Scientific Foundations of Psyhology
the scientific study of behavior and mental processes
Psychology
"morphine within"--natural, opiate-like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure.
Endorphins
diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation.
Sensory Adaptation
the process of acquiring through experience new and relatively enduring information or behaviors.
Learning
the persistence of learning over time through the encoding, storage, and retrieval of information.
Memory
the idea that knowledge comes from experience, and that observation and experimentation enable scientific knowledge
Empiricism
the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system (CNS) to the rest of the body.
Peripheral Nervous System
processing many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain's natural mode of information processing for many functions.
Parallel Processing
in classical conditioning, a learned response to a previously neutral stimulus
Conditioned Response
encoding on a basic level, based on the structure or appearance of words.
Shallow Processing
thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions.
Critical Thinking
neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs
Interneurons
the organization of the visual field into objects (the figures) that stand out from their surroundings (the ground).
figure-ground
the reappearance, after a pause, of an extinguished conditioned response.
Spontaneous Recovery
the activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one's perception, memory, or response.
Priming
the scientific study of the measurement of human abilities, attitudes, and traits
Psychometrics
chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissues
Hormones
a device for converting sounds into electrical signals and stimulating the auditory nerve through electrodes threaded into the cochlea.
Cochlear Implant
Any stimulus that, when removed after a response, strengthens the response.
Negative Reinforcement
the extent to which a test or experiment measures or predicts what it is supposed to. (See also content validity and predictive validity.)
Validity
the application of psychological concepts and methods to optimizing human behavior in workplaces
Industrial-Organizational (I/O) Psychology
bizarre experiences, such as jerking or a feeling of falling or floating weightlessly, while transitioning to sleep
Hypnagogic Sensations
a neurological condition in which information meant to stimulate one of your senses stimulates several of your senses.
Synesthesia
in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses.
Variable-ratio schedule
a method for assessing an individual's mental aptitudes and comparing them with those of others, using numerical scores.
Intelligence Test