Psychology glossary

Every term

Dendrites

Branches (neuron fibres) extending from the soma that receive information from other cells

Microglia

CNS glial cells that support the immune system by protecting the neurons from intruders and eliminating foreign matter and debris

Axon

A single, long, thin fibre that carries information away from the soma

Motor neurons

Specialised nerve cells that carry efferent commands from the CNS to muscles, glands and organs

Soma

The cell body that receives incoming information from its dendrites

Neurotransmitters

Chemicals found in the synapse between neurons

Axon terminals

Branching fibres at the end of the axon that send information across the synapse

Receptor site

The part of a dendrites surface that receive a neurotransmitter

Neuron

A neuron is an individual nerve cell that receives, transmits and processes information

Schwann cells

Glial cells that are specialised to myelinated axons and to assist PNS nerve regeneration

Myelin sheath

The white, fatty substance that protects the axon and helps transmit the neural impulse along the axon

Neural impulse

The information or “message” carried by neurons

Glial cells

A cell that supports a neuron and influences transmission of impulses but does not transmit impulses

Interneuron

The cell that acts as a link between sensory and motor neurons

Synapse

The minute space between one cells exon terminal and another cell’s dendrite

Astrocytes

Glial cells that support neurons by covering their cell bodies and supplying them with nutrients

Sensory neurons

Specialised neurons (afferent neurons) that carry information inwards towards the CNS

Peripheral nervous system

Connects the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body, sending signals both to and from the central nervous system

Central nervous system

Acts as the body’s main processing centre, controlling and coordinating all bodily functions by interpreting sensory information and generating responses

Role of the brain

Controls all bodily functions from involuntary to voluntary action

Spinal cord

Transmits nerve signals between the brain and the rest of the body

Sensory (afferent) neurons

Transmits information from sensory receptors to the central nervous system

Motor (efferent) neurons

Transmits signals away from the central nervous system to initiate a response in muscles or gland

Somatic nervous system

Controls voluntary muscle movement and transmit sensory information from your body to the CNS

Autonomic nervous system

Controls involuntary bodily functions

Sympathetic division

Prepares the body for fight-or-flight

Parasympathetic division

Governs the body’s rest-and-digest

Classification

The arrangement of phenomena, objects or events into manageable sets

Identification

A process of recognition of phenomena, as belonging to particular sets or possibly being part of a new or unique set

Controlled experiment

An experimental investigation of the relationship between one or more independent variables and a dependant variable, controlling all other variables

Correlational study

Planned observation and recording of events and behaviours that have not been manipulated or controlled to understand the relationships/associations that exist between variables

Accuracy

Relates to how close it is to the true value of the quantity being measured and is not quantifiable

Precision

Refers to how closely a set of measurement values agree with each other. Gives no indication of how close the measurements are to the true value and is therefore a seperate consideration to accuracy

Repeatability

The closeness of the agreement between the results of successive measurements.

True value

The value, or range of values, that would be found if the quantity could be measured perfectly

Validity

Refers to how well the results among the study participants represent true findings among similar individuals outside of the study

Internally valid

If the study investigates what is sets out and/or claims to investigate

Externally valid

If the results of the research can be applied to similar individuals in a different setting

Beneficence

The commitment to maximising benefits and minimising the risks and harms involved in taking a particular position or course of action

Integrity

The commitment to searching for knowledge and understanding, and the honest reporting of all sources of information and results, whether favourable or unfavourable

Justice

The moral obligation to ensure that there is fair consideration of competing claims; there is no unfair burden on a particular group from an action

Non-maleficence

Implies that the harm resulting from any position or course of action should not be disproportionate to the benefits from any position or course of action

Respect

Involves consideration of the extent to which living things have an intrinsic value and/or instrumental belief.

Confidentiality

The privacy, protection and security of a participant’s personal information in terms of personal details and the anonymity of individual results, including the removal of identifying elements

Debriefing

Ensures that, at the end of the experiment, the participant leaves understanding the experimental aim, results and conclusion. Any participant questions are addressed, and support is also provided to ensure there is no lasting harm from their involvement in the study

Informed consent procedures

Ensure participants understand the nature and purpose of the experiment, including potential risks, before agreeing to participate in the study

Use of deception research

Is only permissible when participants knowing the true purpose of the experiment may affect their behaviour while participating in the study, and the subsequent validity of the experiment

Voluntary participation

Ensures that there is no coercion of or pressure put on the participant to partake in an experiment, and they freely choose to be involved

Withdrawal rights

Involves a participants being able to discontinue their involvement in an experiment at any time during or after the conclusion of an experiment, without penalty

Random errors

Unpredictable variations in the measurement process and result in a spread of readings

Systematic errors

Cause readings to differ from the true value by a consistent amount or by the same proportion each time a measurement is made, shifting all readings in one directions

Personal errors

Include mistakes, miscalculations and observer errors when conducting research

Uncertainty

All scientific efforts are directed towards reducing the degree of uncertainty in the world about observations, relationships and causes.

Outliers

Readings that lie a long way from other results, these may occur by chance in any given data set, with a small number of outliers expected when there is a larger sample.

Controlled variable

Variables that a researcher holds constant in an investigation

Independant variable

The variable for which quantities are manipulated by the researcher, and the variable that is assumed to have a direst effect on the dependent variable

Dependant variable

The variable the researcher measures. after selecting the independent variable that is assumed to affect the dependant variable

Extreneous variable