Exam 3 - PSYC 2301

Scheme

  Cognitive structure for processing, organizing, and interpreting information.

Assimilation

Cognitive process of altering new information to fit an existing scheme.

Accommodation

Cognitive process of changing a scheme to adapt to new information.

Sensorimotor

Piaget’s first stage of cognitive development, in which the infant uses its senses and motor abilities to interact with objects in the environment.

Object Permanence

The knowledge that an object exists even when it is not in sight.

Preoperational

Piaget’s second stage of cognitive development, in which the preschool child learns to use language as a means of exploring the world.

Egocentrism

The inability to see the world through anyone else’s eyes.

Centration

In Piaget’s theory, the tendency of a young child to focus only on one feature of an object while ignoring other relevant features.

Concrete Operational

Piaget’s third stage of cognitive development, in which the school-age child becomes capable of logical thought processes but is not yet capable of abstract thinking.

Formal Operational

Piaget’s last stage of cognitive development, in which the adolescent becomes capable of abstract thinking.

Zone of Proximal Development

Vygotsky’s concept of the difference between what a child can do alone and what that child can do with the help of a teacher.

Trust vs. Mistrust

The first stage of development, during infancy, in which the central crisis is the need to establish a stable attachment to a loving and nurturing caregiver.

Identity vs Role Confusion

Stage of personality development in which the adolescent must find a consistent sense of self.

Germinal

The first 2 weeks after fertilization, during which the zygote moves down to the uterus and begins to implant in the lining.

Embryonic

The period from 2 to 8 weeks after fertilization, during which the major organs and structures of the organism develop.

Fetal

The time from about 8 weeks after conception until the birth of the baby.

Easy

In children generally refers to a positive, adaptable, and relatively calm disposition, characterized by predictable routines, mild reactions to new situations, and a generally happy mood. 

Difficult

In children describes those who consistently exhibit negative mood, low adaptability, withdrawal, high intensity, and low regularity. These children may struggle with routine, be intensely emotional, and have difficulty adjusting to new situations or changes.

Slow-to-warm up

Children who are naturally cautious, shy, and need more time to adjust to new situations and people, often withdrawing or appearing overwhelmed in social settings. 

Attachment

The emotional bond between an infant and the primary caregiver.

Authoritarian

Style of parenting in which parent is rigid and overly strict, showing little warmth to the child.

Authoritative

Style of parenting in which parent combines warmth and affection with firm limits on a child’s behavior.

Permissive

Style of parenting in which parent makes few, if any, demands on a child’s behavior.

Uninvolved

Permissive parenting in which parent is uninvolved with child or child’s behavior.

Denial

The human tendency to avoid or refuse to accept the reality of death, both in terms of our own mortality and the death of others.

Anger

Refers to the feeling of anger that can arise in response to the death of a loved one or a perceived injustice surrounding the death.

Bargaining

Refers to a stage where individuals try to negotiate or make deals, often with a higher power, to reverse or postpone the loss.

Depression

Often in the context of grief and bereavement, refers to the emotional and psychological experience of sadness, despair, and loss of interest in life following a significant loss, such as the death of a loved one.

Acceptance

In a general sense, refers to the ability to acknowledge and come to terms with the inevitability of death, both one's own and that of others, without significant fear, anger, or resentment. It's a process of integrating the concept of mortality into one's life and understanding its implications. 

Intrinsic Motivation

Type of motivation in which a person performs an action because the act itself is rewarding or satisfying in some internal manner.

Extrinsic Motivation

Type of motivation in which a person performs an action because it leads to an outcome that is separate from or external to the person.

Drive Reduction Theory

Approach to motivation that assumes behavior arises from internal drives to push the organism to satisfy physiological needs and reduce tension and arousal.

Arousal Theory

Theory of motivation in which people are said to have an optimal (best or ideal) level of tension that they seek to maintain by increasing or decreasing stimulation.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

According to Maslow, the point that is seldom reached at which people have sufficiently satisfied the lower needs and achieved their full human potential.

Lateral Hypothalamus

Is a brain region primarily involved in regulating hunger and feeding behavior.

Ventromedial Hypothalamus

Is a brain region primarily responsible for regulating feelings of fullness and satiety, acting as a "stop" signal for eating.

Body Mass Index (BMI)

It is a numerical value derived from a person's weight and height, used to assess an individual's body composition and classify them as underweight, healthy weight, overweight, or obese.

Metabolic Rate

The rate at which the body burns energy when the organism is resting.

Gender Identity

The individual’s sense of being masculine or feminine.

Gender Stereotype

A concept held about a person or group of people that is based on being male or female.

Gender

The psychological aspects of being masculine or feminine.

Primary Sex Characteristics

Sexual organs present at birth and directly involved in human reproduction.

Secondary Sex Characteristics

Sexual organs and traits that develop at puberty and are indirectly involved in human reproduction.

Androgen/Estrogen

Male / female hormones.

Intersex

A person who possesses ambiguous sexual organs, making it difficult to determine actual sex at birth.

Homosexual

Sexual attraction toward, or sexual activity with, members of the same sex.

Heterosexual

Sexual attraction toward, or sexual activity with, members of the opposite sex.

Bisexual

Sexual attraction toward, or sexual activity with, both men and women.

Exhibitionism

Refers to sexual excitement obtained through the exposure of one's genitals, usually to an unsuspecting person.

Frotteurism

The act of touching or rubbing one's genitals up against another person in a sexual manner without their consent, to derive sexual pleasure or reach orgasm

Voyeurism

The practice of gaining sexual pleasure from watching others when they are naked or engaged in sexual activity.

Emotions

The “feeling” aspect of consciousness, characterized by a certain physical arousal, a certain behavior that reveals the emotion to the outside world, and an inner awareness of feelings.

Stress

The term used to describe the physical, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral responses to events that are appraised as threatening or challenging.

Stressor

Events that cause a stress reaction.

Hassles

The daily annoyances of everyday life.

Burnout

Negative changes in thoughts, emotions, and behavior as a result of prolonged stress or frustration, leading to feelings of exhaustion.

General Adaptation Syndrome

The three stages of the body’s physiological reaction to stress, including alarm, resistance, and exhaustion.

Alarm

Refers to the body's initial and immediate reaction to a stressor, often referred to as the fight-or-flight response.

Resistance

Refers to a patient's unconscious opposition to uncovering and exploring painful memories or experiences during psychoanalysis. It's a defense mechanism where the patient actively resists the progress of therapy, often manifesting as silence, changing the subject, or other behaviors that impede the therapeutic process. 

Exhaustion

In psychology, exhaustion refers to a state of extreme physical, emotional, and mental fatigue.

Primary Appraisal

The first step in assessing stress, which involves estimating the severity of a stressor and classifying it as either a threat or a challenge.

Secondary Appraisal

The second step in assessing a stressor, which involves estimating the resources available to the person for coping with the threat.

Emotion-focused Coping

Coping strategies that change the impact of a stressor by changing the emotional reaction to the stressor.

Problem-focused Coping

Coping strategies that try to eliminate the source of a stress or reduce its impact through direct actions.

Optimism

People who expect positive outcomes.

Pessimism

defined as a tendency to anticipate negative outcomes and view situations through a negative lens.

Hardiness

A person who seems to thrive on stress but lacks the anger and hostility of the Type A personality.

Type A Behavior Pattern

Person who is ambitious, time conscious, extremely hardworking, and tends to have high levels of hostility and anger as well as being easily annoyed.

Type B Behavior Pattern

Person who is relaxed and laid back, less driven and competitive than Type A, and slow to anger.