Phycology 1100

Exam 1

Dependent Variable

The outcome; the variable that may change in an experiment in response to changes in the independent variable.

Independent Variable

A manipulated experimental factor; the variable that the experimenter changes to see what its effects are

Control Group

The participants in an experiment who are as much like the experimental group as possible and who are treated in every way like the experimental group except for the manipulated factor, the independent variable

Descriptive Research

Research that determines the basic dimensions of a phenomenon- defining what it is, how often it occurs, and so on.

double-blind experiment

An experimental design in which neither the experimenter nor the participants are aware of which participants are in the experimental group and which are in the control group until the results are calculated.

external validity

The degree to which an experimental design actually reflects the real world issues it is supposed to address

Internal Validity

The degree to which changes in the dependent variable are due to the manipulation of the independent variable

Longitudinal design

A special kind of systematic observation used by correlational researchers that involves obtaining measures of the variables of interest in multiple waves over time

meta-analysis

A statistical procedure that summarizes a large body of evidence from the research literature on a particular topic, allowing the researcher to assess the strength of the relationship between the variables.

correlational research

Research that examines the relationship between variables in order to find out whether and how two variables change together

placebo effect

A phenomenon in which the expectation of the participants, rather than actual treatment, produces an outcome

random assignment

The assignment of participants to experimental groups by chance to reduce the likelihood that a study’s results will be due to preexisting differences between groups

operational definition

A definition that provides an objective description of how a variable is going to be measured and observed in a particular study

cross-sectional design

A type of correlational study in which variables are measured at a single point in time

case study

An in-depth look at a single individual

third-variable problem

The circumstance in which a variable that has not been measured accounts for the relationship between two other variables; third variables are also known as confounds

action potential

The brief wave of positive electrical charge that sweeps down the axon

amygdala

An almond-shaped structure within the base of the temporal lobe that is involved in the discrimination of objects that are necessary for the organism’s survival, such as appropriate food, mates, and social rivals. There is one amygdala in each hemisphere of the brain

corpus callosum

The large bundle of axons that connects the brain’s two hemispheres, responsible for relaying information between the two sides

brain stem

The stemlike brain area that includes much of the hindbrain and the midbrain; it connects with the spinal cord at its lower end and then extends upward to encase the reticular formation in the midbrain

frontal lobes

The portions of the cerebral cortex behind the forehead that are involved in personality, intelligence, and the control of voluntary muscles

hippocampus

The structure in the limbic system that has a special role in the storage of memories

neural networks

Networks of nerve cells that integrate sensory input and motor output

hypothalamus

A small forebrain structure, located just below the thalamus, that monitors three pleasurable activities- eating, drinking, and sec- as well as emotion, stress, and reward

neurotransmitters

Chemical substances that are stored in very tiny sacs within the terminal buttons and involved in transmitting information across a synaptic gap to the next neuron

neuroplasticity

The brains special physical capacity for change; creating new neural connections and pathways

Central nervous system

The brain and spinal cord

Parasympathetic nervous system

The part of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body

Sympathetic nervous system

The part of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body to mobilize it for action and thus is involved in the experience of stress

temporal lobes

Structures in the cerebral cortex that are located just above the ears and are involved in hearing, language processing, and memory

peripheral nervous system

The network of nerves that connects the brain and the spinal cord to other parts of the body

synapses

Tiny spaces between neurons; the gaps between neurons are referred to as synaptic gaps

binocular cues

depth cues that depend on the combination of the images in the left and right eyes and on the way the two eyes work together

bottom-up processing

Sensory receptors register information about the external environment and send it up to the brain for interpretation

top-down processing

Allows the organism to sense what is happening and apply that framework to information from the world; based on past experiences, memories, and context.

Cones

The receptor cells in the retina that allow for color perception

Rods

The receptor cells in the retina that are sensitive to light and not useful for color vision

gestalt psychology

A school of thought interested in how people naturally organize their perceptions according to certain patterns

figure-ground relationship

The principle by which we organize the perceptual field into stimuli that stand out and those that are left over

opponent-process theory

Theory stating that cells in the visual system respond to complementary pairs of red-green and blue-yellow colors; a given cell might be excited by red and inhibited by green, whereas another cell might be excited by yellow and inhibited by blue

priming

The activation of information that people already have in storage to help them remember new information better and faster

selective attention

The act of focusing on a specific aspect of experience while ignoring others

trichromatic theory

States that color perception is produced by three types of cone receptors in the retina that are particularly sensitive to different, but overlapping, ranges in wavelength

sensory adaptation

A change in the responsiveness of the sensory system based on the average level of surrounding stimulation

Weber’s law

The principle that two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage to be perceived as different