Lecture Notes on Psychology and Natural Science

A series of flashcards based on lecture notes covering key concepts in psychology and natural science.

Contingency

The relationship between variables, where the occurrence of one is dependent on the occurrence of another.

Parsimony

The principle that suggests one should not make more assumptions than the minimum needed to explain a phenomenon.

Functionalism

A theory that considers mental life and behavior in terms of active adaptation to the person's environment.

Atomism

The theory that everything in the universe is made up of small, indivisible components called atoms.

Entropy

A measure of disorder or randomness in a system, often associated with the second law of thermodynamics.

Replication

The process by which organisms reproduce, enabling the continuation of their species.

Evolutionary Adaptation

The process through which populations become better suited to their environment over generations.

Selection

The process by which certain traits increase in frequency within a population due to them providing a survival advantage.

MHC discordance

A concept in mate selection, where individuals prefer partners with differing Major Histocompatibility Complex genes to enhance offspring immunity.

Cognition

The mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses.

Stimulus

Anything that elicits a response from an organism.

Response vs Effect

A response is the specific action taken following a stimulus, while an effect is the outcome of that response.

Neural Network

A system of interconnected neurons that process information and coordinate actions.

Germ Line

The sequence of cells through which genetic information is passed to the next generation.

Complexity

The degree to which a system consists of many intricate and interconnected components.

Behavioral Control

The regulation of actions and responses based on environmental stimuli.

Structural complexity

The arrangement and relationship of components within a system that contribute to its function.