Psychology Key Terms: Theories, Brain, Development, and Disorders

theory

A hypothesis that has been tested with a significant amount of data

hypothesis

A testable prediction, often implied by a theory

independent variable

variable that is manipulated

dependent variable

The measurable effect, outcome, or response in which the research is interested.

Neuron

a specialized cell transmitting nerve impulses; a nerve cell.

Axon

the neuron extension that passes messages through its branches to other neurons or to muscles or glands

Dendrite

the bushy, branching extensions of a neuron that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body

frontal lobe

associated with reasoning, planning, parts of speech, movement, emotions, and problem solving

temporal lobe

A region of the cerebral cortex responsible for hearing and language.

occipital lobe

A region of the cerebral cortex that processes visual information

parietal lobe

receives sensory input for touch and body position

Broca's area

speech production

Wernicke's area

language comprehension

Piaget's stages of cognitive development

sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, formal operational

object permanence

the awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived

conservation

the principle that properties such as mass, volume, and number remain the same despite changes in the forms of objects

Kohlberg's Levels of Moral Thinking

preconventional, conventional, postconventional

Harry Harlow

development, contact comfort, attachment; experimented with baby rhesus monkeys and presented them with cloth or wire "mothers;" showed that the monkeys became attached to the cloth mothers because of contact comfort

classical conditioning

Learning through association of stimuli.

unconditioned stimulus

something that reliably produces a naturally occurring reaction in an organism

unconditoned response

an automatic, involuntary reaction to an unconditioned stimulus

conditioned stimulus

a stimulus that elicits a response only after learning has taken place

conditioned response

Learned response to a conditioned stimulus.

operant conditioning

a type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher

positive reinforcement

the reinforcement of a response by the addition or experiencing of a pleasurable stimulus

negative reinforcement

the reinforcement of a response by the removal, escape from, or avoidance of an unpleasant stimulus

positive punishment

addition of something unpleasant

negative punishment

taking away a pleasant stimulus to decrease or stop a behavior

serial position effect

tendency to recall best the last and first items in a list

primacy effect

tendency to remember words at the beginning of a list especially well

recency effect

tendency to remember words at the end of a list especially well

Hueristic

A simple thinking strategy that often allows us to make judgements and solve problems efficiently

chunking

organizing items into familiar, manageable units

episodic memory

the collection of past personal experiences that occurred at a particular time and place

semantic memory

general knowledge

procedural memory

the gradual acquisition of skills as a result of practice, or "knowing how" to do things

flashbulb memory

a clear memory of an emotionally significant moment or event

proactive interference

old memories block new ones

retroactive interference

new memories block old ones

fundamental attribution error

tendency to attribute others' behavior to their dispositions and our own behaviors to our situations

cognitive dissonance

unpleasant mental experience of tension resulting from two conflicting thoughts or beliefs

Asch

researcher famous for line study of conformity

Milgram

researcher famous for teacher-learner study on obedience to authority

Zimbardo

Stanford Prison Experiment

Big 5 Personality Traits

OCEAN

Openness

Conscientiousness

Extraversion

Agreeableness

Neuroticism

Id

pleasure principle (devil)

ego

The 'reality check' that balances the conflicting demands of the id and superego.

superego

part of the personality that acts as a moral center

causes of anxiety

biology, environment, social and cultural roles

causes of depressive disorders

Biological, cognitive, behavioral, and sociocultural factors.

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) causes

Possible causes include biological, genetic, social, cultural, behavioral or cognitive sources (same as Bipolar Disorder)

causes of PTSD

stressful / traumatic event (not just war - can be an accident, natural disaster, unexpected injury / loss)

Causes of Schizophrenia

genetic predisposition, structural brain abnormalities, neurotransmitter abnormalities, prenatal or birth problems, adolescent abnormalities in brain development

systematic desensitization

A type of exposure therapy that associates a pleasant relaxed state with gradually increasing anxiety-triggering stimuli. Commonly used to treat phobias.

cognitive behavioral therapy

a blend of cognitive and behavioral therapeutic strategies