Final Exam Terms

construct validity

extent to which variable measurers what it is trying to measure

accuracy

degree to which the measure is measure free

central tendency

the measure representing the typical response of a group, such as the mean, median, or mode

variability

how widely dispersed the data are from each other and the mean

probabilistic

the idea that conclusions are not black-and-white but are instead on a spectrum of probability

Dunning-Kruger effect

one is not able to evaluate one’s own performance dua

dualism

belief that the mind and body are separate but intertwined

functionalism

psychological study of how the brain adapts to function

fMRI

test to observe changes in brain activity

clinical psychology

psychology based on diagnosing and treating illnesses

cognitive psychology

psychology based on lab research of brain

human genome

human dNA and genetic makeup

epigenetics

the study of how environment affects genes that were not inherited b

behaviorism

study of how the environment affects observable behavior

between groups design

experiment of differences between control and experimental groups

repeated-measures design

same person receives treatment twice

retrograde amnesia

unable to remember prior memories

anterograde amnesia

unable to remember new memories

basal ganglia’s role in memory

forms procedural memoreis

perceptual response

response to the same stimulus

conceptual response

response to a similar stimulus

long term potentiation

strengthening synaptic connections

flashbulb memory

vivid episodic memories where people ifrst learned a surprising event

encoding specificity principle

stimulus encoded with an experience can later trigger a memory of that experience

prospective memory

remembering to do something at some future (prospective) time

retrieval-induced forgetting

impairment of ability to recall item in the future after retriving a related item from long-term memory

blocking

temporary inability to remember something

cryptomnesia

type of misattribution where ppl believe they came up with a new idea but failed to attribute to the source of the idea

suggestibility

development of biased memory from misleading information

nonassociative learning

responding after a repeated event

associative learning

linking two events that occur together

operant conditioning

schedules of reinforcement and reinforcement/punishment to change behavior

acquisition

gradual formation of an association between the unconditioned and conditional stimuli

Rescorla-Wagner model

classical conditioning where learning is determined by how surprising the US is

stimulus generation

when similar stimuli to the CS produce the CR

second order conditioning

the CR can be learned without the learner ever associating the CS with the original US

secondary reinforcer

stimuli that reinforce but are not biological needs

primary reinforcer

stimuli that reinforce and are biological needs

continuous reinforcement

behavior is reinforced every time it occurs, great for fast learning

ratio schedule of reinforcement

based on the # time that the behavior occurred

temporal discounting

the tendency to discount the subjective value of a reward when it is given after a delay

ratio schedule

based on the #th time that you do a behavior

interval schedule

based on a specific amount of time

fixed interval

reinforcement after the # of time has passed

variable interval

reinforcement is provided after the passage of random time

fixed ratio

reinforcement is provided after the constant # of responses

conditioned taste aversion

association between novel taste and getting sick

biological preparedness

biological programming to fear specific objects more than other

analogical representation

mental representation that has similar physical characters, such as images

symbolic representation

abstract mental representations without features, such as words

representativeness heuristic

placing object in a category if the object is similar to the prototype of the category

appraisal tendency framework

mood elicits tendencies from person

mental set

problem solving using strategies from the past

fixed stimulus response

when the response is constantly the same, such as pain

backward conditioning

when the US precedes the NS

somatic nervous system

nervous system that carries information to and from the central nervous system

automatic nervous system

nervous system that carries information to and from muscles

sensory neruons

neurons that detect sensory information and pass it onto the brain

somatosensory neurons

neurons that relay information from the skin and muscles to the brain

motor neurons

neurons in the automatic nervous system that produce movement

internervous neurons

relay stations facilitating communication between sensory neurons and motor neurons

dual process theory

people are capable of both system I and system II thinking

transduction

sensory stimuli converted to neural stimulu the brain can interpret

Weber’s law

the noticeable difference between 2 stimuli is based on the proportion of the original stimulus

signal detection theory

perception is based on the subjective judgment of a stimulus

response bias

tendency to report or not report detecting a signal in a trial

sensory adaption

decrease in sensitivity to a constant level of stimulation

ventral stream

occipital lobe for perceiving “what”

dorsal stream

perceives “where,” location

object agnosia

inability to recognize objects

object constancy

correctly perceiving something as constant in its shape

shape constancy

angle of an object size

size constancy

how far an item is

motion parallax

monocular depth cue where closer objects move faster

temporal coding

encoding frequency and auditory into firing rates of conchular hair cells

place coding

different places in the ear are more sensitive to certain stimuli

gate control theory

gates in the spine allow for signals to come through

limbic system

brain structures of thalamus responsible for movements and emotions

motor area

sends message to muscles

somatosensory area

receives information from muscles and body from sense of touch

depolarization

receptors close, about to fire

repolarization

after the neuron fires

hyperpolarization

neurons cannot fire again

threshold

when the neuron goes past the bar to begin firing

shadowing

repeating one message from 2 different messages in both ears

filter theory

explains why attention is so selective

subliminal perception

processing of information by sensory systems wihtout conscious awareness

automatic processing

when the task is so well learned you can do it without much attention

REM behavior disorder

acting out dreams irl

somnabulism

sleep walking

psychoactive drugs

changes in mood by changing neurochemistry by activating neurotransmitters

James Lange Theory

stimulus to physiological arousal to emotion

cannon bard theory

stimulus activates both arousal and emotion at the same time

schacter-singer two-factor theory

stimulus to arousal to attribution to emotional label

balance theory

the idea that people are motivated to achieve harmony in their interpersonal relationships

self-determination theory

people are motivated to satisfy needs for sense of self-control

metacognition

introspection, thinking about thoughts

reticular activating system

area of pons with different neurotransmitters

zeitgeber

cues that change circadian rhythms

dynamic systems theory

developmetn is a self-organizign process whereas new behaviors emerge form consistent interactions