral cortex that are separated by a deep grove.

101
Q

hindbrain

A

part of the brain at the back of the skull that is made up of the medulla and the cerebellum.

102
Q

histogram

A

graph of discrete data with the bars touching.

103
Q

human development

A

changes in people that begin at conception and continue through the lifespan.

104
Q

hypnosis

A

a way of inducing a deep state of relaxation through suggestion; may be used in clinical practice

105
Q

hypothalamus

A

part of the brain located just below the thalamus; it regulates the release of hormones.

106
Q

hypothesis

A

a tentative prediction of the relationship between an independent variable and a dependent variable.

107
Q

id

A

in Freud’s theories, the primitive, pleasure -maximizing part of the make up of our personality

108
Q

independent variable (IV)

A

in an experiment, the variable that is changed by the experimenter to determine its impact on another (dependent) variable.

109
Q

individualistic culture

A

a culture in which the needs and goals of the individual have higher priority than those of the group

110
Q

individuation

A

seeking information about people as individuals rather than accepting stereotypes about the group to which they may belong.

111
Q

inferential statistics

A

mathematical procedures that allows a researcher to draw inferences and conclusions from a set of data.

112
Q

intelligence quotient IQ

A

a numerical score on an intelligence test in comparison with other people the same age.

113
Q

internal consistency

A

exists when different questions or activities within a test are measuring the same thing.

114
Q

inter-observer agreement

A

a means of testing inter-rater reliability through correlation.
agreement between people in the expt.

115
Q

interpretation

A

final stage in perception in which the brain interprets information and giving meaning to it.

116
Q

interview

A

a technique used to obtain information about people through questions.

117
Q

introrversion

A

personality trait defined by being more reserved and solitary.

118
Q

just-world phenomenon

A

the widespread belief that the world is just and fair.

119
Q

liberalism

A

open-mindedness

120
Q

Likert scale

A

a rating scale that measures responses to a series of statements about an issue; each statement presents a positive or negative position with respect to the issue

121
Q

lobes

A

areas of the brain that have different functions and are defined by grooves ( or fissures) in the cortex.

122
Q

longitudinal research

A

research that follows the development of one group of people over time to make claims about development changes.

123
Q

magnetic resonance imaging MRI

A

a technique used to produce a 3D or cross sectional image of the brain

124
Q

mean

A

the average score

125
Q

mean deviation

A

a measure of central tendency

126
Q

median

A

the middle score, if even no of scores, use point midway between the middle two scores.

127
Q

meditation

A

a way of deliberately inducing a state of consciousness of very deep relaxation.

128
Q

medulla

A

part of the brain that is located at the top of the hindbrain; it controls vital functions such as heart rate and breathing

129
Q

menopause

A

major biological change in women (typically between 40 and 50 when menstruation and the ablility to have children naturally ceases.

130
Q

mental age MA

A

a term proposed by Binet for use in intelligence testing;
in a properly constructed Intelligence test, a child of average ability would pass the number of items typically passed by children of his/her chronological age and would be said to have an average mental age.

131
Q

midbrain

A

a part of the brain that sits on top of the brainstem and under the cerebral hemisphere;
acts as the brain’s sensory switchboard

132
Q

mixed hearing loss

A

refers to a combination of conductive hearing loss and sensorineural hearing loss

133
Q

mode

A

the most frequent score

134
Q

myelin sheath

A

a layer that protects the axom and assists with a speedy transmission of nerve impulses

135
Q

nature/nuture debate

A

discussion about how much of human development is caused by what people inherit genetically from their parents (nature) and how much is learned as the result of the environmental influences, both physical and social in the world (nurture)

136
Q

neuron

A

type of cell that is specialized to receive, transmit and process information.

137
Q

neuroticism

A

emotional instability

138
Q

neurotransmitter

A

chemicals that affect the way messages are passed from one neuron to another.

139
Q

non-experimental methods

A

research methods, such as interviews and observation, that do not involve manipulation of the independent variable

140
Q

non-scientific approach

A

predicting and describing human behavior using non-scientific methods

141
Q

non-verbal communication

A

conveying a message without words, through gesture, facial expression and so on.

142
Q

norm

A

something that is considered normal (average) for a particular group

143
Q

normal

A

used in statistics to represent the distribution of random variables in the form of a bell shaped graph.

144
Q

observation

A

the study of people by observing them in natural situations.

145
Q

occipital lobes

A

the back part of the cortex, associated with vision and seeing

146
Q

open-ended interview

A

an interview in which interviewees can answer questions in any way they want

147
Q

operationalise

A

provide a working definition of a variable that will enable it to be measured.

148
Q

organisation

A

second stage in perception that involves grouping of selected features of stimuli to form a whole.

149
Q

organisational psychology

A

an area of psychology concerned with understanding complex relationships in workplaces so as to improve as organisation’s effectiveness and productivity

150
Q

parietal lobes

A

the lobes located on the top of the cortex that are associated with sensory information, such as touch and temperature, as well as about the body’s position in space.

151
Q

participant

A

a person who participates in research and provides the data used to test hypothesis.

152
Q

participant observation

A

a research strategy that requires the observer to become part of the group they are studying

153
Q

peer group

A

a group made up of people who interact on fairly equal terms;
group members have a similar status and age and usually have similar interests.

154
Q

perception

A

organising and interpreting what the sense organs take in

155
Q

perceptual expectancy

A

a bias or readiness to respond to an event or activity because of expectations or preconceptions

156
Q

perceptual illusion

A

a mismatch between physical reality and our perception of it

157
Q

personality

A

the characteristic ways of thinking, feeling and acting that make a person an individual

158
Q

physical appearance

A

non-verbal communication that involves how you present yourself physically;
the way you dress, do your hair, use make up, etc

159
Q

physical development

A

changes with age in size, proportion, appearance, motor skills and coordination

160
Q

physical distance

A

a form of non-verbal communication in which a message is transmitted by the proximity to, ot distance from, another person

161
Q

placebo

A

a neutral substance or procedure that looks like the real substance or procedure that is being evaluated and is delivered in a similar way.
e.g. sugar tablet

162
Q

politeness

A

behavior that is considered courteous and considerate

163
Q

population

A

the group of people to whom the findings from a research study apply

164
Q

positron emission tomography PET scan

A

a technique to measure brain activity by means of the glucose (sugar) consumption of the brain

165
Q

prejudice

A

unjustifiable and usually negative attitudes towards a group and its members

166
Q

probability

A

the degree of likelihood of an event happening;

the expected frequency of an event relative to chance

167
Q

projective test

A

a personality test that attempts to reveal people’s unconscious desires, motivations and conflicts by asking them to describe what they see in ambiguous stimuli such as inkblots

168
Q

pro-social behavior

A

voluntary helping behavior intended to benefit others

169
Q

psychoanalysis

A

a technique designed to investigate unconscious motives in the individual
ass with Sigmund Freud

170
Q

psychosexual stages

A

in Freud’s theories, the early development of personality during which the id’s energies are focused on distinct pleasure-sensitive (erogenous) areas of the body.

171
Q

psychoticism

A

the term used to describe individuals who are unstable and reckless.

172
Q

puberty

A

the time of sexual maturation

173
Q

qualitative data

A

information that is not expressed in numbers

174
Q

quantitative data

A

information that is gathered in the form of numbers

175
Q

questionnaire

A

a paper and pencil or online survey used to obtain information about people

176
Q

racism

A

a form of prejudice based on assumed racial differences

177
Q

random sampling

A

a way of selecting participants for a study that makes sure every member of the study population has an equal change of being selected to participate.

178
Q

range

A

the difference between the highest and lowest value in a group of scores.

179
Q

rating scale

A

a self-report measure providing a series of questions or statements to which respondents indicate the strength of their opinion;
they provide quantitative data.

180
Q

re-categorisation

A

a way in which conflicting groups can be helpful to see similarities and work towards common goals

181
Q

reception

A

the first stage of sensation when physical stimuli, such as sound waves and light, are detected by sensory neurons

182
Q

referential communication task

A

a communication task involving two people - a speaker and a listener - separated by a barrier such as a screen.
each has a set of objects and the listener must determine the object being spoken about from the speaker’s description.

183
Q

reliability

A

the extent to which one would get the same result if the same measure were to be given to the same person again under the same circumstances.

184
Q

reliable

A

a measure that is consistent within itself and across time.

185
Q

reticular formation

A

a network of nerves that runs through the centre of the brain; its main function is to screen incoming information.

186
Q

sample

A

in a study or experiment, a group that is a subject of the population (a large group) being studied for research purposes.

187
Q

schema

A

an idea or understanding about what something is and how to deal with it.

188
Q

science

A

seeks empirical evidence for any conclusions reached; it requires a scientific attitude and uses scientific methods.

189
Q

scientific attutide

A

a questioning approach that involves looking for evidence to back up all conclusions

190
Q

scientific method

A

a systematic approach to planning and conducting research;
it starts with developing a testable hypothesis and progresses through data collection and data analysis to drawing conclusions

191
Q

scientist

A

professional psychologist who base their practice on research evidence

192
Q

secondary trait

A

preferences and attitudes that can change according to a particular situation

193
Q

secular growth trends

A

generational changes in growth rate

194
Q

selection

A

the first step in perception in which the brain filters stimuli for further processing

195
Q

selective attention

A

paying attention to some events and activities (stimuli) while ignoring others

196
Q

self - actualisation

A

living up to one’s potential

197
Q

self-concept

A

our definition of ourselves, who we consider ourselves to be.

198
Q

self-fulfilling prophecy

A

a prediction that directly or indirectly becomes true, by the conditions of the prophecy itself.

199
Q

self- report

A

spoken or written answers provided in response to questions asked by a researcher.

200
Q

self-report inventory

A

a form of test in which individuals respond to questions about how they think, feel or behave

201
Q

sensation

A

the initial step in perception involving filtering stimuli to select important features for further processing

202
Q

sensorineural hearing loss

A

a form of hearing loss where there is damage to the cochlea or auditory nerve

203
Q

single-blind procedure

A

an experimental procedure in which the person collecting the data knows whether the participants are in the experimental or control group, but the participants do not.
i.e. the participants are ‘blind’ to group membership

204
Q

sleep

A

the deepest, most relaxed state of consciousness

205
Q

smell

A

a form of non-verbal communication in which a message is transmitted by how an individual smells.
Brought about by cleanliness, perfume etc.

206
Q

social categorisation

A

the process of identifying a person as a member of a group because of the features they share.

207
Q

social comparison

A

making oneself acceptable to a social group by holding similar attitudes

208
Q

social conformity

A

adherence to the attitudes and behaviors of the social group to which the individual belongs.

209
Q

social desirability bias

A

people’s tendency to behave in a way they consider socially acceptable, even if this is not how they would normally behave.

210
Q

social development

A

changes in self-knowledge and understanding of other people, skills in making and maintaining friendships and reasoning about behavior.

211
Q

social identity

A

part of our self-concept that is based on our membership in particular groups

212
Q

social influence

A

the impact of others on us that leads us to change our thoughts, feelings or behavior.

213
Q

social loafing

A

putting less effort into an activity when in a group than when functioning alone.

214
Q

social norms

A

shared rules or expectations of a group about how to behave

215
Q

social rules

A

roles taken on by individuals for the benefit of the group;

for each role, a set of social norms or rules determine the expected behavior of the person in that role.

216
Q

social status

A

the level of prestige or importance of a person within a group

217
Q

socially dependent

A

the reliance of people on each other for emotional outcomes, feelings of belonging and social identity

218
Q

source traits

A

fundamental or basic personality traits, determined by factor analysis

219
Q

specific language impairment SLI

A

difficulty in speaking or understanding spoken language.

Not due to neurological, intellectual, emotional or sensory impairments.

220
Q

standard deviation

A

the square root of the variance, used by psychologists to describe the spread of measures around the mean.

221
Q

state of consciousness

A

the level of awareness we have at any time of our internal state and external events

222
Q

stereotype

A

a form of social catagorisation based on what others presume to be shared features.

223
Q

stimulant

A

a drug that excites the nervous system and arouses the body’s functions

224
Q

stratified random sampling

A

a form of stratified sampling in which participants are randomly selected within each stratum

225
Q

stratified sampling

A

a way of selecting participants for a study that involves dividing the population into groups or strata.
where each group has a particular characteristic; e.g. males and females

226
Q

superego

A

in Freud’s theories, the voice of conscience

227
Q

task dependent

A

behavior based on the aim of working together to complete a task successfully

228
Q

temporal lobes

A

the lobes located on both sides of the cortex;

they receive auditory information and are responsible for speech, hearing and mental processes.

229
Q

test-retest reliability

A

consistency in scores when the same test is given again at a later time

230
Q

thalamus

A

a section of the brain that is located near its middle;

it filters information from all senses except smell and acts as a relay system

231
Q

theory

A

a system for describing what we know, explaining what we observe and providing testable predictions

232
Q

theory of reasoned actions

A

an explanation of how social norms and values are translated into the way people behave

233
Q

total communication

A

a system of communication used by some in the deaf community;
it involves the use of formal signs, such as Auslan and fingerspelling alongside spoken language

234
Q

touch

A

physical contact as a form of communication

235
Q

trait

A

a stable form of behavior displayed in any way and every situation

236
Q

transduction

A

second step in sensation that involves different forms of energy being converted into electrochemical energy for the human nervous system to process

237
Q

transmission

A

the third step in sensation involving the transfer of electrochemical energy to the brain for processing

238
Q

two-factor theory of intelligence

A

a theory of intelligence that states that intelligence is made up of a general factor ‘g’ that affects performance on all intellectual tasks, and specific factors ‘s’ that affect performance in specific areas of functioning

239
Q

uncontrolled variable

A

a variable that is allowed to stay random because it is predicted to have no effect on the outcome of an experiment but could potentially impact the dependent variable.

240
Q

valid

A

the extent to which the results of a study reflect what the measuring instrument says it is measuring

241
Q

variable

A

a factor that can vary (change) in some way e.g. amount.

Psychology (9 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions