ITP Midterm Reviewer (Modules 1–5)

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering Modules 1 through 5 of the PSY1101 Midterm Reviewer, focusing on foundational psychology concepts, biological bases of behavior, sensation and perception, learning and memory, and cognition, language, and intelligence.

Psychology

The scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

Behavior

Observable actions and measurable responses.

Mental Processes

Internal experiences such as perception, thought, emotion, memory, and motivation.

Describe (Goal of Psychology)

Psychological goal answering: What is happening?

Explain (Goal of Psychology)

Psychological goal answering: Why might it happen?

Predict (Goal of Psychology)

Psychological goal answering: When or for whom?

Influence (Goal of Psychology)

Psychological goal answering: How can conditions improve?

Biological Perspective

Perspective focused on the brain, body, and biological processes.

Behavioral Perspective

Perspective focused on learning through consequences and associations.

Cognitive Perspective

Perspective focused on thinking, memory, and information processing.

Humanistic Perspective

Perspective focused on meaning, growth, strengths, and personal choices.

Sociocultural / Community Perspective

Perspective focused on relationships, culture, society, and power.

Wilhelm Wundt (1879)

Founded laboratory psychology focused on the experimental study of conscious experience.

William James (1890)

Early psychologist who focused on the mind and adaptation.

Sigmund Freud (1900s)

Psychologist who emphasized unconscious processes.

John B. Watson (1913)

Pioneered behaviorism in psychology.

Gestalt Psychology (1910s–30s)

Psychological school emphasizing the perception of meaningful wholes.

Learning Science (1940s–50s)

Historical movement focused on conditioning, measurement, and experimental control.

Naturalistic Observation

A research method in which behavior is observed in its natural setting.

Case Study

A research method involving a detailed study of one person or setting.

Correlational Study

A research design that studies relationships between variables without proving causation.

Experiment

A research method that tests the effect of a manipulated variable.

Qualitative / Mixed Methods

Combines both qualitative and quantitative data within a single study to gain a more complete understanding of a research problem.

Construct

The concept being studied in research.

Operational Definition

How a concept or construct is specifically measured in a study.

Reliability

The consistency of a measure.

Validity

The accuracy or appropriateness of a measure.

Central Nervous System (CNS)

The division of the nervous system consisting of the brain and spinal cord.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

Connects the Central Nervous System to the rest of the body.

Somatic Nervous System

The division of the peripheral nervous system responsible for voluntary movement.

Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)

The division of the peripheral nervous system responsible for involuntary functions.

Sympathetic Division

The division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body (fight-or-flight).

Parasympathetic Division

The division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body (rest-and-digest).

Enteric Division

The division of the nervous system that controls the digestive system.

Dendrites

Neuron structures that receive signals from other cells.

Axon

The part of the neuron that carries neural impulses away from the cell body.

Myelin

A layer of fatty tissue that insulates axons and speeds signal transmission.

Glial Cells

Nervous system cells that support and protect neurons.

Action Potential

A neural impulse that fires fully once the threshold is reached according to the all-or-none principle.

Resting Potential

The electrical state of a neuron before firing.

Synapse

The junction where neurons communicate with each other.

Reuptake

The process by which a neurotransmitter is reabsorbed by the sending neuron.

Agonist

A substance that mimics or increases neurotransmitter action.

Antagonist

A substance that blocks or reduces neurotransmitter action.

Acetylcholine (ACh)

Neurotransmitter involved in muscle action, learning, and memory.

Dopamine

Neurotransmitter involved in movement, learning, attention, and emotion.

Serotonin

Neurotransmitter involved in mood, hunger, and sleep.

Norepinephrine

Neurotransmitter involved in alertness and arousal.

GABA

The primary inhibitory neurotransmitter.

Glutamate

An excitatory neurotransmitter involved in learning and memory.

Endorphins

Neurotransmitters linked to pain reduction and pleasure.

Endocrine System

System that uses hormones carried through the bloodstream; it is generally slower than the nervous system, but its effects may last longer.

Medulla

Brainstem structure controlling heartbeat and breathing.

Pons

Brain structure involved in sleep and movement coordination.

Reticular Formation

Brain network responsible for arousal and alertness.

Thalamus

Brain structure acting as a sensory relay for all senses except smell.

Cerebellum

Brain structure responsible for movement coordination and skill memory.

Amygdala

Limbic system structure linked to emotion.

Hippocampus

Brain structure essential for forming long-term memories.

Hypothalamus

Brain structure responsible for homeostasis (balance) and hunger.

Frontal Lobe

Cerebral cortex lobe involved in planning, judgment, and voluntary movement.

Parietal Lobe

Cerebral cortex lobe involved in touch and spatial processing.

Occipital Lobe

Cerebral cortex lobe responsible for vision.

Temporal Lobe

Cerebral cortex lobe involved in hearing, language, and recognition.

Independent Variable (IV)

The factor in an experiment that the researcher changes or manipulates.

Dependent Variable (DV)

The outcome factor in an experiment that the researcher measures.

Sensation

The process that detects physical energy from the environment.

Perception

The process that organizes and interprets sensory input.

Attention

The cognitive process that selects what receives priority.

Consciousness

Awareness of yourself and your surroundings.

Psychophysics

Studies the relationship between physical stimulation and perceptual experience.

Absolute Threshold

The minimum stimulation needed to detect a stimulus.

Difference Threshold / JND

The smallest detectable difference between two stimuli (Just-Noticeable Difference).

Hit (Signal Detection Theory)

Signal present + YES.

Miss (Signal Detection Theory)

Signal present + NO.

False Alarm (Signal Detection Theory)

Signal absent + YES.

Correct Rejection (Signal Detection Theory)

Signal absent + NO.

Liberal Criterion

A decision style in signal detection where the observer is more willing to say YES.

Conservative Criterion

A decision style in signal detection that needs more certainty before saying YES.

Bottom-Up Processing

Perceptual analysis that uses raw sensory information directly from the stimulus.

Top-Down Processing

Perceptual interpretation guided by expectations, context, and prior knowledge.

Figure-Ground

Gestalt principle that separates the main object from the background.

Inattentional Blindness

Failing to notice something visible when attention is directed elsewhere.

Change Blindness

Failing to notice a change in an environment.

Attentional Capture

A phenomenon where prominent or salient events grab attention even when they are not part of the task.

Automaticity

The property wherein practiced tasks require less conscious effort.

Switching Costs

The reduction in speed or accuracy that occurs when switching tasks.

Learning

A relatively enduring change associated with experience.

Classical Conditioning

Learning that one event predicts another, following the pattern: $US \rightarrow UR$, $NS + US \rightarrow UR$, $CS \rightarrow CR$.

Unconditioned Stimulus (US)

A stimulus that naturally produces a response without prior training.

Unconditioned Response (UR)

The unlearned, natural response to an unconditioned stimulus.

Neutral Stimulus (NS)

A stimulus that does not initially produce the target response.

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

An originally neutral stimulus that becomes a learned predictor after association with an unconditioned stimulus.

Conditioned Response (CR)

The learned response to a previously neutral conditioned stimulus.

Acquisition

The phase in conditioning during which learning develops.

Extinction

The decrease in a conditioned response when the conditioned stimulus is no longer followed by the unconditioned stimulus.

Spontaneous Recovery

The return of a weakened conditioned response after a delay.

Stimulus Generalization

The tendency of a conditioned response to spread to stimuli that are similar to the conditioned stimulus.

Stimulus Discrimination

The learned ability to respond differently to different stimuli.

Operant Conditioning

Learning shaped by consequences, operating along the sequence: Antecedent $\rightarrow$ Behavior $\rightarrow$ Consequence.