General Psychology 101 Exam 2 Study Guide

These flashcards cover key concepts from the General Psychology 101 Exam 2 study guide, focusing on sensation, perception, cognitive development, intelligence, and gender psychology.

Sensation

Detecting sensory input from the environment (light, sound, touch).

Perception

Organizing and interpreting sensory information to make meaning.

Absolute Threshold

The smallest amount of stimulus detected 50% of the time.

Difference Threshold (Weber’s Law)

The smallest change needed to notice a difference (about 2% for weight).

Sensory Adaptation

Diminished sensitivity after constant exposure.

Color Constancy

Perceiving color as constant under different lighting.

Top-Down Processing

Using experience and expectations to interpret information.

Bottom-Up Processing

Starting with raw sensory input and building upward.

Monocular Cues

Depth cues like linear perspective, relative size, relative height, and relative clarity.

Binocular Cues

Depth cue like retinal disparity and convergence; slightly different views from each eye.

Gestalt Principles

Brain organizes visual information into meaningful wholes, with principles like proximity and similarity.

Transduction

Conversion of sensory energy (e.g., light, sound) into neural impulses.

Blind Spot

The point on the retina with no receptor cells.

Intrinsic Motivation

Doing something for enjoyment or personal satisfaction.

Extrinsic Motivation

Doing something for rewards or recognition.

Broca’s Area

Involved in producing speech; damage results in broken or halted speech.

Wernicke’s Area

Involved in understanding speech; damage results in fluent but meaningless sentences.

Heuristic

A shortcut strategy that’s quicker but less accurate than algorithms.

Confirmation Bias

Looking for information that supports what we already believe.

Theory of Mind

Understanding that others have their own thoughts and beliefs.

Delayed Gratification

Ability to wait for a better reward, as shown in the Marshmallow Test.

Pruning

Unused neural connections fade, while used ones strengthen.

Cisgender

Gender identity matches biological sex.

Transgender

Gender identity differs from biological sex.

Social Learning Theory

We learn gender roles through modeling, imitation, and reinforcement.

Epigenetics

Explains how environment and experiences affect gene expression.

HIV

Human Immunodeficiency Virus that attacks the immune system.