Semester 1 Review

Accommodation

Adjusting existing cognitive schemas for new information.

Action Potential

Electrical impulse traveling down a neuron.

Activation Synthesis Theory

Dreams result from brain's random neural activity.

Algorithm

Step-by-step procedure for solving a problem.

All or Nothing Principle

Neuron fires completely or not at all.

Assimilation

Integrating new information into existing schemas.

Autonomic Nervous System

Controls involuntary bodily functions and responses.

Availability Heuristic

Judging likelihood based on immediate examples.

Babbling

Early stage of language development in infants.

Central Nervous System

Brain and spinal cord; controls body functions.

Cerebellum

Brain region coordinating movement and balance.

Circadian Rhythm

Biological clock regulating sleep-wake cycles.

Cognitive Perspective

Focus on mental processes in understanding behavior.

Conservation

Understanding quantity remains unchanged despite shape changes.

Convenience Sample

Non-random sampling based on easy access.

Cross-Sectional Study

Research comparing different population groups at one time.

Crystallized Intelligence

Knowledge and skills accumulated over time.

Dependent Variable

Measured outcome in an experiment.

Discontinuous

Development occurring in distinct stages.

Distributed Practice

Spreading study sessions over time for retention.

Dopamine

Neurotransmitter linked to pleasure and reward.

Encoding Failure

Inability to store information in memory.

Ethics

Moral principles guiding research conduct.

Experimental Method

Research method manipulating variables to establish cause.

Evolutionary Perspective

Behavior explained by evolutionary adaptations.

fMRI

Imaging technique measuring brain activity via blood flow.

Functional Fixedness

Inability to see alternative uses for objects.

Gambler's Fallacy

Belief past events affect future probabilities.

Heritability

Proportion of variation due to genetics.

Hindsight Bias

Belief that past events were predictable.

Hippocampus

Brain region crucial for memory formation.

H-Sam

Hypothetical construct for measuring specific abilities.

Hypothalamus

Brain region regulating homeostasis and hormones.

Imprinting

Rapid learning occurring during a critical period.

Independent Variable

Manipulated factor in an experiment.

Intelligence Ethics

Moral considerations in intelligence testing.

Levels of Processing

Depth of processing affects memory retention.

Long Term Memory

Storage of information over extended periods.

Longitudinal Study

Research following the same subjects over time.

Maintenance Rehearsal

Repetitive review to enhance memory retention.

Mean

Average value calculated from a data set.

Median

Middle value in a sorted data set.

Memory Consolidation

Process of stabilizing memories after acquisition.

Metacognition

Awareness and understanding of one's own thought processes.

Misinformation

False information affecting memory recall.

Mnemonic

Memory aid using associations for retention.

Morpheme

Smallest unit of meaning in language.

Narcolepsy

Sleep disorder causing excessive daytime sleepiness.

Nature vs Nurture

Debate on genetic vs environmental influences.

Neurons

Basic building blocks of the nervous system.

Object Permanence

Understanding objects continue to exist when unseen.

Operational Definition

Specific criteria for measuring a variable.

Parasympathetic Nervous System

Rest-and-digest system promoting relaxation.

Peripheral Nervous System

Nerves outside the brain and spinal cord.

Phineas Gage

Case study illustrating brain injury effects.

Phonological Loop

Component of working memory for verbal information.

Placebo

Inactive substance used in control groups.

Prefrontal Cortex

Brain area involved in decision making and planning.

Preoperational Stage

Piaget's stage of symbolic thinking in children.

Primacy Effect

Better recall of first items in a list.

Random Assignment

Randomly placing participants into groups.

REM Sleep

Sleep stage associated with vivid dreaming.

Reuptake

Process of neurotransmitter reabsorption by neurons.

Semantic Encoding

Encoding based on meaning of information.

Sensitive Periods

Optimal times for certain developmental skills.

Skew

Asymmetry in data distribution.

Sleep Apnea

Disorder causing interrupted breathing during sleep.

Somatic Nervous System

Controls voluntary movements and sensory information.

Split Brain

Condition resulting from severed corpus callosum.

Substance P

Neurotransmitter involved in pain perception.

Sunk Cost Fallacy

Continuing investment due to prior losses.

Sympathetic Nervous System

Fight-or-flight system activating stress responses.

Tip of the Tongue Effect

Temporary inability to retrieve known information.

Visual Cliff

Experiment testing depth perception in infants.

Wernicke's Area

Brain region responsible for language comprehension.

Withdrawal

Symptoms experienced after reducing substance use.