Untitled Flashcard Set

Psychology

The scientific study of the mind and behavior.

Empirical observations

Knowledge gained through direct experience or experimentation.

Structuralism

An early school of psychology that aimed to identify the structures of the mind.

Functionalism

A school of psychology that focused on the functions of mental processes in adapting to the environment.

Gestalt psychology

A theory that proposes that we perceive things as wholes rather than as individual parts.

Psychoanalytic theory

A theory developed by Freud that emphasizes the influence of the unconscious mind on behavior.

Behaviorism

A psychological approach that emphasizes observable behavior and the ways it's learned.

Classical conditioning

A learning process that occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired.

Cognitive revolution

A shift in psychology that began in the 1950s, focusing on the study of mental processes.

Correlational research

Research that examines the relationship between variables without manipulating them.

Experimental research

Research that manipulates one variable to determine its effect on another, allowing for causal conclusions.

Double-blind study

An experimental procedure where neither the participants nor the researchers know who is receiving the treatment.

Operational definitions

Specific explanations of abstract concepts that a researcher plans to study.

Independent variable

The variable that is manipulated by the researcher in an experiment.

Dependent variable

The variable that is measured or observed in response to the independent variable.

Confirmation bias

The tendency to search for, interpret, and remember information that confirms one’s preconceptions.

Theory of natural selection

Darwin's theory which posits that organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and reproduce.

Genetic variation

Differences in DNA among individuals which contribute to diversity in traits.

Neurons

The basic unit of the nervous system responsible for transmitting information throughout the body.

Neurotransmitters

Chemicals that transmit signals across a synapse from one neuron to another.

Agonists

Substances that enhance or mimic the action of a neurotransmitter.

Antagonists

Substances that inhibit or block the action of a neurotransmitter.

Peripheral nervous system

The part of the nervous system outside of the brain and spinal cord.

Somatic nervous system

The component of the peripheral nervous system that controls voluntary movements.

Autonomic nervous system

The part of the peripheral nervous system that controls involuntary actions.

Absolute threshold

The minimum stimulus intensity needed to detect a stimulus 50% of the time.

Transduction

The process of converting physical stimuli into sensory neural signals.

Sensory adaptation

The process by which our sensitivity diminishes when an object continuously stimulates our senses.

Sensorineural hearing loss

Hearing loss caused by damage to the inner ear or the auditory pathways.

Conductive hearing loss

Hearing loss caused by problems in the outer or middle ear that prevent sound from being conducted to the inner ear.