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Acetylcholine (ACh)

a neurotransmitter that plays a role in memory and movement; low levels are correlated to Alzheimer's disease

Acommodation

changing our current understandings (schemas) or creating new schemas to incorporate new info

Accommodation

act of state of adjustment or adaptation, changes in shape of the ocular lens for various focal distances

Acoustic encoding

the processing of sound, especially the sound of words

Acquisition

in classical conditioning, the initial stage, when one links a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus begins triggering the conditioned response. In operant conditioning, the strengthening of a reinforced response.

Action potential

a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon

Active listening

empathic listening in which the listener echoes, restates, and clarifies. A feature of Carl Rogers' client-centered therapy

Adaptation-level phenomenon

our tendency to form judgments relative to a neutral level defined by our prior experience

Addiction

compulsive drug craving and use, despite adverse consequences

Adolescence

the transition period from childhood to adulthood, extending from puberty to independence

Adrenal glands

a pair of endocrine glands that secrete hormones that help arouse the body in times of stress

Aggression

any physical/verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroy

Algorithm

a methodical, logical rule or procedure that guarantees solving a particular problem

Alpha waves

small, short brain waves of a relaxed, awake state

Altruism

unselfish regard for the welfare of others

Amnesia

loss of memory

Retrograde amnesia

type of memory loss that occurs when you cannot remember old memories

Anterograde amnesia

type of memory loss that occurs when you cannot form new memories

Source amnesia

attributing to the wrong source an event we have experiences, heard about, read about, or imagined the heart of many false memories

Amygdala

two lima bean-sized part of the brain in the limbic system; linked to emotion (fear and aggression)

Anorexia nervosa

an eating disorder in which a person (usually an adolescent female) diets and becomes significantly (15% or more) underweight, yet, still feeling fat, continues to starve

Antianxiety drugs

drugs used to control anxiety and agitation

Antidepressant drugs

drugs used to treat depression; also increasingly prescribed for anxiety.

SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)

types of antidepressants that block the reuptake of serotonin into the axon

Antipsychotic drugs

drugs used to treat schizophrenia

Antisocial personality disorder

a personality disorder in which the person exhibits a lack of conscience for wrongdoing, even towards friends and family members; may be aggressive and ruthless or a clever con artist

Anxiety disorders

psychological disorders characterized by distressing, persistent anxiety or maladaptive behaviors that reduce anxiety

Aphasia

impairment of language

Broca's aphasia

damage in Broca's area in the frontal lobe that results in difficulty producing speech

Wernicke's aphasia

damage in Wernicke's area in the temporal lobe that results in difficulty understanding speech