Psych Midterm Flashcards

Instinct

• “A complex behavior that is rigidly patterned throughout a species and is unlearned”.

• Example: Baby sea turtles instinctively go into the ocean when they are born.

Drive-Reduction Theory

• “The idea that a psychological need creates an arousal state that motivates an organism to satisfy the need”.

• Example: Feeling thirsty motivates a person to drink water.

Incentive

• “A positive or negative environmental stimulus that motivates behavior”.

• Example: I study hard for a test to earn a good grade.

Yerkes-Dodson Law

• “The principle that performance increases with arousal only up to a point, beyond which performance decreases”.

• Example: Some stress can help me perform better on a test.

Hierarchy of Needs

• “Maslow's pyramid of human needs, beginning at the base with psychological needs that must be satisfied before higher-level safety and psychological needs”.

• Example: A person will prioritize getting food before worrying about a new job if they are in a complicated situation.

Set Point

• “The point at which your weight thermostat may be set; when body weight falls below this point, increased hunger and a lower metabolic rate combine to restore lost weight”.

• Example: After dieting, many people find themselves gaining weight back to their set point.

Basal Metabolic Rate

• “The body's resting rate of energy output”.

• Example: A person's basal metabolic rate determines how many calories they burn while at rest, which can help determine their calorie deficit or maintenance.

Affiliation Need

• “The need to build relationships and to feel part of a group”.

• Example: Joining a club sports team to meet new people and make friends.

James-Lange Theory

• “The theory that our experience of emotions is our awareness of our psychological responses to an emotion-arousing stimulus”.

• Example: Realizing you’re shaking and then feeling scared when running into a spider web.

Cannon-Bard Theory

• “The theory that an emotion-arousing stimulus simultaneously triggers psychological responses and the subjective experience of emotion”.

• Example: Seeing a bear on your hike causes both fear and a fast heartbeat at the same time.

Two-Factor Theory

• Schachter-Singer theory that to experience emotion one must be physically aroused and cognitively label the arousal”.

• Example: Sweating while going to a job interview and then realizing you are excited.

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

• Selye's concept of the body's adapted responses to stress in three phases: alarm, resistance, exhaustion”.

• Example: Preparing for a psych presentation causes initial stress when you find out about the project (alarm), followed by preparation, getting ready (resistance), and eventually feeling tired (exhaustion).

Tend-and-Befriend Response

• “Under stress, people (especially women) often provide support to others (tend) and bond with and seek support from others (befriend)”.

• Example: During an emergency trip to the ER, I call my dad and friend for support.

Type A

• “Friedman and Rosenman's term for competitive, hard driving, impatient, verbally aggressive, and anger-prone people”.

• Example: A Type A person may get frustrated when stuck in traffic and worried about being late for work.

Type B

• “Friedman & Rosenman's term for easy-going, relaxed people”.

• Example: A Type B person enjoys a calm day at the beach without stressing about work, even though they have things due.

Adaptation-Level Phenomenon

• “Our tendency to form judgments (of sounds, of lights, of income) relative to a neutral level defined by our prior experience”.

• Example: When I move from here to Boston I will eventually adjust to the noise of the city.

Relative Deprivation

• “The perception that one is worse off relative to those with whom one compares oneself”.

• Example: Feeling sad after seeing my friends on a trip I could not afford.

Abraham Maslow

• “Psychologist known for creating the hierarchy of needs.

• Example: "Maslow's theory is applied in workplaces to ensure employees' basic needs are met before encouraging personal growth.”

Alfred Kinsey

• “Biologist known for his research on human sexuality and the Kinsey scale.

• Example: Kinsey's work revealed that people's sexual orientation exists on a spectrum.”

William James

• “Philosopher and psychologist who is known as the 'father of American psychology'.

• Example: James’ ideas on emotion influenced modern psychology courses.”

Walter Cannon

• “Physiologist known for his research on fight-or-flight response and Cannon-Bard theory.

• Example: Cannon's work explains why people react quickly to danger.”

Stanley Schachter

• “Psychologist known for his work on emotion and the Two-Factor theory of emotion.

• Example: Schachter's research helps explain why we sometimes feel emotional after a physical experience.”

Paul Ekman

• “Psychologist known for his research on emotions and facial expressions.

• Example: Ekman's work on smiles and frowns helps in understanding different emotions.”

Hans Selye

• “Endocrinologist known for his work on stress and the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS).

• Example: Selye's studies provide insights on how chronic stress can affect health.”

Martin Seligman

• “Psychologist known for his work in positive psychology and the concept of learned helplessness.

• Example: Seligman's work demonstrates how fostering optimism can improve mental”