Chapter 1: Thinking Critically With Psychological Science
The type of thinking that examines assumptions, appraises the source, discerns hidden biases, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions is called...
critical thinking
Nerve cells that function as the building blocks of the nervous system
neurons
Remember our picture?
Chemical substances that alter the brain, producing changes in perceptions and moods, are called ___ drugs.
psychoactive
The process by which sensory input is organized and interpreted by the brain is called
perception
Motivation is defined by psychologists as
a need or desire that energizes and directs behavior
What is the statistical measure of both the direction and the strength of a relationship between two variables?
a correlation coefficient
The study of the links between biological and behavioral processes is called:
biological psychology
Continued substance use despite significant life disruptions is an indication of:
a substance use disorder
Bottom-up processing involves analysis that begins with the:
1. Hypothalamus
2. Sensory receptors
3. Cerebral cortex
4. Absolute threshold
2. Sensory receptors
In this theory, a physiological need creates an aroused state that motivates us to satisfy that need...
Drive-reduction theory (on the test)
Drive-incentive theory (as we talked about in lecture)
In which type of research would an investigator manipulate at least one factor and observe its effect on some behavior or mental process?
Experimentation
The capacity of a brain area to develop new neural pathways as it adjusts to good and bad experiences is known as:
neuroplasticity
Remember our telephone game?
The need to take larger and larger doses of a drug in order to experience its effects is an indication of
tolerance
Top-down processing constructs perceptions from sensory input based on (two things):
experiences and expectations
Homeostasis, which is the goal of drive reduction, is defined as
the body's tendency to maintain a constant internal state
Correlation is a measure of the extent of which two factors...
vary together
The chemical messengers released into the spatial junctions between neurons are called
neurotransmitters
The discomfort and distress that follow discontinuing an addictive drug or behavior is called
withdrawal
Priming refers to the activation of certain:
1. Blind spots
2. Difference thresholds
3. Nerve cells
4. Associations
Associations
*Remember the La Croix example - trying to draw on sweet things to make the La Croix seem even more bitter?
The arousal theory of motivation would be most useful for understanding the aversive effects of (which one): 1) Homeostasis, 2) Instincts, 3) Hunger, or 4) Boredom
Boredom
Psychology is currently best defined as the science of
behavior and mental processes
The amygdala, hypothalamus, and hippocampus are part of what system? (Begins with an L)
The limbic system
Remember our picture?
A drug that leads people to behave impulsively and to lack normal restraint or self-control is said to act as a(n)
disinhibitor
A mental predisposition that influences what we perceive is called a...
Perceptual set
*Remember the picture of the family inside sitting under a window and other cultures would say that the community is sitting outside under a tree?
Maslow's hierarchy proposes that people's need for ___ must be met before they can become concerned with satisfying their need for ___.
1. love; food
2. safety; achievement
3. self-transcendence; friendship
4. political freedom; economic security
2. safety; achievement