PSYC T.A. Study Guide Test Prep

Flashcards for reviewing key vocabulary and concepts from PSYC T.A. Study Guide.

Frontal Lobe

Responsible for decision-making, problem-solving, reasoning, personality, and voluntary movements. It also plays a key role in impulse control and emotional regulation.

Parietal Lobe

Processes sensory information like touch, temperature, and pain, and helps with spatial awareness and body coordination.

Occipital Lobe

Primarily responsible for processing visual information, including recognizing colors, shapes, and movement.

Temporal Lobe

Involved in processing auditory information, language comprehension, and memory formation, particularly long-term memories.

Cerebellum

Helps coordinate balance, posture, and fine motor movements, ensuring smooth and controlled physical actions.

Brainstem

Controls essential life functions such as breathing, heart rate, and digestion, acting as a communication hub between the brain and the body.

Classical Conditioning

A learning process that occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired: a response which is at first elicited by the second stimulus is eventually elicited by the first stimulus alone.

Neutral Stimulus

Doesn’t naturally cause a response; before learning happens, it’s just there.

Unconditioned Stimulus

Naturally triggers a reaction without any learning.

Unconditioned Response

Natural, automatic reaction to the unconditioned stimulus.

Conditioned Stimulus

The neutral stimulus after it has been paired with the unconditioned stimulus enough times to cause a learned reaction.

Conditioned Response

The learned response to the conditioned stimulus.

Operant Conditioning

A process by which humans and animals learn to behave in such a way as to obtain rewards and avoid punishments.

Positive Punishment (P+)

Adding something unpleasant to decrease a behavior.

Positive Reinforcement (R+)

Adding something pleasant to increase a behavior.

Negative Punishment (P-)

Taking away something pleasant to decrease a behavior.

Negative Reinforcement (R-)

Taking away something unpleasant to increase a behavior.

Social Cognitive Theory

Describes the influence of observation on individual experiences, the actions of others, and environmental factors on individual behaviors.

Pseudoscience

Personality assessments are considered this because they don’t have strong scientific proof to back them up.

Projective Assessment

Designed to uncover unconscious thoughts, emotions, and personality traits by presenting ambiguous stimuli and analyzing the subject’s responses.

Anxiety Disorders

Excessive fear or worry that can interfere with daily life, often linked to heightened nervous system activity.

Somatoform Disorders

Experiencing physical symptoms, such as pain or fatigue, that have no medical cause but are influenced by psychological distress.

Dissociative Disorders

Involve disruptions in memory, identity, or awareness, often as a response to trauma.

Affective/Mood Disorders

A group of mental health conditions characterized by persistent changes in mood that significantly impact a person's daily life and functioning.

Childhood Disorders

Neurodevelopmental conditions that involve significant changes in behavior, emotions, social skills, or cognitive development.

Psychoanalytic Therapy

Focuses on uncovering unconscious thoughts, desires, and past experiences that shape current behavior.

Psychodynamic Therapy

Focuses on the underlying psychological forces that influence a person's thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, emphasizing early childhood experiences and unconscious conflicts.

Humanistic Therapy

Emphasizes personal growth, self-actualization, and the belief that people are inherently good, focusing on the individual's conscious experience.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Focuses on identifying and changing negative thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to emotional distress.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

A type of cognitive-behavioral therapy that focuses on balancing acceptance and change, helping individuals manage intense emotions and improve relationships.

Biomedical Therapy

Involves the use of medications or medical procedures to treat psychological disorders, based on the understanding that mental health conditions may have a biological basis.