ap psych u7 terms

motivation

1. A need or desire that energizes and directs behavior

instinct

1. A complex behavior that is rigidly patterned throughout a species and is unlearned

physiological needs

1. create an aroused, motivated state (a drive) that pushes us to behave in a way that reduces the need and return the body to hemostasis (needs for food, water etc)

homeostasis

1. A tendency to maintain a balanced or constant internal state; the regulation of any aspect of body chemistry around a particular level

drive-reduction theory

1. idea that a physiological need creates an aroused state (drive) that obviates an organism to satisfy the need and restore the body to homeostasis 

incentives

1. positive/negative environmental stimuli that lure or repel us

extrinsic motivation

1. coming from external environment (ie. a reward, a promotion)

intrinsic motivation

1. coming from within one’s self (doing something just for the sake of doing it)

Yerkes-Dodson Law

1. moderate arousal leads to optimal performance

hierarchy of needs

1. The base is physiological needs that must first be satisfied before higher level safety needs and then psychological needs are addressed

self-transcendence (self-actualization (as in Maslow's theory)

1. people strive for meaning, purpose, and communion in a way that is trans personal-beyond the self, search for meaning, fully realize your own potential 

glucose

1. the for of sugar that circulates in the blood and provides a major source of energy for body tissues 

arcuate nucleus (relevant to hunger)

1. A small structure in the base of the hypothalamus, plays a key role in the regulation of appetite and body weight

Ventromedial hypothalamus

1. Stimulation of this structure inhibits hunger

lateral hypothalamus

1. Stimulation in the hypothalamus stimulates hunger

insulin

1. hormone secreted by pancreas, controls blood glucose

leptin

1. protein hormone secreted by fat cells; when abundant causes brain to increase metabolism and decrease hunger

PYY

1. Digestive tract hormone, tells the brain you’re not hungry

Ghrelin

1. hormone secreted by empty stomach, tells the brain you’re hungry

Orexin

1. A hunger-triggering hormone produced by the hypothalamus

set point

1. the point at which your “weight thermostat” may be set (fixed)

basal metabolic rate

1. the resting rate of energy expenditure for maintaining basic body functions

BMI (Body Mass Index)

1. A measurement of your body fat based on your weight in relation to your height

Bulimia nervosa

1. Eating disorder characterized by binge eating followed by purging

Anorexia nervosa

1. Eating disorder characterized by intense fear of being fat/severe restriction of food intake

asexual

1. Where you have no sexual attraction to others

testosterone

1. Both males and females have it, but males have more, stimulates the growth of male sex organs during the fetal period/development of male sex characteristics during puberty

estrogen

1. Contribute to female sex characteristics, secreted in greater amounts by females than males, estrogen levels peak during ovulation

sexual response cycle

1. the four stages of sexual response by William Masters and Virginia Johnson (excitement, plateau, organs, resolution)

refractory period

1. During the resolution phase, men enter this period that lasts from a few minutes to more than a day where they are incapable of another orgasm. Women have a much shorter refractory period

affiliation need

1. the need to build relationships and to feel part of a group. the need to belong

narcissism

1. personality trait in which people feel self-important, self-focused, and self-promoting

achievement motivation

1. a desire for significant accomplishment, for mastery of skills/ideas, for control, and for attaining a high standard

grit

1. passion and perseverance in the pursuit of long-term goals

emotion

1. a response of the whole organism, involving physiological arousal, expressive behaviors, and conscious experience

James-Lange theory of emotion

1. the theory that our experience of emotion is our awareness of our physiological responses to an emotion-arousing stimulus: stimulus leads to arousal, leads to emotion 

Cannon-Bard thalamic theory of emotion

1. The theory that an emotion-arousing stimulus simultaneously triggers physiological responses and the subjective experience of emotion

Schachter-Singer Two Factor Theory of Emotion

1. Emotions have two ingredients: physical arousal and cognitive arousal. An emotional experience requires a conscious interpretation of arousal

spillover effect

1. Arousal spills over from one event to the next

Zajonc-LeDoux theory of emotion

1. Some emotional responses are immediate, before any conscious appraisal

Sympathetic Nervous System

1. SNS directs your adrenal glands to release epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline), extra sugar in blood stream, respiration, heart rate, and blood pressure, slows digestion, bigger pupils, more sweat, blood clots

Parasympathetic Nervous System

1. PNS gradually calms your body, stress hormones leave the bloodstream.

Duchenne Smile

1. Raised cheeks and activated muscles under the eyes suggest a natural smile

Facial feedback effect

1. (Kazuo and Hideko Mori) the tendency of facial muscle states to trigger corresponding feelings such as fear, anger, or happiness

Stress

1. the process by which we perceive and respond to certain events (stressors) that we appraise as threatening or challenging 

Stress appraisal

1. How we assess an event influences how much stress we experience and how effectively we respond

catastrophes

1. Unpredictable, large-scale events (such as natural disasters). After such events, damage to emotional and physical health can be significant

Significant life changes

1. Life transitions are often keenly felt. Even happy events can be stressful 

daily hassles

1. Cover anything that impedes your progress on a task, reroutes your plans, or causes you aggravation or anxiety

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

1. Body’s adaptive response to stress is so general that it sounds no matter what intrudes. Three phase process of alarm (SNS activated), resistance (Hormones pumped into bloodstream, resources summoned to meet the challenge), and exhaustion (body becomes more vulnerable).

tend-and-befriend response

1. Found often among women, give and receive support

healthy psychology

1. A subfield of psychology that provides psychology’s contribution to behavioral medicine

psychoneuroimmunology

1. The study of how psychological, neural, and endocrine processes together affect the immune system and resulting health

Type A personality

1. Most reactive, competitive, hard-driving, impatient, time-conscious, super-motivated, verbally aggressive, and easily angered, more prone to heart attacks

Type B personality

1. More easygoing and relaxed 

coronary heart disease

1. Caused by plaque buildup in the wall of the arteries that supply blood to the heart. Can be caused by obesity, smoking, stress, and other factors.

catharsis

1. Emotional release (believe it can be achieved through aggressive action/fantasy). Usually fails to cleanse rage, expressing anger breeds more anger

aerobic exercise

1. sustained exercise that increases heart and lung fitness; helps alleviate depression/anxiety

mindfulness meditation

1. a reflective practice in which people attend to current experiences in a non judgemental and accepting matter

faith factor

1. Religiously active people tend to live longer than those who are not religiously active

positive psychology

1. scientific study of human flourishing, goals of discovering/promoting strengths and virtues that help individuals and communities to thrive o

feel-good, do-good phenomenon

1. A mood-boosting experience makes people more likely to help others

subjective well-being

1. Self-perceived happiness or satisfaction with life

adaptation-level phenomenon

1. our tendency to form judgments (of sounds, of lights, of income) relative to a neutral level defined by our prior experience

relative deprivation

1. the perception that one is worse off relative to those with whom one compares oneself 

personality

1. an individual’s characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting

psychodynamic theories

1. View human personality as a dynamic interaction between conscious and unconscious mind, including associated motives/conflicts

psychoanalysis

1. aims to treat mental conditions by investigating the interaction of conscious and unconscious elements in the mind and bringing repressed fears/conflicts into the conscious mind 

unconscious

1. Reservoir of mostly unacceptable thoughts, wishes, feelings, and memories

free association

1. a method of exploring the unconscious in which the person relaxes and says whatever comes to mind, no matter how embarrassing 

id 

1. Reservoir of unconscious psychic energy that strives to satisfy basic sexual and aggressive drives. Demanding immediate gratification

ego 

1. Largely conscious, “executive” part of personality that mediates among the demands of the id, superego, and reality

superego

1. Represents internalized ideals and provides standards for judgment and for future aspirations

Oedipus complex

1. boys developing unconscious feelings for their mother, and feeling a rivalry with their father, leads boys to feel guilty and to fear punishment

identification process

1. process whereby one subject adopts as his own one or more attributes of another subject

Electra complex

1. Young girls seek to identify with their mother/step-mother in hopes of diffusing the unconscious tension, girl version of oedipus compex

gender identity

1. Our sense of being male, female, or some combination of the two 

fixation

1. A lingering focus of pleasure-seeking energies at an earlier psychosexual stage, in which conflicts were unresolved

defense mechanism 

1. Tactics that reduce or redirect anxiety by distorting reality 

Reaction formation

1. Switching unacceptable impulses to their opposites (ex: indifference of being rejected from the stupid soccer team)

rationalization

1. offering self-justifying explanations in place of real, more threatening unconscious reasons for one’s actions (ex: says wasn’t working hard and could have made the team if you really wanted)

projection 

1. Disguising one’s own threatening impulses by attributing them to others (talks a lot about how is parent is mad at the coach)

displacement

1. Shifting sexual/aggressive impulses towards a more acceptable or less threatening object or person (Yells at younger sibling for no reason)

sublimation

1. transferring of unacceptable impulses into socially valued motives (decides to join a team where everyone is accepted

denial

1. refusing to believe/perceive painful realities 

regression

1. retreating to an earlier psychosexual stage, where some psychic energy remains fixated (wants to go to his grandma’s house to play cards and eat cookies)

Repression 

1. The basic defense mechanism that banishes from consciousness anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories

inferiority complex

1. a basic feeling of inadequacy and insecurity, deriving from actual or imagined physical or psychological deficiency

collective unconscious

1. form of unconscious common to mankind as a whole

projective test

1. A personality test that provides ambiguous images designed to trigger projection of one’s inner dynamics

Thematic Apperception Test

1. Projective test in which people express their inner feelings and interests through stories they make up about ambiguous scenes

Rorschach inkblot test

1. A set of 10 inkblots seeking to identify people’s inner feelings by analyzing their interpretations of the blots (Hermann Rorschach)

terror-management theory

1. a theory of death-related anxiety; explores people’s emotional and behavioral responses to reminders of their impending death

trait

1. a characteristic pattern of behavior or a disposition to feel and act in certain ways, as assessed by self-report inventories and peer reports

introversion 

1. NOT SHYNESS. Introverts seek low levels of stimulation because they’re sensitive.

extroversion

1. Bold and energetic, gain energy from interacting with others

Personality inventory

1. An objective questionnaire on which people respond to items designed to gauge a wide range of feelings and behaviors, used to assess selected personality traits

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory

1. The most widely researched and clinically used of all objective personality tests. 

Conscientiousness

1. Tend to be highly organized with great attention to detail. Goal-oriented, driven to succeed

Agreeableness

1. Cooperative, empathetic, caring. enjoy helping/being a part of a group

Neuroticism

1. Experience mood swings/irritable. Worry about many things and get upset/anxious easily

Openness

1. creative and adventurous. enjoy trying new things/taking on new challenges

Extraversion

1. outgoing/gain energy from being with others. like to meet new people, start conversations, have wide variety of friendships

Person situation controversy

1. Our behavior is influenced by the interaction of our inner disposition with our environment. Which is more important? Is personality stable overtime, regardless of the situation?

social cognitive perspective

1. Views behavior as influenced by the interaction between people’s traits and their social context

behavioral perspective

1. focuses on the effects of learning on our personality development

reciprocal determinism

1. the interacting influences of behavior, internal cognition, and environment

biopsychosocial approach

1. Personality is fruitfully studies biologically, psychologically, and socio-culturally

self

1. Assumed to be the center of personality, the organizer of our thoughts, feelings, and actions

spotlight effect

1. overestimating others noticing and evaluating our appearance, performance, and blunders (presume a spotlight shines on us)

self-esteem 

1. one’s feelings of high or low self-worth (our value/how we feel)

self-efficacy

1. one’s sense of competence and effectiveness (our belief in our capability)

self serving bias

1. a readiness to perceive oneself favorably 

Secure self-esteem

1. Sense of self is less contingent on external evaluations

Defensive self-esteem

1. The focus is on sustaining itself, making failure and criticism feel threatening

individualism 

1. giving priority to one’s own goals over group goals and defining one’s identity in terms of personal attributes rather than group identifications

collectivism

1. giving priority to the goals of one’s group and defining one’s identity accordingly