psych 111 final

Accuracy

Explanations and theories match real-world observations

Consistency

A theory has few exceptions and shows agreement, with other theories within and across disciplines

Scope

Extent to which a theory extends beyond currently available data explaining a wide array of phenomena

Simplicity

When multiple explanations are equally good at explaining the data, the simplest should be selected

Fruitfulness

The usefulness of the theory in guiding new research by predicting new, testable relationships

Induction

Drawing general conclusions from specific observations

Deductive Reasoning

Begins with general principles that are applied to specific instances

Occipital Lobe

At the back of the cerebral cortex where the visual area of the brain is

Temporal Lobe

Under the cerebral cortex where sounds and smells are processed

Parietal Lobe

Upper back of the cerebral cortex where touch and taste are processed

Frontal Lobe

Forward of the cerebral cortex where behaviors motor plans are processed, speech and language, creative problem solving, planning, and organization

Corpus Callosum

The thick bundle of nerve fibers called that connects the two hemispheres and ensures both sides of the brain can communicated and send signals to each other

Cerebellum

At the back of the brain, and is involved with movement and posture and other thinking processes. It coordinates actions without conscious awareness.

Cerebrum

Also known as the cerebral cortex. There is a left and right hemisphere. In charge of the processes associated with awareness and voluntary control such as speaking and planning, hearing, feelings, seeing, and moving.

Limbic System

Regulates emotions

Mechanoreceptors

Mechanical sensory receptors in the skin that response to tactile stimulation

Taste Receptor Cells

Receptors found in the taste buds of the tongue

Auditory Hair Cells

Receptors in the cochlea that transduce sound into electrical potentials

Photoreceptors

Specialized cells in the retina where light is transduced, or converted into electrical signals

Olfactory Receptors

Found in the olfactory epithelium; deals with smell

Behavior genetics

The empirical science of how genes and environments combine to generate behavior

Error Management Theory

A theory of selection under conditions of uncertainty in which judgements of safety are favored to minimize more costly errors --\> "Better to be safe than sorry"

Sexual Strategies Theory

Psychology of human mating strategies and the ways in which women and men differ in those strategies. What happens in long-term relationships?

Interpersonal Emotions

Relationship or interaction between two or more individuals in a group

Intrapersonal Emotions

What occurs within oneself. Refers to the effects of emotion that occur physically and psychologically.

Retroactive Interference

New information hinders recall of old info

Proactive Interference

Old info hinders recall of new info

Big 5 Personality Traits

Openness, Consciousness, Extroversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism

Theory of Mind

Emerging around the age of 4, the child's understanding that other people have minds in which are located desires and beliefs, and that desires and beliefs, thereby, motivate behavior.

Developmental Intergroup Theory

Adults' heavy focus on gender leads children to pay attention to gender as a key source of information about themselves and others

How can anxiety be beneficial?

Protects from danger. Fit into group and read social cues.

Aggression

Any behavior intended to harm another person who does not want to be harmed

Violence

Aggression intended to cause extreme physical harm

What age are people most agressive?

Ages 1-3

When should we treat aggression?

As soon as possible

External Aggression

Alcohol, frustration, unpleasant events

Internal Aggression

Age, gender, personality traits, hostile cognitive biases

Hostile Attribution Bias

The tendency to perceive ambiguous by others as aggressive. Attacking you.

Hostile Perception Bias

The tendency to perceive social interactions in general as being aggressive. Whether people are attacking on another.

Hostile Expectation Bias

The tendency to assume that people will react to potential conflicts with aggression

Functional Distance

The frequency with which we cross paths with others

Proximity

"Physical nearness" as a significant factor in the development of relationships

Schema

A mental model, or representation, of any of the various things we come across in our daily lives

Automatic Cognition

A behavior or process has one or more of the following features; unintentional, uncontrollable, occurring outside of conscious awareness and cognitively efficient (schemas)

Explicit Attitude

An attitude that is consciously help and can be reported on by the person holding the attitude

Implicit Attitude

An attitude that a person cannot verbally or overtly state

Heuristics

A mental shortcut or rule of thumb that reduces complex mental problems to more simple rule-base decisions

Warmth

First, people are interested in understanding the intentions of others

Competence

We also want to know whether the members of the group are competent enough to act on their good or ill intentions

Blatant Biases

Conscious beliefs, feelings, and behavior that people are perfectly willing to admit, which mostly express hostility toward other groups (out-groups) while unduly favoring one's own group (in-group)

Subtle Biases

Automatic, ambiguous, and ambivalent, but real in their consequences

Family Systems Theory

A person cannot be understood on their own but as a member of a unit. You may have to adjust your role.

Secure Attachment

"I find it relatively easy to get close to others an am comfortable depending on them and having them depend on me. I don't often worry about being abandoned or about someone getting too close to me."

Anxious-Avoidant Attachment

"I am somewhat uncomfortable being close to others. I find it difficult to trust them completely, difficult to allow myself to depend on them. I am nervous when anyone gets too close, and often, love partners want me to be more intimate than I feel comfortable being."

Anxious-Resistant Attachment

"I feel that others are reluctant to get as close as I would like. I often worry that my partner doesn't really love me or won't stay with me. I want to merge completely with another person, and this desire sometimes scares people away."

Traditional Family

Two or more people who are related by blood, marriage, or adoption

Two-Parent Family

A family consisting of two parents, typically both the biological parents, and their children.

Joint Family

Three or more generations of blood relatives live in a single household or compound. Can include cousins, aunts, and uncles. More seen in Southern areas.

Modern Families

A family based on commitment, caring, and close emotional ties

Single Parent Family

An individual parents raising a child or children

Stepfamily

A family formed, after divorce or widowhood, through marriage

Blended Family

A family consisting of an adult couple and their children from previous relationships

Nuclear Families

A core family unit comprised of only the parents and children

Individualism

The cultural trend in which the primary unit of measurement is the individual. Individualists are likely to emphasize uniqueness and personal aspirations over social duty.

Collectivism

The cultural trend in which the primary unit of measurement is the group. Collectivists are likely to emphasize duty and obligation over personal aspirations. Sacrificing personal preferences if they come in conflict with the preferences of a larger group.

Ethnocentric Bias

When the researcher is unduly guided by the beliefs of the culture they've grown up in, especially when this results in a misunderstanding or disparagement of unfamiliar cultures

Determinants of Subjective Well-Being

Inborn temperament, personality, resilience and abaptability, social resources, and desirable society

Life Satisfaction

A person reflects on their life and judges to what degree it is going well, by whatever standards that person thinks are most important for a good life

Frequent Positive Feelings

Desirable and pleasant feelings. Moods and emotions such as enjoyment and love

Infrequent Negative Feelings

Few undesirable and unpleasant feelings that people avoid. Moods and emotions such as depression, anger, and worry

3 Major Components of Mindfulness

Purpose, Presence, and Acceptance

Physical Benefits

Enhanced system functioning, Lowered blood pressure, and greater resistance to stress-related illnesses such as heart disease

Psychological Benefits

Become more aware, increased awareness of one's mind, decreased distracting thoughts, and decreased emotional reactivity

Personal Growth

Is about becoming everything you were meant to be. It is understanding that with time and appropriate nourishing, you will experience the natural process of growth and flourishing, like an acorn becoming a magnificent oak tree.

End of History Illusion

Where we tend to imagine that the person we are right now is essentially the person we'll always be for the rest of time. This causes us to routinely underestimate how much we will change in the coming years.

What does neuroplasticity change?

Behavior

Gratitude

It's an energizing habit of awareness. It's a cultivated orientation to life that promotes your own well-being and benefits everyone around you. It is an orientation to life that is both humbling and energizing, in which we recognize that we occupy a highly unique and favored position that we did not "earn" ourselves. It is a felt sense of wonder, thankfulness, and appreciation for life.

Why/How Gratitude Boosts Happiness

Promotes the savoring of life's experiences, can reduce comparison, and strengthens relationships

Optimism

The ability to accept the full spectrum of inner experience and choose the perspective that maximizes well-being

Personalization

The belief that you are entirely to blame for something even though you had little or nothing to do with the outcome. Essentially, it is who you blame for the causes of events.

Self-Efficacy

Refers to a person's beliefs that he or she is able to effectively perform the tasks needed to attain a valued goal. It doesn't refer to your abilities but rather to your beliefs about what you can do with your abilities.

Collective Efficacy

The shared beliefs among members of a group about the group's ability to effectively perform the tasks needed to attain a valued goal

Self Regulation

The complex process through which you control your thoughts, emotions, and actions. It takes a lot of effort and is often compared to a muscle that can be exhausted.

Healthy Psychology

Wants to understand the connections between psychology and health. It considers how the choices we make, the behaviors we engage in, and even the emotions that we feel, can play an important role in our overall health

How does stress influence sickness?

Our bodies shut down and we are more susceptible to sickness

What activities can help lower you're stress levels?

Exercise, relaxation, mindfulness/meditation, and believing you're in control

Logic Bully (Think Again Chapter 5)

When you overwhelm with rational arguments that can't be fought back, but you don't budge on your opinion

What makes a good debate? (Think Again Chapter 5)

A good debate is like a dance, start with common ground, focus on few points, don't attack/defend, be natural, ask questions, and humility and curiosity

3 Hypotheses (Think Again Chapter 6)

1. Not in a league of their own - we're all human

2. Feeling for our foes - humanizing the other side

3. Beasts of habit - stick to what we know

Group Polarization

Judgments made after group discussion will be more extreme in the same directions as the average of individual judgments made prior to discussion

Counterfactual Thinking (Think Again Chapter 6)

Involves imaging how the circumstances of our lives could have unfolded differently

Motivational Interviewing (Think Again Chapter 7)

A way of conducting discussions with a desire to help people find their own motivation to change rather than motivating someone else to change. It starts off with an attitude of humility and curiosity. It is twice as likely to result in a full agreement than standard mediation. You are wanting to help people reach their goals. It requires a genuine desire to help people reach their goals.

How to interview someone (Think Again Chapter 7)

1. Asking open-ended questions

2. Engaging in reflective listening

3. Affirming the person's desire and ability to change

4. Summarizing - explain your understanding of other people's reasons for change to check on whether you've missed something, and to inquire about their plans and possible next steps.

What is our most sacred gift? (Think Again Chapter 7)

Giving people our attention

Binary Bias (Think Again Chapter 8)

Seeking clarity and closure by simplifying a complex continuum into two categories.