Top 100 Terms Part 1 Flashcards
What is the Serial Position Effect?
States that people are more likely to recall the first and last information from a memorized list rather than the information in the middle
What is closure (Gestalt Psychology)?
When people tend to seee perceive incomplete forms as complete;
Our brains tend to fill in the missing parts to see the stimulus as a whole
What is proximity (Gestalt Psychology)?
When elements are placed closer together, we start to see them as part of a group
What is figure-ground?
When the figure (the focal point) and the ground (background) of an image become ambiguous
What is the reciprocity norm (social standard)?
If someone helps another person, that individual is expected to return the favor
What is group polarization?
After dicussing a topic, the group members’ beliefs become more extreme than prior to the discussion
What is confirmation bias?
Tendency for a person to look for information supporting their beliefs, while ignoring or dismissinf evidence that doesn’t support their position
What is belief perserverance?
Tendency for individuals to hold onto a belief event after being presented with information that discredits it
What is the self-serving bias?
Tendency to overstate one’s role when there’s a positive outcome and understate it when there’s a negative outcome
What is the stereotype threat?
Anxiety that members of a group feel if they think that their performance will confirm a negative stereotype
What is the foot-in-the-foor phenomenon?
-A request is made
-Individual agrees
-Larger request is then made
-Individual is more likely to agree after accepting the smaller request
What is the door-in-the-face phenomenon?
-Large request is made
-Individual denies
-Smaller request is made
-Individual is more likely to accept smaller request after denying larger one
What is hostile aggression?
End goal is physical harm;
Ex: bar fight
What is instrumental aggression?
Aggression is used to achieve some other means;
Ex: beating someone up to get their wallet
What are neurons?
Messengers that send signals throughout the body
What are affferent (sensory) neurons?
Send information at the brain
What are efferent (motor) neurons?
Send information from the brain to the rest of the body
What are long term potentiation?
A process by which synaptic connections between neurons become stronger with frequent activation;
Practice makes neural pathways stronger
What is arousal?
A state of alertness and/or being awake
What parts of the body oversee arousal?
-Sympathetic nervous system
-Reticular formation (network of neurons that runs in the brainstem)
What makes up the central nervous system?
Brain (information center) and spinal chord (information highway)
What makes up the peripheral nervous system?
Nerves that branch from the spinal cord to other parts of the body
What is the peripheral nervous system divided into?
Somatic (motor and sensory nerves);
autonomic (digestive, respiratory, circulatory, reproductive)
What is the autonomic nervous system split into?
Sympathetic (alert system that reacts to stressors);
parasympathetic (calms body down after stressful situation)
What is the arousal theory of motivation?
People are motivated to engage in a given behavior to raise or lower their arousal level
What is the common sense theory of emotion?
A stimulus prompts an emotion, which results in arousal
What is the James-Lange Theory of emotion?
A stimulus prompts arousal, which results in emotion
What is the Cannon-Bard Theory of emotion?
A stimulus will prompt emotion and arousal at the same, exact time
What is the cerebellum?
Attached to the brain stem;
Deals with coordination, motor control, balance, and muscle memory;
Slurred speech happens when it is affected by alcohol
What is Broca’s area?
Produces speech;
Damage leads to expressive aphasia
What is Wernicke’s area?
Interprets spoken language;
Damage leads to receptive aphasia
What does the angular gyrus do?
Takes visuals and sends them to Wernicke’s area for comprehension
