Psychology
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples the Australian Indigenous population, which includes Aboriginal peoples, Torres Strait Islander peoples and people who have both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage; the term ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander’ encompasses all three Abstract a section of a scientific report that is a concise summary of the whole investigation Accuracy how close a measurement is to the true value of the quantity being measured Acquired present after brain injury or a significant psychological event Acquisition the process during which an organism learns to associate two events (the neutral stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus) Acronym an abbreviation formed from the first letter of each word and pronounced as a single word Acrostic a phrase (or poem) in which the first letter of each word functions as a cue to help with recall Acute stress stress that usually occurs because of a sudden threat and only lasts for a short time Advanced Sleep Phase Disorder (ASPD) a circadian rhythm sleep disorder characterised by an advance in the timing of sleep onset and awakening compared to the timing that is desired Affective functioning a person’s experience of their emotions After conditioning the final stage of classical conditioning Agonist a type of drug that mimics the action of a neurotransmitter that binds to the same receptor by stopping the presynaptic neuron from firing Alarm reaction stage the first stage of the general adaptation syndrome, in which we first become aware of the stressor; it consists of two phases – shock and countershock Allocation dividing a sample into groups in an investigation Altered state of consciousness any state that differs in awareness when compared to normal waking consciousness Alzheimer’s disease a neurodegenerative disease characterised by the progressive deterioration of brain neurons, causing memory loss, decline in cognitive and social skills and personality changes Amnesia a permanent or temporary, complete or partial loss of memory Amygdala a structure located deep in the temporal midbrain; involved in emotional reactions and formation of emotional memories particularly relating to fear Amyloid plaque an abnormal build-up of beta-amyloid proteins between the synapses of neurons that interfere with communication Anecdote a short personal account of an event Antecedent an environmental stimulus that triggers an action Anterograde amnesia the inability to form new explicit long-term memories after an amnesia-causing event Anxiety an emotion akin to worrying and uneasiness that something is wrong or something bad is going to happen, usually accompanied by physiological signs Aphantasia the inability to visualise imagery Appraisal the process of categorising an event on the basis of its perceived significance and how it may affect our wellbeing Gallagher et al |
Benign/positive describes a situation or event that is perceived as having a positive outcome for an individual, i.e. it either maintains (benign) or enhances their wellbeing (positive) Benzodiazepine a type of agonist drug that works on the central nervous system to make the post- synaptic neuron less likely to fire, which regulates anxiety Between subjects design an investigation design in which participants are randomly allocated to either the control or the experimental condition Biological factor a factor that relates to the physiological functioning of the body Biological intervention a treatment targeting physiological mechanisms believed to contribute to a condition Biological risk factor a factor that relates to the physiological functioning of the body, and may contribute to mental disorders Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) the percentage of alcohol in the bloodstream Blue light a part of the visible light spectrum that is emitted from smartphone screens, computer monitors, televisions, LED and fluorescent light bulbs, as well as sunlight Brain a complex structure that receives and processes sensory stimuli from the body and coordinates responses, including voluntary movements, emotions and conscious thought Brain atrophy the loss of neurons within the brain Brain scan an examination of the brain that shows brain activity and tissues that cannot be detected otherwise Breathing retraining an anxiety management technique that involves teaching someone with a specific phobia how to control their breathing in the presence of their phobic stimulus Bright light therapy a therapy to treat a sleep disorder in which the person is exposed to a bright light to reset the sleep–wake cycle Gallagher et al © Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2022 Photocopying is restricted under law and this material must not be transferred to another party. Approach strategy an effort to confront a stressor and deal directly with it and its effects Attention the first stage in observational learning, when the learner actively watches the model’s behaviour and the consequences Autobiographical memory a memory system consisting of episodes recollected from an individual's life, based on a combination of episodic and semantic memory Autonomic nervous system a subdivision of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body’s internal environment in an autonomous or self- regulated manner Avoidance behaviour actions a person takes to escape from difficult thoughts and feelings Avoidance strategy an effort to avoid a stressor and not deal directly with it and its effects Bar chart a way to display data with discrete categories Basal ganglia a group of structures deep within the cerebral hemispheres; involved in motor movement, procedural memory and learning Before conditioning the first stage of classical conditioning; at this stage no learning has occurred Behaviour any observable action by an organism Behavioural functioning a person’s observable actions Behaviourist approach an approach to learning that states that behaviours are learned through interactions with the environment Behavioural model phobias are learned through experience and may be developed, sustained or modified Beneficence an ethical concept involving the commitment to maximising benefits and minimising risks and harms |
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) a common intervention consisting of a range of cognitive and behavioural therapies and learning principles to help people identify and change unhelpful thought processes, feelings and behaviours to more helpful ones Cognitive bias the tendency to think in a way that involves errors of judgement and faulty decision-making Cognitive functioning a person’s mental processing Cognitive model a model that describes how people’s perceptions of situations influence their emotional and behavioural reactions Community a group of people who live in the same location or who share an interest or characteristic in common, and who interact or have the potential to interact Conclusion a statement about the findings of a study, which addresses the aim and hypothesis Conditioned response (CR) a learned behaviour that is similar to the unconditioned response and is now triggered by the conditioned stimulus as a result of conditioning Conditioned stimulus (CS) a stimulus that was previously neutral but now, as a result of repeated associations with the unconditioned stimulus, produces a conditioned response Conditioning the learning process by which the behaviour of an organism becomes dependent on an event occurring in its environment Confidentiality an ethical guideline that ensures participants remain anonymous, and their personal information is kept private, protected and secure throughout the study Confounding variable an unwanted variable that has affected the results of an investigation Congenital present from birth Connection to Country Indigenous ways of knowing are known to be rooted with deep respect for the ecology and the importance of the connected relationship with the land © Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2022 Photocopying is restricted under law and this material must not be transferred to another party. Capacity the amount of information held within a memory store Case study a type of investigation of a particular activity, behaviour, event or problem that contains Catastrophic thinking a cognitive bias that involves overestimating and exaggerating the worst possible outcomes to situations even though they are unlikely to occur Central nervous system (CNS) the brain and the spinal cord; processes and coordinates responses to sensory stimuli Cerebellum a cauliflower-shaped structure at the base of the brain; coordinates timing and fluency of movements; encodes and temporarily stores implicit memories of simple conditioned reflexes Cerebral cortex a thin, outer layer of the brain; involved in complex mental abilities, sensory processing, voluntary movements and storage of explicit memories Challenge the perceived potential for personal gain or growth from an event Chronic stress stress that lasts for a long time Circadian rhythm biological processes that coordinate the timing of body activities over a 24-hour period Circadian rhythm sleep disorders a category of sleep disorders in which Classical conditioning a simple form of learning that occurs through repeated associations between a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus to produce a conditioned response Classification and identification a type of investigation that involves |
Cortisol a hormone produced by the adrenal glands that regulates a wide range of bodily processes, including metabolism, and is released in response to stress Countershock the second phase of the alarm reaction stage of the general adaptation syndrome, in which the body’s ability to deal with the stressor rises above normal Cultural continuity the ability to preserve the historical traditions of a culture and carry them forward with that culture into the future Cultural determinants of wellbeing cultural factors that influence health and wellbeing Culture a way of life that is shared and learned Daylight all direct and indirect sunlight during the daytime Debriefing an ethical guideline involving provision of information to participants at the end of the study, including the true aims, results and conclusions, and answering any questions, clarifying misunderstandings or deception, and providing support to ensure no lasting harm Decay the fading away of information in short-term memory when not maintained by rehearsal Deception in research an ethical guideline involving withholding the true nature of the study from participants, when their knowledge of the true purpose may affect their behaviour and subsequent validity of the investigation Declarative memory an explicit long-term memory of specific facts and events, most of which can be stated or ‘declared’ Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome (DSPS) a circadian rhythm sleep disorder characterised by a delay in the timing of sleep onset and awakening compared with the timing that is desired Dementia a collection of symptoms that are caused by disorders affecting the brain Gallagher et al © Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2022 Photocopying is restricted under law and this material must not be transferred to another party. Consciousness the awareness of your own internal mental processes, including your thoughts, feelings, sensations and perceptions, and your awareness of the external world around you Conscious response any response of the nervous system that requires awareness Consequence something that makes a behaviour more or less likely to occur again Consolidation the process by which a temporary memory is transformed into a more stable, long-lasting form Context-specific effectiveness when a coping strategy matches or is appropriate to the stressful situation Contradictory data data that appears incorrect Control group the group that forms a baseline level to compare the experimental group with Controlled experiment an experimental investigation of the relationship between one or more independent variables and a dependent variable, in which all other variables are controlled Controlled variable a variable that is held constant to ensure that the only influence on the dependent variable is the independent variable Coping all the things we do to manage and reduce the stress we experience Coping flexibility the ability to modify our coping strategies to adapt and meet the demands of different stressful situations Coping strategy a method that we use to manage or reduce the stress produced by a stressor Correlational study a type of investigation that involves planned observation and recording of events and behaviours that have not been manipulated or controlled to understand the relationships or associations existing between variables, to identify which factors may be of greater importance, and to make predictions |
Emotional wellbeing relates to the ability to feel a range of emotions and express them in a positive way Encoding converting sensory information into a useable from that can be processed by the brain Enteric nervous system (ENS) a subdivision of the autonomic nervous system; it consists of nerve cells lining the gastrointestinal tract and controls the digestive system Episodic future thinking projecting yourself forwards in time to pre-experience an event that might happen in your personal future Episodic memory the declarative memory of personally experienced events Ethical concepts general ethical considerations used to analyse the ethical and moral aspects of conduct surrounding psychological issues and psychological investigations Ethical guidelines guidelines that ensure the protection and welfare of all participants in research Evidence a verified fact Evidence-based intervention a treatment shown to be effective in valid and reliable research studies Excitatory effect the increased likelihood that the post- synaptic neuron will fire an action potential or neural impulse Exhaustion stage the third stage of the general adaptation syndrome, in which the continued depletion of energy stores and high levels of hormones such as cortisol decrease resistance to the stressor and impair the immune system Experimental group the group that is exposed to the independent variable and receives the experimental treatment Explicit memory information that can be consciously retrieved and stated, such as ‘known facts’ External factor a factor that influences mental wellbeing and originates from outside a person, such as the physical and social environment © Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2022 Photocopying is restricted under law and this material must not be transferred to another party. Dendritic spine a dendrite fibre that grows by sprouting on the post-synaptic neuron Dependent variable the variable that is being measured by the researcher Discussion section a section of a scientific report or poster that analyses the findings and concludes the research Disorganised insecure attachment occurs when a child does not receive consistent care or emotional support from a primary caregiver early in life; leads to inconsistent behaviour being displayed towards this caregiver by the child Displacement adding new single items to short-term memory by pushing out old items Dopamine a multifunctional neurotransmitter with both excitatory and inhibitory effects, that is involved in many central nervous system functions such as movement, pleasure, attention, mood, cognition and motivation Dreaming a guide to life and living; Dreaming is not just stories, it is art, songs, dance; it is written into the land itself Duration the length of time information is held within a memory store During conditioning the second stage of classical conditioning, in which learning occurs through association Dysfunctional GABA system a failure to produce, release or receive the correct amount of gamma-aminobutyric acid Electroencephalography (EEG) a technique that detects, amplifies and records the electrical activity of the brain Electromyography (EMG) a technique that detects, amplifies and records the electrical activity of the skeletal muscles Electro-oculography (EOG) a technique that detects, amplifies and records the electrical activity of the muscles controlling the eyes |
Gut the gastrointestinal tract or long tube that starts at the mouth and ends at the anus Gut–brain axis (GBA) the connection between the central nervous system and the enteric nervous system, that enables bidirectional communication between the brain and the gastrointestinal tract Gut microbiota the microbe population in the gut (digestive system) Harm/loss the damage to the individual that has already occurred as a result of a stressor High level of functioning the ability to carry out a wide range of daily activities, attend to self-care, maintain interpersonal relationships and demonstrate resilience in the face of everyday challenges Hippocampus a structure in the temporal midbrain; involved in formation of long-term explicit memories and their transfer to the cerebral cortex Hyperventilation rapid, shallow breathing Hypnogram a line graph that represents the stages of sleep plotted against time Hypothesis a statement predicting the probable outcomes of an investigation Implications the impact a study might have on the population, relevant theory and future research Implicit memory memory not requiring conscious retrieval, such as ‘how to’ skills Incomplete data data that has elements missing Independent variable the variable that is being manipulated (controlled, selected or changed) by the researcher Gallagher et al © Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2022 Photocopying is restricted under law and this material must not be transferred to another party. External stressor a cause of stress that originates from outside an individual, such as an event or environmental extreme External validity whether the results of research can be applied to similar individuals in a different setting Extraneous variable a variable other than the independent variable that may have an unwanted effect on the dependent variable and results of an investigation Fear hierarchy a list of anxiety-inducing experiences relating to the patient's phobia, in order of from easiest to confront, to the most difficult Fieldwork a type of investigation that involves collecting information through observing and interacting with a selected environment Filigree appendage a fibre that grows by sprouting from the axon terminal of the presynaptic neuron First Nations Indigenous people of Australia; or First Peoples Flight-or-fight-or-freeze response an automatic biological response to a perceived stressor that increases our chances of survival in our environment Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the nervous system, associated with anxiety, specific phobias and Parkinson’s disease General adaptation syndrome (GAS) a biological model of stress that proposes we have a non-specific biological response to stress that occurs in three stages Genetic vulnerability an increased likelihood that a person will develop a particular mental disorder because of their DNA Glutamate the main excitatory neurotransmitter in the nervous system, involved with learning and memory |
Investigation question the question that is to be solved by a study Irrelevant describes a situation or event that has no implications for an individual’s wellbeing because nothing will be gained or lost, or they are not invested in the situation Justice an ethical concept involving fair consideration of competing claims, no unfair burden on a particular group, and fair access to benefits of an action Kinaesthetic to do with body movement or sensation Learner the individual who observes, remembers and initiates the actions of the model Learning the process of acquiring knowledge or skills resulting from experience; there are many approaches Learning map images or visuals used to map out processes for learners Lesion a damaged or abnormal area of the brain that might appear like a scar or wound Life span the period of time a person is alive Life stressor an everyday or conceivable event, such as a relationship breakdown, work challenge or failing a test Limitations of conclusions the faults or flaws in the design of an investigation that may limit the conclusions of that investigation Line graph a way to display numerical and continuous data Literature review a type of investigation that involves collating and analysing secondary data findings © Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2022 Photocopying is restricted under law and this material must not be transferred to another party. Indigenous First Australians and First Peoples of any country Induced altered state of consciousness an altered state of consciousness that has been brought about on purpose Informed consent procedures an ethical guideline conducted before a study begins – participants agree to participate after they have received all the details of the study, including the purpose, procedures and potential risks Inhibitory effect the decreased likelihood that the post- synaptic neuron will fire an action potential or neural impulse Integrity an ethical concept involving the commitment to searching for knowledge and understanding and the honest reporting of all sources of information and results Internal factor a factor that influences mental wellbeing and originates from within a person, such as genetics and hormones Internal stressor a cause of stress that originates within an individual; can be both psychological and biological/physiological Internal validity whether a study investigates what it sets out or claims to investigate Interneuron a nerve cell in the spinal cord that connects motor and sensory neurons by relaying information between the two Introduction section a section of a scientific report or poster that provides an overview of what the investigation is trying to achieve and why it is important Investigation aim the purpose of a study Investigation design a framework that determines how participants experience the experimental and control conditions Investigation methodology the particular type of research study |
Mental time travel the capacity to mentally reconstruct past personal events and imagine possible future scenarios Mentally healthy the state of not having difficulty with everyday activities and displaying resilience Method of loci a mnemonic system that commits a familiar location or sequence of locations to memory, then visually links them with information that needs to be recalled Methodology section a section of a scientific report or poster that describes the participants, materials and procedures used in the study Microbe a microscopic living thing found in water, soil and the air Mindfulness meditation the practice of observing the present moment, suspending judgements, and focusing on something calm and peaceful Mixed design an investigation design that combines elements of a between subjects design and a within subjects design Mnemonic any technique used for improving or enhancing memory Mode the value that occurs most frequently within a set of data Model the live, pre-recorded or symbolic person being observed Modelling a type of investigation in which a physical or conceptual model is constructed and/or manipulated to simulate a system Motivation a stage of observational learning, when the learner has the desire to perform the model’s behaviour Motor neuron a nerve cell that transmits motor impulses from the spinal cord to the skeletal and smooth muscles Gallagher et al © Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2022 Photocopying is restricted under law and this material must not be transferred to another party. Long-term depression (LTD) the relatively permanent weakening synaptic connections as a result of repeated low-level activation Long-term memory (LTM) memory that is relatively permanent and holds huge amounts of information for a long time, possibly lifelong Long-term potentiation (LTP) the relatively permanent strengthening of synaptic connections as a result of repeated activation of a neural pathway Mean a statistic that is the average value of a set of data Measurement error the difference between the measured value and the true value Measures of central tendency a category of statistics that describes the central value of a set of data Measures of variability a category of statistics that describe the distribution of data Median the middle value in an ordered set of data Melatonin a hormone that induces drowsiness and decreases cell activity Memory an information processing system that actively receives, organises, stores and recovers information Memory bias distorted thinking that either enhances or impairs the recall of a memory or alters its content Mental disorder a condition that affects mood, thinking and behaviour and is typically long lasting Mental health and wellbeing a beneficial emotional state in which a person realises their abilities, copes with the normal stresses of life, works productively and contributes to their community Mental health problem a relatively short-term disruption that impacts on a person’s everyday functioning |
Normal waking consciousness a state associated with being aware of our internal and external environments Observational learning a type of social learning that occurs when a learner observes a model’s actions and their consequences to guide their future actions Occupational health and safety (OHS) issues of health, safety and welfare that must be protected in a workplace Operant conditioning a learning process in which the likelihood of a voluntary behaviour occurring is determined by its consequences Opinion a judgement that is not necessarily based on proof Oral culture a culture in which information and stories are communicated by word of mouth Outlier a value that lies a long way from other results Parasympathetic nervous system a subdivision of the autonomic nervous system that controls the body’s internal environment in an autonomous or self- regulated manner Partial sleep deprivation the experience of achieving inadequate sleep in terms of quantity or quality Percentage a part of a whole, a proportion out of 100 Percentage change a calculation of the degree of change in a value over time Peripheral nervous system all the nerves outside of the central nervous system that carry messages between the central nervous system and muscles, organs and glands throughout the body Perpetuation prolonging of the occurrence of a mental disorder and preventing recovery Personal error a mistake, miscalculation or observer error made when conducting research © Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2022 Photocopying is restricted under law and this material must not be transferred to another party. Narrative a story which in a cultural context may be delivered in a variety of ways including performance, song and dance Naturally occurring altered state of consciousness Negative punishment when a behaviour is followed by the removal of a desirable stimulus, decreasing the likelihood of the behaviour occurring again Negative reinforcement when a behaviour is followed by the removal of an undesirable stimulus, increasing the likelihood of the behaviour occurring again Neocortex the top layer of the cerebral cortex that is involved in high-order mental processes such as language, attention and memory Neural transmission an electrical impulse that occurs when a neuron is activated or fires Neurofibrillary tangle an abnormal build-up of protein inside a neuron that is associated with cell death Neuromodulator a subclass of neurotransmitters that alter the strength of neural transmission, by increasing or decreasing the responsiveness of neurons to neurotransmitter signals Neuron an individual nerve cell that is specialised to receive, process and/or transmit information within the nervous system Neurotransmitter a chemical produced by neurons that carries messages to other neurons or cells within the nervous system, including muscles, organs and glands Neutral stimulus (NS) a stimulus (prior to conditioning) that doesn’t produce a response Non-maleficence an ethical concept involving the avoidance of causing harm Non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep a type of sleep characterised by a progressive decline in physiological activity |
Psychological construct a concept that cannot be objectively observed or measured directly through the collection of data, but is widely understood to exist Psychological factor a factor that relates to the functioning of the brain and the mind, including cognitive and affective processes such as thought patterns and memory Psychological intervention treatment that uses activities such as psychotherapy to modify thoughts, feelings and behaviours Psychological risk factor a factor that relates to the functioning of the brain and the mind, which may contribute to mental disorders Psychotherapy any talking therapy designed to help people with a broad range of mental health issues Punishment a stimulus from the environment that decreases the likelihood of a behaviour occurring again Qualitative data data that describes characteristics and qualities Quantitative data data that includes measurable values and quantities and can be compared on a numerical scale Random allocation dividing a sample into groups in such a way that each participant has an equal chance of being placed into the experimental group or the control group Random error an error that creates unpredictable variations in the measurement process and results in a spread of readings Random sampling selecting participants from the population in a way that means each member of the population has an equal chance of being selected to participate in the study Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep a type of sleep characterised by quick darting of the eyes behind closed eyelids and an increase in physiological activity Gallagher et al © Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2022 Photocopying is restricted under law and this material must not be transferred to another party. Phobia a persistent, intense, irrational fear of a specific object or event Place-based learning learning drawn from the landscape with profound connections to ancestral and personal relationships with place Polysomnography a multi-parameter sleep study and a diagnostic tool used in sleep medicine Population the wider group of people that a study is investigating Positive punishment when a behaviour is followed by adding an undesirable stimulus, decreasing the likelihood of the behaviour occurring again Positive reinforcement when a behaviour is followed by adding a desirable stimulus, increasing the likelihood of the behaviour occurring again Precipitate trigger the onset or exacerbation of a mental disorder Precision how close a set of measurement values are to each other Primary appraisal when an individual determines whether a situation or event is significant to them and stressful or not Primary data data collected through first-hand research for an intended purpose Product, process and system development a type of investigation in which a product, a process or a system is designed to meet a human need Protective factor a factor that plays a role in decreasing the chance of developing a mental disorder Pruning the removal of excess neurons and synaptic connections to increase the efficiency of neuronal transmissions Psychoeducation educating people diagnosed with mental health conditions and their family members about the disorder and possible treatment options |
Respect an ethical concept involving the consideration of the value of living things, giving due regard, and consideration of the capacity of living things to make their own decisions Response a behavioural reaction to a stimulus Results section a section of a scientific report or poster that outlines the evidence and findings of the study Retention the second stage in observational learning, when the learner stores a mental representation of the model’s behaviour Retrieval accessing information that has previously been stored Retrograde amnesia the inability to retrieve previously stored memories after an amnesia-causing event Reward pathway a group of structures in the brain that are activated by rewarding or reinforcing stimuli Risk assessment a process involving the consideration, identification and reduction of physical and psychological risk Role the function of a memory store Rumination thinking about and focusing on negative thoughts and experiences Safety data sheet (SDS) a document that provides all the important information about a substance, such as its ingredients, precautionary statements and first aid measures Sample the smaller group of people selected from the population who will be participants in the investigation Sampling technique different procedures for selecting participants from the population Scientific poster a way to present the main sections of a scientific report in a brief and visual way © Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2022 Photocopying is restricted under law and this material must not be transferred to another party. Receptor site a membrane protein on the dendrites of neurons that receive and detect specific neurotransmitters Reconstruction the combining of stored information with other available information to form what is believed to be a more coherent, complete or accurate memory References and acknowledgements section a list of all the sources used in a scientific report or poster Rehearsal the conscious manipulation of information to keep it in short-term memory for longer or to transfer it to long-term memory Reinforcement a stimulus from the environment that increases the likelihood of a response occurring in the future Relaxation technique any method or procedure that helps to induce a physiological and psychological relaxation response Repeatability the closeness of the agreement between successive measurements of the same quantity, carried out under the same conditions Reproducibility the closeness of the agreement between measurements of the same quantity, carried out under different conditions Reproduction the third stage of observational learning, in which the learner’s physical and mental capabilities enable them to perform the model’s behaviour Rerouting the formation of new connections between neurons to establish alternative neural pathways Resilience the ability to recover from adversity Resistance stage the second stage of the general adaptation syndrome, in which the stressor persists, and the body’s resources are maximised to cope and adapt over time |
Shock the first phase of the alarm reaction stage of the general adaptation syndrome, in which the body’s ability to deal with the stressor falls below normal Short-term memory (STM) a memory store that has limited capacity of short duration, unless the information is renewed Simulation a type of investigation that uses a model to replicate and study the behaviour of a system Sleep a naturally occurring and reversible altered state of consciousness, characterised by a reduction in awareness and responsiveness to external surroundings Sleep diary a subjective self-report tool used by a person to track their own sleep and wake patterns Sleep hygiene the sleep-related behaviours and environmental conditions that are beneficial for sleep Social factor a factor that relates to the social components of a person’s environment Social intervention an intervention designed to increase social support for people with a mental illness Social risk factor a factor that relates to a person’s social contacts and how culture and the social environment can influence the development of mental disorders Social-cognitive approach when individuals process, remember and learn information in social contexts to explain and predict their behaviours and that of others Social wellbeing relates to the connections you make with other people and your ability to get along with people in a community Somatic nervous system a subdivision of the peripheral nervous system that carries sensory information to the central nervous system and motor information to the body Gallagher et al © Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2022 Photocopying is restricted under law and this material must not be transferred to another party. Scientific report a report outlining why and how some research was conducted, with an analysis of the findings Secondary appraisal when an individual considers the available resources and their own coping strategies, to decide the best way of dealing with a stressor Secondary data data obtained second hand through research conducted by another person for another purpose Self-determination the ability to participate in decisions on matters that affect one’s life Self-efficacy a person’s confidence that they can complete life tasks and meet their goals Semantic relating to meaning Semantic memory the declarative memory of facts or knowledge about the world Sensory memory a memory store that receives and stores an unlimited amount of incoming sensory information for a brief time Sensory neuron a nerve cell that carries sensory signals throughout the nervous system Sensory receptor a sensory nerve ending that produces an afferent or sensory impulse when stimulated Serotonin an inhibitory neurotransmitter that also acts as a neuromodulator, influencing a variety of brain activities Serotonin pathway serotonin’s neuromodulatory system, which originates in the brainstem and extends to almost all areas of the cerebrum including the cerebral cortex Shift work work that regularly takes place outside of normal business hours, particularly at night and the very early morning; can cause a circadian rhythm sleep disorder |
Stressor any event that causes stress or is perceived as a threat and a challenge to our ability Sung narrative a story told through singing, music and sometimes dance Suprachiasmatic nucleus a master body clock in the hypothalamus that regulates body activities to a daily schedule of sleep and wakefulness Sympathetic nervous system a subdivision of the autonomic nervous system that increases our arousal, readying the body for a quick response Synapse the point of communication between two neurons or between a neuron and a target cell such as a muscle or gland Synaptic gap the space between the axon terminal of the presynaptic neuron and the membrane of the post-synaptic neuron Synaptic plasticity specific changes that occur within the synapse, between neurons Synaptic vesicle a membrane-bound sphere filled with neurotransmitter molecules Synaptogenesis the formation of new synapses that result from the process of sprouting Systematic desensitisation a method for treating phobias in which Systematic error an error that causes readings to differ from the true value by a consistent amount each time a measurement is made Table: A way to display data and/or summary statistics clearly Threat: The anticipated harm/loss in the future because of an event Songline one of many sung narratives of the landscape that weave across Country and enable every significant place in Aboriginal Dreaming to Specific environmental trigger an object, situation or circumstance that probably caused a direct, negative traumatic experience associated with extreme fear or discomfort, which then acts as a cue for future phobic fear responses Specific phobia a persistent, intense, irrational fear of a specific object or event Spinal cord a dense bundle of nerves that carries sensory information from the body to the brain and motor information from the brain to the body Spinal reflex an involuntary and unconscious response to a stimulus involving the spinal cord, which occurs without input from the brain Sprouting the growth of axon or dendrite fibres at the synapse Standard deviation a statistic that shows the spread of the data around the mean Stigma the feeling of shame or disgrace associated with a personal characteristic that indicates you belong to a culturally devalued group in society – this can be real or imagined Stimulus an environmental event that triggers a response in an organism Storage retaining information over time Stratified sampling first dividing the population into subgroups, and then randomly selecting participants from each subgroup in the proportion that they appear in the population Stress a state of mental, emotional and physiological tension, resulting from factors that are perceived to challenge or threaten our ability to cope |
Transactional model of stress and coping a model that suggests a stress response is only elicited if an event is perceived to exceed our ability to cope and is based on our appraisal of the situation True value the value, or range of values, that would be found if the quantity could be measured perfectly Ultradian rhythm biological processes that coordinate the timing of body activities over a period of less than 24 hours Uncertainty a lack of exact knowledge of the value being measured Unconditioned response (UCR) a response that occurs automatically/ involuntarily when the unconditioned stimulus is presented Unconditioned stimulus (UCS) a stimulus that consistently produces a naturally occurring, automatic response Unconscious response any response of our nervous system that does not require awareness Visual cortex the primary cortical region of the brain that receives, integrates and processes visual information relayed from the retinas Voluntary participation an ethical guideline ensuring that each participant freely agrees to participate in a study, with no pressure or coercion Ways of knowing methods through which knowledge becomes apparent to us Wellbeing a complex combination of a person’s physical, social, emotional, mental and spiritual health that is linked to happiness and life satisfaction Withdrawal rights an ethical guideline that ensures the participants are free to discontinue their involvement in a study at any point during or after the conclusion of the study, without receiving any penalty Within subjects design an investigation design in which all participants in the sample are involved in both the experimental and control conditions Written culture a culture in which stories and information are shared and preserved through the processes of reading and writing Yarn an Indigenous system of learning that involves continually sharing stories Zeitgeber an environmental cue such as light, temperature and eating patterns that can synchronise the body’s circadian rhythm Vagus nerve a nerve that connects the brain (central nervous system) to organs within the autonomic nervous system, via nerve fibres that directly link organs such as the lungs, heart, oesophagus and intestinal tract Validity whether a measurement measures what it is supposed to measure Video monitoring a sleep study tool used to collect qualitative visual and audio information about a person’s sleep |