{"id":3891,"date":"2018-07-22T17:43:37","date_gmt":"2018-07-22T21:43:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/academic\/zz\/?p=3891"},"modified":"2019-05-25T21:52:56","modified_gmt":"2019-05-26T01:52:56","slug":"psychology-terms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/academic\/zz\/introduction-to-psychology\/psychology-terms\/","title":{"rendered":"Psychology Terms"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul>\n<li><strong>Critical Thinking<\/strong>\u00ad process of objectively evaluating, comparing, analyzing, and synthesizing information<\/li>\n<li><strong>Interactions<\/strong>\u00ad process in which multiple factors mutually influence one another and the outcome<\/li>\n<li><strong>Nature\u00adNurture Controversy<\/strong>\u00ad ongoing dispute over the relative contributions of nature(heredity) and nurture(environment)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Psychology<\/strong>\u00adscientific study of behavior and mental processes<\/li>\n<li><strong>Behavior Perspective<\/strong>\u00ad studies objective, observable, environmental influences on overt behavior<\/li>\n<li><strong>Biopsychosocial model<\/strong>\u00adunifying theme of modern psychology that considers biological, psychological, and social processes<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cognitive perspective<\/strong>\u00ademphasizes thinking, perception, and information processing<\/li>\n<li><strong>Evolutionary perspective<\/strong>\u00ad studies natural selection, adaptation and evolution of behavior and mental processes<\/li>\n<li><strong>Humanist perspective<\/strong>\u00ad focuses on free will, self\u00adactualization, and human nature as positive and growth seeking<\/li>\n<li><strong>Neuroscience\/biopsychology<\/strong> <strong>perspective<\/strong>\u00adstudies genetics and biological processes in brain and other parts of the NS<\/li>\n<li><strong>Psychoanalytic\/psychodynamic perspective<\/strong>\u00ad emphasized unconscious processes and unresolved past conflicts<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sociocultural perspective<\/strong>\u00ad focuses on social interaction and cultural determinants of behavior and mental processes<\/li>\n<li><strong>Applied research<\/strong>\u00adresearch designed to solve practical problems<\/li>\n<li><strong>Basic research<\/strong>\u00ad research conducted to advance scientific knowledge<\/li>\n<li><strong>Debriefing<\/strong>\u00adinforming participants after the research about the purpose of the study, the nature of the anticipated results, and any deceptions<\/li>\n<li><strong>Hypothesis<\/strong>\u00ad specific prediction about how one variable related to another<\/li>\n<li><strong>Informed consent<\/strong>\u00adparticipant\u2019s agreement to take part in a study after being told what to expect<\/li>\n<li><strong>Meta\u00adanalysis<\/strong>\u00adstatistical procedure for combining and analyzing data from many studies<\/li>\n<li><strong>Operational definition<\/strong>\u00adprecise description of how the variables in a study will be observed and measured<\/li>\n<li><strong>Theory\u00ad<\/strong>interrelated set of concepts that explain a body of data<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Biological research<\/strong>\u00ad scientific studies of the brain and other parts of the nervous system<\/p>\n<p><strong>Case study<\/strong>\u00ad in depth investigations<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Control group<\/strong>\u00adgroup receiving no treatment in an experiment<\/li>\n<li><strong>Correlation coefficient<\/strong>\u00ada number that indicates the degree and direction of the relationship between 2 variables<\/li>\n<li><strong>Correlational research<\/strong>\u00adscientific study in which the researcher observes or measures 2+ variables to find the relationship between them<\/li>\n<li><strong>Dependent variable<\/strong>\u00ad what experimenter measures<\/li>\n<li>Descriptive research\u00adresearch methods that observe and record behavior without producing causal explanations<\/li>\n<li><strong>Double\u00adblind study<\/strong>\u00adprocedure in which both the researcher and the participants are unaware of who is in the experimental or control group<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ethnocentrism<\/strong>\u00adbelieving that one\u2019s culture is typical of all cultures; viewing one\u2019s own ethnic group as central and correct and judging other according to this standard<\/li>\n<li><strong>Experiment<\/strong>\u00adcarefully controlled scientific procedure that involves manipulation of variables to determine cause and effect<\/li>\n<li><strong>Experimental group<\/strong>\u00adgroup receiving treatment in an experiment<\/li>\n<li>Experimenter bias\u00adoccurs when researcher influences research results in the expected direction<\/li>\n<li><strong>Independent variable<\/strong>\u00adwhat experimenter manipulates<\/li>\n<li><strong>Misattribution of arousal<\/strong>\u00adphysiologically aroused individuals make mistaken inferences about what is causing the arousal<\/li>\n<li><strong>Naturalistic observation<\/strong>\u00ad describes behavior in its natural habitat without altering it<\/li>\n<li><strong>Participant bias<\/strong>\u00adoccurs when experimental conditions influence the participant\u2019s behavior or mental processes<\/li>\n<li><strong>Placebo<\/strong>\u00adinactive substance or fake treatment used as a control technique, usually in drug research or given by a medical practitioner to a patient<\/li>\n<li><strong>Random assignment<\/strong>\u00adusing chance methods to assign participants to experimental or control conditions, thus minimizing the possibility of biases or preexisting differences in groups<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Sample bias\u00adoccurs when research participants are not representative of the larger population<\/li>\n<li>Survey\u00ad use interviews\/questionnaires on sample of participants<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Neuroscience<\/strong>\u00adinterdisplicinary field studying how biological processes relate to behavioral and mental processes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Action potential<\/strong>\u00adneural impulse that carries info along axon of neuron; generated when +\/\u00ad charged ions move in\/out through channels in axon\u2019s membrane<\/p>\n<p><strong>Axon<\/strong>\u00adlong, tube like structure that conveys info away from the neuron\u2019s cell body toward other neurons or to muscles\/glands<\/p>\n<p><strong>Cell body<\/strong>\u00adparty of neuron that contains nucleus and other structures that carry out functions; aka soma<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Dendrites\u00ad<\/strong>branching neuron structures that receive neural impulses from other neurons and convey impulses toward cell body<\/li>\n<li><strong>Endocrine system<\/strong>\u00adcollections of glands located throughout the body that manufacture and secrete hormones into bloodstream<\/li>\n<li><strong>Endophorins<\/strong>\u00adchemical substances in the NS that are similar in structure and action to opiates and involved in pain control, pleasure, and memory<\/li>\n<li><strong>Glial cells<\/strong>\u00adcells that provide structural, nutritional, and other support for neurons as well as communication within NS<\/li>\n<li><strong>Hormones<\/strong>\u00adchemicals manufactured by endocrine glands and circulated in the bloodstream to produce bodily changes or maintain normal bodily functions<\/li>\n<li><strong>Myelin sheath<\/strong>\u00adlayer of fatty insulation wrapped around the axon of some neurons, which increases the rate at which nerve impulses travel along the axon<\/li>\n<li><strong>Neuron<\/strong>\u00adcell of NS responsible for receiving and transmitting electrochemical information<\/li>\n<li><strong>Neurotransmitters<\/strong>\u00adchemicals released by neurons that affect other neurons<\/li>\n<li><strong>Synapse\u00ad<\/strong>junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron<\/li>\n<li><strong>ANS<\/strong>\u00adsubdivision of PNS that controls involuntary functions such as HR and digestion<\/li>\n<li>CNS\u00adbrain and spinal cord<\/li>\n<li><strong>Interneuron<\/strong>\u00adneurons within CNS that internally communicate and intervene between sensory and motor neurons<\/li>\n<li><strong>Motor neurons<\/strong>\u00adtransmit messages from CNS to organs, muscles, glands, efferent neurons<\/li>\n<li><strong>PSYNS<\/strong>\u00adsubdivision of ANS responsible for calming body and conserving E<\/li>\n<li><strong>PNS<\/strong>\u00adall nerves and neurons connecting CNS to rest of body<\/li>\n<li><strong>Reflexes<\/strong>\u00adinnate, automatic, response to a stimulus<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sensory neurons<\/strong>\u00adtransmit messages from sense organs to CNS<\/li>\n<li><strong>SNS<\/strong>\u00adsubdivision of PNS that connects sensory receptors and controls skeletal muscles<\/li>\n<li><strong>SYNS\u00ad<\/strong>subdivision of ANS responsible for arousing body and mobilizing E during times of stress<\/li>\n<li><strong>Association areas<\/strong>\u00adso called quiet areas in cerebral cortex involved in interpreting, integrating, and acting on info processed by other parts of the brain<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Brainstem<\/strong>\u00adarea of brain that houses parts of hindbrain, midbrain, fore brain, and helps regulate reflex activities critical for survival<\/p>\n<p><strong>Cerebellum<\/strong>\u00adhindbrain structure responsible for coordinating fine muscles movement, balance, and some perception and cognition<\/p>\n<p><strong>Cerebral cortex<\/strong>\u00adthin surface layer on cerebral hemisphere that regulates most complex behavior, including sensations, motor control, and higher mental processes<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Corpus callosum<\/strong>\u00adbundle of nerve fibers connecting brain\u2019s left and right hemispheres<\/li>\n<li><strong>Forebrain<\/strong>\u00adcollection of upper\u00adlevel brain structures including thalamus, hypothalamus, limbic system, and cerebral cortex<\/li>\n<li><strong>Frontal lobes<\/strong>\u00ad2 lobes at front of brain governing motor control, speech production, higher functions such as thinking, personality, emotion, and memory<\/li>\n<li><strong>Hindbrain<\/strong>\u00adcollection of brain structures including medulla, pons, cerebellum<\/li>\n<li><strong>Hypothalamus\u00ad<\/strong> small brain structure beneath thalamus responsible for emotions and drives and regulating body\u2019s internal environment<\/li>\n<li>Lateralization\u00adspecialization of left and right hemispheres of brain for particular operations<\/li>\n<li><strong>Limbic system<\/strong>\u00adinterconnected group of forebrain structures involved with emotions, drives, and memory<\/li>\n<li>Localization of function\u00adspecialization of various parts of brain for particular functions<\/li>\n<li><strong>Medulla<\/strong>\u00adhindbrain structure responsible for automatic body functions such as breathing and heartbeat<\/li>\n<li><strong>Midbrain<\/strong>\u00adcollection of brain structures in the middle of brain responsible for coordinating movement patterns, sleep, arousal<\/li>\n<li><strong>Occipital lobes<\/strong>\u00ad2 lobes at back of brain responsible for vision and visual perception<\/li>\n<li><strong>Parietal lobes<\/strong>\u00ad2 lobes at top of brain where bodily sensations are interpreted<\/li>\n<li><strong>Pons<\/strong>\u00adhindbrain structure involved in respiration, movement, waking, sleep, and dreaming<\/li>\n<li><strong>Reticular formation<\/strong>\u00addiffuse set of neurons that screens incoming info and controls arousal<\/li>\n<li><strong>Split brain<\/strong>\u00adsurgical separation of brain\u2019s 2 hemispheres used medically to treat severe epilepsy<\/li>\n<li><strong>Temporal lobes<\/strong>\u00ad2 lobes on each side of brain above ears involved in hearing, language comprehension, memory, and some emotional control<\/li>\n<li><strong>Thalamus<\/strong>\u00adforebrain structure at top of BS that relays sensory messages to cerebral cortex<\/li>\n<li><strong>Behavioral genetics<\/strong>\u00adstudy of relative effects of heredity and environment on behavior and mental processes<\/li>\n<li><strong>Chromosome<\/strong>s\u00adthreadlike molecule of DNA that carries genetic info<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Evolutionary psychology<\/strong>\u00adbranch of psychology that studies way in which natural selection and adaptation can explain behavior and mental processes<\/p>\n<p><strong>Genes<\/strong>\u00adsegment of DNA that occupies specific place on particular chromosome and carries code for heredity transmission<\/p>\n<p><strong>Heritability<\/strong>\u00admeasure of degree to which a characteristic is related to genetic, inherited factors<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Natural selection<\/strong>\u00addriving mechanism behind evolution, which allows individuals with genetically influenced traits that are adaptive in a particular environment to stay alive and produce offspring<\/li>\n<li><strong>Neurogenesis<\/strong> \u2013division and differentiation of nonneural cells to produce neurons<\/li>\n<li><strong>Neuroplasticit<\/strong>y\u00adbrain\u2019s lifelong ability to reorganize and change its structure and function<\/li>\n<li><strong>Stem cells<\/strong>\u00adprecursor cells that give birth to new specialized cells; holds all info it needs to make a bone, blood, brain and can also copy itself to maintain a stock of stem cells<\/li>\n<li><strong>Approach<\/strong>\u00adapproach conflict\u00adhaving to choose between 2+ desirable alternatives<\/li>\n<li><strong>Approach\u00adavoidance conflict<\/strong>\u00adforced choice between 2+ alternatives that have both desirable and undesirable results<\/li>\n<li><strong>Avoidance\u00adavoidance conflict<\/strong>\u00adforced choice between 2+ more undesirable alternatives<\/li>\n<li><strong>Burnout<\/strong>\u00adstate of psychological and physical exhaustion resulting from chronic exposure to high levels of stress and little personal control<\/li>\n<li><strong>Conflict\u00ad<\/strong>forced choice between 2+ incompatible goals\/impulses<\/li>\n<li><strong>Distress<\/strong>\u00adunpleasant, objectionable stress<\/li>\n<li><strong>Eustress<\/strong>\u00adpleasant, desirable stress<\/li>\n<li><strong>Frustration<\/strong>\u00adunpleasant tension, anxiety, and heightened sympathetic activity resulting from a blocked goal<\/li>\n<li><strong>GAS\u00ad<\/strong>Selye\u2019s 3\u00adphase reaction to severe stress (alarm, resistance, and exhaustion)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Hassles<\/strong>\u00adsmall problems of daily living that accumulate and sometimes become a major source of stress<\/li>\n<li><strong>HPA axis<\/strong>\u00adhypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal cortex which are activated by stress<\/li>\n<li><strong>Psychoneuroimmunology<\/strong>\u00adinterdisciplinary field that studies the effects of psychological factors on the immune system<\/li>\n<li><strong>Stress<\/strong>\u00adnonspecific response of the body to any demand made on it; physical and mental arousal to situations or events that we perceive as threatening or challenging<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Hardiness<\/strong>\u00adResilient personality that includes a strong commitment to personal goals, control over life, and viewing changes as a challenge rather than a threat<\/p>\n<p><strong>PTSD<\/strong>\u00adanxiety disorder following exposure to a life\u00adthreatening or oter extreme event that evoked great horror or helplessness; characterized by flashbacks, nightmare, and impaired functioning<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Type A personality<\/strong>\u00adbehavior characteristics including intense ambition, competition, exaggerated time urgency, and a cynical, hostile outlook<\/li>\n<li><strong>Type B personality<\/strong>\u00adbehavior characteristics consistent with a calm, patient, relaxed attitude<\/li>\n<li><strong>Binge drinking<\/strong>\u00adoccurs when a man consumes 5+ drinks in a row, or a woman consumes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>4+ drinks in a row on at least 3 occasions during a 2 week period<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Chronic pain<\/strong>\u00adcontinuous or recurrent pain over a period of 6 months of longer<\/li>\n<li><strong>Health psychology<\/strong>\u00adstudies how biological, psychological, and social factors affect health and illness<\/li>\n<li><strong>Defense mechanism<\/strong>\u00adunconscious strategies used to distort reality and relieve anxiety and guilt<\/li>\n<li><strong>Emotion\u00adfocused forms of coping<\/strong>\u00adcoping strategies based on changing one\u2019s perceptions of stressful situations<\/li>\n<li><strong>External locus of control<\/strong>\u00adbelieving that chance or outside forces beyond one\u2019s control determine one\u2019s fate<\/li>\n<li><strong>Internal locus of control<\/strong>\u00adbelieving that one controls one\u2019s own fate<\/li>\n<li><strong>Problem\u00adfocused forms of coping<\/strong>\u00adcoping strategies that use problem\u00adsolving strategies to decrease or eliminate the source of stress<\/li>\n<li><strong>Perception<\/strong>\u00adprocess of selecting, organization, and interpretation sensory information<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sensation\u00ad<\/strong>process of receiving, converting, and transmitting raw sensory information from the external and internal environments to the brain<\/li>\n<li><strong>Absolute threshold<\/strong>\u00adsmallest amount of a stimulus needed to detect that the stimulus is present<\/li>\n<li><strong>Coding<\/strong>\u00adprocess that converts a particular sensory input into a specific sensation<\/li>\n<li><strong>Difference threshold<\/strong>\u00adminimal difference needed to notice a stimulus change; aka just noticeable difference<\/li>\n<li>Gate\u00adcontrol theory of pain\u00adtheory that pain sensations are processed and altered by mechanisms within the spinal cord<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Psychophysics<\/strong>\u00adstudy of the relation between attributes of the physical world and our psychological experience of them<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Critical Thinking\u00ad process of objectively evaluating, comparing, analyzing, and synthesizing information Interactions\u00ad process in which multiple factors mutually influence one another and the outcome Nature\u00adNurture Controversy\u00ad ongoing dispute over&hellip; <a class=\"continue\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/academic\/zz\/introduction-to-psychology\/psychology-terms\/\">Continue Reading<span> Psychology Terms<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[99],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/academic\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3891"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/academic\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/academic\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/academic\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/academic\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3891"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/academic\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3891\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4758,"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/academic\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3891\/revisions\/4758"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/academic\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3891"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/academic\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3891"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/academic\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3891"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}