AP Psychology Vocab 151-180

PET

a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task

CAT

a series of x-ray photographs taken from different angles and combined by computer into a composite representation of a slice through the body

MRI

a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer generated images that diminished among different types of soft tissue; allows us to see within structures of the brain

fMRI

measures brain activity by detecting associated changes in blood flow

Implicit Attitudes

Unconscious or unacknowledged evaluations individuals hold about others

Implicit Memory

Memory that influences behavior unconsciously, such as skills or habits

Inadequate Retrieval

Refers to the inability to access or recall information from memory, often due to a lack of appropriate cues or retrieval strategies.

Independent variable

the experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied

Dependent variable

the experimental factor in psychology, the behavior or mental process, that is being measured; the variable that may change in response to manipulations of the independent variable

Inadequate Retrieval

Refers to the inability to access or recall information from memory, often due to a lack of appropriate cues or retrieval strategies

In-Group Bias

Favors one's own group over others

Inhibitory

Signals that decrease the likelihood of a neuron firing

Infantile Amnesia

Refers to the inability to recall memories from early childhood, usually before the age of 3 or 4.

Insomnia

Characterized by persistent difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or obtaining restful sleep, leading to daytime fatigue and impaired functioning

Instinctive Drift

Demonstrates that only behaviors within an animal's natural repertoire can be shaped through reinforcement.

Proactive Interference

forgetting in which an old memory interferes with remembering a new memory

Retroactive Interference

forgetting in which a new memory interferes with remembering an old memory

Interposition

Objects that partially block or overlap other objects are perceived as closer

Intrinsic Motivation

drives one to do things just for the fun of it, or because they believe it is a good or right thing to do.

Extrinsic Motivation

motivation to engage in an activity as a means to an end. Individuals who are extrinsically motivated work on tasks because they believe that participation will result in desirable outcomes such as a reward, teacher praise, or avoidance of punishment

Just-Noticeable Difference

The smallest change in a stimulus that can be detected 50% of the time

Kinesthetic

Sense concerned with bodily position and movement of the body parts relative to each other

Law of Effect

If behavior is followed by a positive effect, you will stamp it in and do it again. If it is followed by a negative effect, you will stamp it out and not do it again

Lens

The eye structure that focuses light onto the retina

Leptin

A hormone that regulates hunger and energy balance.

Lesioning

Damaging brain tissue to study function

Limbic System

Brain structures involved in emotions and memory

Hypothalamus

a neural structure lying below the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities, helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion

Pituitary gland

regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands

Amygdala

two almond-shaped neural clusters that are components of the limbic system and are linked to emotion

Hippocampus

a neural center that helps the process explicit memories for storage

Linear perspective

mathematical system for creating the illusion of space and distance on a flat surface

Lobotomy

A controversial and rarely used procedure that severs connections in the prefrontal cortex. Was once widely performed to treat mental illnesses but has since been abandoned.

Long term potentiation

an increase in the synapse’s firing potential after a brief rapid stimulation. Believed to be a neural basis for learning and memory

Macrosystem

Represents the broader cultural context that affects the individual and those around them: societal values and economic conditions

Maintenance Rehearsal

Also known as ROTE rehearsal; involves repeating information over and over to keep it in short-term memory

Maladaptive Thinking

Thought patterns that are irrational or dysfunctional, often leading to negative emotions or behaviors.

Massed Practice

Learning technique where material is studied in one extended session without breaks

Maternal Illness

Illnesses during pregnancy that can affect fetal development