Psychology Lecture Notes

Flashcards covering key vocabulary terms from the psychology lecture notes on motivation, emotion, development, and adulthood.

Motivation

What makes us do what we do; inherently neutral.

Drive

Internal state of tension that gets our attention and prompts action.

Primary drives

Internal states of tension related to basic biological needs like hunger, thirst, or sex.

Secondary drives

Internal states of tension where behavior does not fully fulfill biological needs.

Incentive

External goals or objects that motivate us in certain directions.

Extrinsic motivation

Motivation where the incentive is external, such as money.

Intrinsic motivation

Motivation where the incentive is internal, such as enjoyment or pleasure.

Affiliation

The need to belong.

Ostracism

Being ignored or rejected by others in your social environment.

Hypothalamus

The brain region primarily responsible for the motivation for hunger, receiving signals from other parts of the body.

Ghrelin

A hormone produced by the stomach when food has been absent for a while, prompting stomach contractions and hunger.

CCK

A hormone released by the upper intestine after food consumption, which sends satiety signals to the brain.

Leptin

A hormone that sends signals to the hypothalamus, updating it on the fat stores in the body.

Sexual response stages

Four stages: Excitement, Plateau, Orgasm, and Resolution.

Achievement Motivation

The need to master difficult challenges, to outperform others, and to meet high standards of excellence.

Common Sense View of Emotion

The belief that a stimulus leads to fear, which then leads to autonomic arousal.

James-Lange View of Emotion

The belief that a stimulus leads to an autonomic response, which then leads to the experience of fear.

Cannon-Bard View of Emotion

The belief that a stimulus simultaneously causes subcortical brain activity and autonomic response, leading to fear.

Schachter View of Emotion

The belief that a stimulus leads to an autonomic response, followed by appraisal (cerebrum), which then leads to fear.

Primary Emotions (Evolution)

A set of 8-10 fundamental emotions, where few, anger, joy, disgust, and surprise are consistently agreed upon and recognizable across cultures.

Affect Circumplex

A model used to show the effect of emotions.

Emotional Regulation

The ability to control how we experience emotions, a component of emotional intelligence.

Affect intense people

Individuals who tend to react extremely to even small events.

Affect stable people

Individuals who tend not to react strongly unless something extreme has happened.

Alexithymia

A condition characterized by the inability to connect physiological reactions to emotions ('no words').

Prenatal development phases

Three phases: Germination, Embryonic, and Fetal.

Germination phase

The first 2 weeks of prenatal development, involving zygote creation, uterine implantation, and placenta formation.

Embryonic phase

From 2 weeks to 2 months, vital organs and body systems develop, and general human characteristics become discernible.

Fetal phase

From 2 months to birth, characterized by rapid growth, development of sex organs, with the fetus becoming viable around 23-25 weeks.

Teratogens

Any external agents, such as drugs or viruses, that can harm an embryo or fetus.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)

A condition caused by maternal alcohol use, increasing the risk of microcephaly, heart defects, irritability, hyperactivity, impaired cognitive function, and delayed motor development.

Trust vs. Mistrust (Erikson)

An Erikson stage (0-1 year) where children develop a trusting attitude if basic needs are met, or mistrust if they are not.

Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt (Erikson)

An Erikson stage (1-2 years) where children develop a sense of autonomy if allowed to do tasks for themselves, or shame and self-doubt if not.

Initiative vs. Guilt (Erikson)

An Erikson stage (3-6 years) where children maintain initiative if allowed independence with controls, or feel guilt if parents are overbearing.

Industry vs. Inferiority (Erikson)

An Erikson stage (6-puberty) where children develop industry if they successfully function in a social atmosphere.

Piaget's Stage Theory

A theory describing four cognitive development stages in childhood: Sensorimotor, Preoperational, Concrete Operational, and Formal Operational periods.

Sensorimotor period (Piaget)

A stage (0-2 years) of coordinating sensory input and motor responses, and developing object permanence.

Preoperational period (Piaget)

A stage (2-7 years) involving the development of symbolic thought, irreversibility, centration, and egocentrism.

Concrete operational period (Piaget)

A stage (7-11 years) where mental operations are applied to concrete events.

Formal Operational period (Piaget)

A stage (11-99+ years) where mental operations are applied to abstract ideas.

Kohlberg's Stage Theory

A theory describing stages of moral development, including Preconventional and Conventional levels.

Preconventional morality (Kohlberg)

A level of moral reasoning in younger children where right and wrong are determined by what is punished (punishment orientation) or rewarded (naive reward orientation).

Conventional morality (Kohlberg)

A level of moral reasoning in older children where right and wrong are determined by close others' approval/disapproval (good girl/boy orientation) or society's rules (authority orientation).

Adolescence

A time of transition, including pubescence and puberty.

Pubescence

The 2 years before puberty, marked by increases in height and weight, and development of secondary sex characteristics.

Puberty

Defined by first menstruation (menarche) in females, and sperm production (spermarche) in males.

Emerging adulthood

A new subphase in psychology, typically from 18-25 years, transitioning from adolescence to being an adult.

OCEAN

An acronym representing five core personality aspects: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.

Intimacy vs. Isolation (Erikson)

An Erikson stage during young adulthood (20s-30s), focusing on forming close relationships.

Generativity versus Self-absorption (Erikson)

An Erikson stage during middle adulthood (40-65), focusing on contributing to the next generation versus becoming preoccupied with oneself.

Integrity vs. Despair (Erikson)

An Erikson stage during late adulthood (65-99+), focusing on reflecting on one's life with a sense of fulfillment or regret.

Dementia

A general term for cognitive decline in late adulthood, such as Alzheimer's.