Psych test 2 ALL vocab

Emotion

A response of the
whole organism,
involving physiological
arousal, expressive
behaviors, and,
conscious experience
resulting from one’s
interpretations.

(Eg. Happiness, fear,
etc)

James-Lange
theory

The theory that our
experience of emotion
occurs when we become
aware of our
physiological responses
to an emotion-arousing
stimulus.

(Eg. You feel fear
BECAUSE your heart
beat is racing when
seeing a bear)

Cannon-Bard
Theory

The theory that an
emotion-arousing
stimulus
simultaneously
triggers physiological
responses and the
subjective experience
of emotion.

(Eg. Seeing a bear →
Heart races and fear is
felt at the same time)

Two-factor
Theory

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

(Eg. Your heart races
and interpret it as fear
when seeing a bear)

Polygraph

A device that
measures
physiological
responses (like heart
rate, breathing, and
sweat) to detect
emotional arousal

(Eg. Lie detector test
used during criminal
investigations)

not as effective

Facial feedback
effect

The tendency of
facial muscle states
to trigger
corresponding
feelings such as fear,
anger, or happiness.

(Eg. Smiling can
make you happier)

Behavior
feedback effect

The tendency of
behavior to influence
our own and others’
thoughts, feelings,
and actions.

(Eg. Walking with your
shoulders back and
head up makes you
feel more confident)

Catharsis

The idea that
“releasing”
aggressive energy
(through action or
fantasy) relieves
aggressive urges.

(Eg. Hitting a
punching bag when
frustrated)

Feel-good, do-good
phenomenon

People’s tendency to
be helpful when in a
good mood.

(Eg. Good mood →
you feel like donating
to charity)

Positive
psychology

the scientific study of what makes life worth living

Subjective
well-being

Self-perceived
happiness or
satisfaction with life.

Adaptation level
phenomenon

the psychological tendency of people to quickly adapt to a new situation or level of stimulation until it becomes the established normal baseline

Relative
deprivation

The perception that
we are worse off
relative to those with
whom we compare
ourselves.

(Eg. You earn a good
salary but feel
unhappy when you
find out your
coworkers earn more)

Stress

The process by which
we perceive and
respond to certain
events, called
stressors, that we
appraise as
threatening or
challenging.

(Eg. Taking an exam)

Approach & avoidance motives

The drive to move
toward (approach) or
away from (avoid) a
stimulus.

(Eg. Studying hard to
earn good grades →
rewarding outcome
(or) studying hard to
avoid failing → avoiding
unpleasant outcomes)

General adaptation
syndrome (GAS)

Selye’s concept of the
body’s adaptive
response to stress in
three phases—alarm,
resistance,
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).

Health
psychology

A subfield of
psychology that
provides psychology’s
contribution to
behavioral medicine.

psychoneuroimmunology

The study of how
psychological, neural,
and endocrine
processes together
affect our immune
system and resulting
health.

Coronary heart
disease

The clogging of the
vessels that nourish
the heart muscle; a
leading cause of death
in many developed
countries.

Type A

Friedman and
Rosenman’s term for
competitive, hard-
driving, impatient,
verbally aggressive,
and anger-prone
people.

Type B

Friedman and
Rosenman’s term for
easygoing, relaxed
people.

Coping

Alleviating stress
using emotional,
cognitive, or
behavioral methods.

Problem focussed
coping

Attempting to alleviate
stress directly—by
changing the stressor
or the way we interact
with that stressor.

(Eg. You fought with
your friend → you will
go directly to your
friend to work things
out)

Emotion
focussed coping

Attempting to alleviate
stress by avoiding or
ignoring a stressor and
attending to emotional
needs related to our
stress reaction.

(Eg. Instead of making
efforts to mend your
friendship, you choose to
listen to music or hang
out with other friends
who support you)

Personal
control

Our sense of
controlling our
environment rather
than feeling helpless.

(Eg. After failing the
first exam, an
individual takes
action and puts in
effort to do better on
the next exam)

Learned
helplessness

The hopelessness and
passive resignation
humans and other
animals learn when
unable to avoid repeated
aversive events.

(Eg. A student who keeps
failing the exams might
stop studying for that
course

External locus
of control

The perception that
outside forces beyond
our personal control
determine our fate.

(Eg. If someone fails an
exam- they blame the
test saying that it was
unfair and they could
not have done anything
to score better)

Internal locus
of control

The perception that we
control our own fate.(Eg.
If someone fails an
exam- they say that
they will study
differently to score
better)

Self control

The ability to control
impulses and delay
short-term gratification
for greater long-term
rewards.

(Eg. Choosing to
complete homework
instead of watching TV)

Aerobic
exercise

Sustained exercise that
increases heart and
lung fitness; also helps
alleviate depression
and anxiety.

Mindfullness
meditation

A reflective practice in
which people attend to
current experiences in a
nonjudgmental and
accepting manner.

Behavior Genetics

The study of the
relative power and
limits of genetic and
environmental
influences on
behavior.

Heredity

The genetic transfer
of characteristics
from parents to
offspring

(Eg. Height and eye
color influenced by
parents)

Environment

Every nongenetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and things around us. (Eg. Parenting styles and education)

Chromosome

Structure made of DNA molecules that contains the genes.

DNA

AKA Deoxyribonucleic
acid.A complex molecule
containing the
genetic information
that makes up the
chromosome

Genes

The biochemical
units of heredity that
make up the
chromosomes; small
segments of DNA
capable of
synthesizing
proteins.

Genome

The complete
instructions for
making an organism,
consisting of all the
genetic material in
that organism’s
chromosomes.

Monozygotic
twins

Identical twins

Dizygotic twins

Fraternal twins

Temperament

A person’s
characteristic
emotional reactivity
and intensity.

(Eg. A shy baby is
cautious and slow to
warm up)

Heritability

The proportion of
variation among
individuals in a group
that we can attribute
to genes.

(Eg. Intelligence is
partly heritable but
schooling and culture
play a role)

Interaction

The interplay that
occurs when the effect
of one factor (such as
environment) depends
on another factor
(such as heredity).

(Eg. Genetic risk for
depression may only
show if triggered by
stressful life events)

Molecular
genetics

The subfield of
biology that studies
the molecular
structure and
function of genes.

Molecular behavior
genetics

The study of how the
structure and
function of genes
interact with our
environment to
influence behavior.

Epigenetics

The study of the
molecular mechanisms
by which environments
can influence genetic
expression (without a
DNA change).

(Eg. Stress can
activate genes
associated with
anxiety)

Culture

The enduring
behaviors, ideas,
attitudes, values, and
traditions shared by a
group of people and
transmitted from one
generation to the next.

(Eg. Greeting styles,
parenting styles,
dietary patterns, etc)

Norm

Understood rules for
accepted and
expected behavior.
Norms prescribe
“proper” behavior.

(Eg. Individuals from
certain countries use
only their right hand
to eat)

Individualism

Giving priority to one’s
own goals over group
goals and defining
one’s identity in terms
of personal attributes
rather than group
identifications.

Collectivism(Eg. Focussing on what
do “I” want)

Collectivism

Giving priority to the
goals of one’s group
(often one’s extended
family or work group)
and defining one’s
identity accordingly.

(Eg. Focussing on what
is best for the
group/family)

Biological sex

In psychology, the
biologically influenced
characteristics by
which people define
male, female, and
intersex.

Gender

In psychology, the
behavioral
characteristics that
people associate with
boy, girl, man, and
woman.

Intersex

Possessing male and
female biological
sexual characteristics
at birth.

Aggression

Any physical or verbal
behavior intended to
harm someone
physically or
emotionally.

(Eg. Physical violence
such as hitting and
pushing, verbal insults,
and threats)

Relational
aggression

An act of aggression
(physical or verbal)
intended to harm a
person’s relationship
or social standing.

(Eg. Spreading
rumors, social
exclusion)

X chromosome

X chromosome

The sex chromosome
found in males and
females. Females
typically have two X
chromosomes; males
typically have one. An
X chromosome from
each parent produces
a female child.

Y chromosome

The sex chromosome
typically found only in
males. When paired
with an X
chromosome from
the mother, it
produces a male child

Testosterone

Secreted in greater
amounts by males.

Stimulates the
growth of the male
sex organs during the
fetal period, and the
development of the
male sex
characteristics during
puberty.

Estrogens

Sex hormones, such
as estradiol, that
contribute to female
sex characteristics
and are secreted in
greater amounts by
females than by
males.

Puberty

The period of sexual
maturation, during
which a person
usually becomes
capable of
reproducing.

Primary sex
characteristics

The body structures
(ovaries, testes, and
external genitalia)
that make sexual
reproduction
possible.

Secondary sex
characteristics

Non-reproductive
sexual traits, such as
female breasts and
hips, male voice
quality, and body hair

Spermarche

A boy’s first
ejaculation, marking
the start of puberty.
Usually occurs around
ages 12-14.

Menarche

A girl’s first menstrual
period, marking the
start of puberty.
Usually occurs within
a year of age 12 ½

role

A set of expectations
(norms) about a
social position,
defining how those in
the position ought to
behave.

(Eg. A parent is
expected to nurture
and guide children

Gender role

A set of expected
behaviors, attitudes,
and traits for men
and for women.

Sexual
aggression

Any physical or verbal
behavior of a sexual
nature that is
unwanted or intended
to harm someone
physically or
emotionally. Can be
expressed as either
sexual harassment or
sexual assault.

Gender
identity

Our sense of being
male, female, neither,
or some combination
of male and female.

(Eg. binary, non-
binary, etc)

Social learning
theory

The theory that we
learn social behavior
by observing and
imitating and by
being rewarded or
punished.

(Eg. Learning
manners by
observing older
siblings or parents)

Gender typing

The acquisition of a
traditional masculine
or feminine role.

(Eg. Boys praised for
being assertive and
girls praised for being
nurturing)

Androgyny

Displaying both
traditionally masculine
and traditionally
feminine psychological
characteristics.

(Eg. Comfortable
expressing traits
culturally labeled as
“masculine” or
“feminine”

Transgender

An umbrella term
describing people
whose gender identity
or expression differs
from that associated
with their birth-
assigned sex.

consciousness

Our subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment.

(Eg. Aware of your
feeling of anger and frustration)

Hypnosis

A state of focussed attention and heightened suggestibility.

(Eg. Used to help
someone relax or help
reduce pain)

Cognitive neuroscience

Study of how brain activity links to cognitive mental processes.

(Eg. Prefrontal cortex
guides choices in
decision making)

Selective Attention

Focusing conscious awareness on a particular stimulus.

(Eg. Listening to your
friend talk in a noisy
cafeteria)

Inattentional blindness

Failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere.

Change Blindness

Failing to notice changes in the environment; a form of inattentional blindness.

Dual Processing

The principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks.

(Eg. When you’re reading: consciously learning information and unconsciously
recognizing words)

Blindsight

A condition in which a person can respond to a visual stimulus without consciously experiencing it. (Eg. A blind person avoids obstacles while walking in a hallway)

Parallel Processing

Processing many aspects of a stimulus or problem simultaneously.

(Eg. While driving: watch the road, move the wheel, listen to sounds, etc)

Sequential processing

Processing one aspect of a stimulus or problem at a time; generally used to process new information or to solve difficult problems

(Eg. Solving a hard math problem)

Sleep

A natural, periodic state of rest for the body and mind, marked by altered consciousness and brain activity

Circadian rhythm

Biological clock. Regular bodily rhythm that occur in a 24 hour cycle.

REM Sleep

Sleep stage with rapid eye movements, vivid dreams, and brain activity similar to being awake.

Alpha Waves

The relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state

(ex: closing your eyes but not asleep yet)

Hallucinations

False sensory experiences. Seeing smth in the absence of an external visual stimulus.

Delta Waves

The large, slow brain waves associated with deep sleep.

Suprachiasmatic nucleus

Pair of cell clusters in the hypothalamus that controls circadian rhythm (biological clock)

In response to light the SCN causes the pineal gland to adjust melatonin production.

Insomnia

Recurring problems in falling or staying asleep.

effects: chronic tiredness, obesity, hypertension, irritability, mood issues etc.

Narcolepsy

Sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks.

• may lapse directly into REM sleep

Sleep Apnea

A sleep disorder characterized by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and repeated momentary awakenings.

Night Terrors

High arousal and an appearance of being terrified. Night terrors occur during N3 sleep. (within 203 H of sleep) seldom remembered.

Dream

Sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person’s mind.

Manifest content

According to freud. the storyline of a dream that you remember.

Latent Content

According to Freud, the hidden, symbolic, meaning of a dream.

REM Rebound

The tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation.

ex: staying up = more likely to sleep in REM sleep the next night.

Psychoactive drug

A chemical substance that alters perceptions and mood

ex: alcohol, nicotine, marijuana

Substance use Disorder

A disorder characterized by continued substance craving and use despite significant life disruption and or physical risk.