Psych 110-0 Midterm 3 Terms

Cannon-Bard Theory

a theory of emotion proposing that emotional information is simultaneously sent to the cortex and the body and, thus, simultaneously evokes an emotional experience and physiological reactions, respectively

display rules

culturally determined rules about which emotions are appropriate to display

drive

a physiological state of arousal that moves an organism to meet a need

emotion

an immediate, specific negative or positive response to environmental events or internal thoughts

homeostasis

the tendency for bodily functions to maintain equilibrium

ideal affect

emotional and affective states that people want to feel or that cultures especially value

James-Lange Theory

a theory of emotion stating that the person experiences emotion by noticing bodily changes first and then interpreting them as particular feelings.

motivation

a process that energizes, guides, and maintains behavior toward a goal

need

a state of biological, social, or psychological deficiency

need hierarchy

Maslow's arrangement of needs, in which basic survival needs must be met before people can satisfy higher needs

primary emotions

emotions that are expressed by people in all cultures

secondary emotions

blends of primary emotions

self-actualization

a state that is achieved when one's personal dreams and aspirations have been attained

Schachter-Singer two-factor theory

a theory of emotion stating that the label applied to physiological arousal results in the experience of an emotion

behavioral approach system (BAS)

the brain system involved in the pursuit of incentives or rewards

behavioral inhibition system (BIS)

the brain system that is sensitive to punishment and therefore inhibits behavior that might lead to danger or pain

Fight-Flight-Freeze System (FFFS)

the brain system that responds to punishment by directing an organism to freeze, run away, or engage in defensive fighting

five-factor theory

the idea that personality can be described using five factors: openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism

humanistic approaches

approaches to studying personality that emphasize how people seek to fulfill their potential through greater self-understanding

idiographic approaches

person-centered approaches to assessing personality; they focus on individual lives and how various characteristics are integrated into unique persons

interactionism

the theory that behavior is determined jointly by situations and underlying dispositions

locus of control

people's personal beliefs about how much control they have over outcomes in their lives

need for cognition

the tendency to enjoy and engage in deliberative thought

nomothetic approaches

approaches to assessing personality that focus on the variation in common characteristics from person to person

personality

a person's characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting

personality trait

a pattern of thought, emotion, and behavior that is relatively consistent over time and across situations

projective measures

personality tests that examine tendencies to respond in a particular way by having people interpret ambiguous stimuli

reciprocal determinism

the theory that how personality is expressed can be explained by the interaction of environment, person factors, and behavior itself

self-esteem

how you feel about yourself

self-schema

a knowledge structure about oneself that helps us perceive, organize and interpret self-relevant information, including personality

self-serving bias

the tendency for people to take personal credit for success but blame failure on external factors

situationism

the theory that behavior is determined more by situations than by personality traits

social comparison

the tendency for people to evaluate their own actions, abilities, and beliefs by contrasting them with other people's

sociometer

an internal monitor of social acceptance or rejection

temperaments

biologically based tendencies to feel or act in certain ways

trait approaches

approaches to studying personality that focus on how individuals differ in personality dispositions.

actor-observer bias

the tendency to blame our actions on the situation and blame the actions of others on their personalities

aggression

any behavior that involves the intention to harm another

altruism

providing help when it is needed, without any apparent reward for doing so

attitudes

people's evaluations of objects, of events, or of ideas

attributions

people's explanations for why events or actions occur

bystander intervention effect

the failure to offer help by those who observe someone in need when other people are present

companionate love

a strong commitment based on friendship, trust, respect, and intimacy

compliance

conforming to a request or demand

conformity

the altering of one's behaviors and opinions to match those of other people or to match other people's expectations

deindividuation

the loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity

discrimination

the differential treatment of people as a result of prejudice against their group

elaboration likelihood model

the idea that persuasive messages lead to attitude changes in two ways: via the central route or via the peripheral route

explicit attitudes

attitudes that a person can report

fundamental attribution error

in explaining other people's behavior, the tendency to overemphasize personality traits and underestimate situational factors

group polarization

the process by which initial attitudes of groups become more extreme over time

groupthink

the tendency of groups to make bad decisions when the group is under pressure, facing external threats, and is biased

implicit attitudes

attitudes that exist outside of conscious awareness

inclusive fitness

an explanation for altruism that focuses on the adaptive benefit of transmitting genes, such as through kin selection, rather than focusing on individual survival

informational influence

the tendency for people to conform when they assume that the behavior of others represents the correct way to respond

ingroup favoritism

the tendency for people to evaluate favorably and privilege members of the ingroup more than members of the outgroup

mere exposure effect

the tendency for liking to increase with the frequency of exposure

modern racism

subtle forms of prejudice that coexist with the rejection of racist beliefs

nonverbal behavior

the facial expressions, gestures, mannerisms, and movements by which one communicates with others

normative influence

the tendency for people to conform in order to fit in with the group

obedience

following orders from an authority figure

outgroup homogeneity effect

the tendency to view outgroup members as less varied than ingroup members

passionate love

a state of intense longing and desire

personal attributions

explanations of people's behavior that refer to their internal characteristics, such as abilities, traits, moods, or efforts

persuasion

the active and conscious effort to change an attitude through the transmission of a message

prejudice

negative feelings, opinions, and beliefs associated with a stereotype

prosocial behaviors

actions that tend to benefit others, such as doing favors or helping

situational attributions

explanations of people's behavior that refer to external events, such as the weather, luck, accidents, or other people's actions

social facilitation

stronger responses on simple or well-learned tasks in the presence of others

social identity theory

the idea that ingroups consist of individuals who perceive themselves to be members of the same social category and experience pride through their group membership

social loafing

the tendency for people to put less effort into a simple task when working with others on that task

social norms

expected standards of conduct that influence behavior

stereotype threat

fear or concern about confirming negative stereotypes related to one's own group, which in turn hampers performance on a task

"what is beautiful is good" stereotype

the belief that attractive people are superior in most ways

addiction

a behavioral disorder where the use of a substance continues despite negative consequences and a desire to quit

agoraphobia

an anxiety disorder marked by fear of being in situations in which escape may be difficult or impossible

anxiety disorders

psychological disorders characterized by distressing, persistent anxiety or maladaptive behaviors that reduce anxiety

assessment

in psychology, examination of a person's cognitive, behavioral, or emotional functioning to diagnose possible psychological disorders

attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

a disorder characterized by restlessness, inattentiveness, and impulsivity

autism spectrum disorder

a developmental disorder characterized by deficits in social interaction, by impaired communication, and by restricted interests

bipolar I disorder

a disorder characterized by extremely elevated moods during manic episodes and, frequently, depressive episodes as well

bipolar II disorder

a disorder characterized by alternating periods of extremely depressed and mildly elevated moods

cognitive-behavioral approach

a diagnostic model that views psychopathology as the result of learned, maladaptive thoughts and beliefs

delusions

false beliefs based on incorrect inferences about reality

diathesis-stress model

a diagnostic model that proposes that a disorder may develop when an underlying vulnerability is coupled with a stimulating event

disorganized behavior

acting in strange or unusual ways, including strange movement of limbs, bizarre speech, and inappropriate self-care, such as failing to dress properly or bathe

disorganized speech

incoherent speech patterns that involve frequently changing topics (loose associations) and saying strange or inappropriate things

dissociative disorders

disorders that involve disruptions of identity, of memory, or of conscious awareness

etiology

factors that contribute to the development of a disorder

family systems model

a diagnostic model that considers problems within an individual as indicating problems within the family

generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)

a diffuse state of constant anxiety not associated with any specific object or event

hallucinations

false sensory perceptions that are experienced without an external source

learned helplessness

a cognitive model of depression in which people feel unable to control events in their lives

major depressive disorder

a disorder characterized by severe negative moods or a lack of interest in normally pleasurable activities

negative symptoms

symptoms of schizophrenia that are marked by deficits in functioning, such as apathy, lack of emotion, and slowed speech and movement

obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

a disorder characterized by frequent intrusive thoughts and compulsive actions

persistent depressive disorder

a form of depression that is not severe enough to be diagnosed as major depressive disorder but lasts longer

psychopathology

the study of abnormal behavior

psychosis

a psychological disorder in which a person loses contact with reality, experiencing irrational ideas and distorted perceptions

schizophrenia

a psychological disorder characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, and/or diminished, inappropriate emotional expression