abnormal psych
a progressive disease that destroys memory and other important mental functions
what is alzheimer's disease?
the part of the brain responsible for voluntary movement, speech, judgement, and self-control
what is the frontal lobe?
when a person's behavior is determined by repressed unconscious conflicts
what is psychoanalytic theory?
the psychological phenomenon by which people tend to believe they are being noticed more than they really are
what is the spotlight effect?
one of two components that make up the nervous system of bilateral animals, consists of the nerves that branch out from the brain and spinal cord
what is the peripheral nervous system (PNS)?
a psychological disorder characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, and/or diminished or inappropriate emotional expression
what is schizophrenia?
the part of the brain responsible for interpreting information from the eyes
what is the occipital lobe?
a pyramid of human needs, beginning at the base with physiological needs that must first be satisfied before higher-level safety needs and then psychological needs become active
what is Maslow's hierarchy of needs?
a psychological phenomenon in which an individual's judgements or decisions are influenced by a reference point (ex. when a customer is told the pre-discount price of a good)
what is the anchoring effect?
a mood disorder in which a person alternates between the hopelessness and lethargy of depression and the overexcited state of mania
what is bipolar disorder?
a rare dissociative disorder in which a person exhibits two or more distinct and alternating personalities
what is dissociative identity disorder (DID)? (formerly called multiple personality disorder)
the “little brain” at the rear of the brainstem; functions include processing sensory input, coordinating movement output and balance, and enabling nonverbal learning and memory
what is the cerebellum?
according to Freud, a boy’s sexual desires toward his mother and feelings of jealousy and hatred for the rival father
what is the oedipus complex?
a cognitive bias that causes us to overestimate how many people agree with our beliefs and attitudes
what is the false consensus effect?
the biological clock; regular bodily rhythms (for example, of temperature and wakefulness) that occur on a 24-hour cycle
what is the circadian rhythm?
a psychological disorder marked by the appearance by age 7 of one or more of three key symptoms: extreme inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity
what is attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)?
two lima-bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion
what is the amygdala?
people explain others' behavior as being caused by internal dispositions or external situations
what is the attribution theory?
a psychological phenomenon by which people tend to develop liking or disliking for things merely because they are familiar with them
what is the mere-exposure effect?
a psychosurgical procedure once used to calm uncontrollably emotional or violent patients. The procedure cut the nerves connecting the frontal lobes to the emotion-controlling centers of the inner brain
what is a lobotomy?
a disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by significant deficiencies in communication and social interaction, and by rigidly fixated interests and repetitive behaviors
what is autism spectrum disorder (ASD)?
the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing
what is the medulla?
the theory that the retina contains three different color receptors—one most sensitive to red, one to green, one to blue—which, when stimulated in combination, can produce the perception of any color
what is the Young-Helmholtz trichromatic (three-color) theory?
a cognitive bias that describes the tendency to accept personality descriptions as if they apply to us even though they are vague
what is the barnum effect (the forer effect or the barnum–forer effect)?
an eating disorder in which a person (usually an adolescent female) maintains a starvation diet despite being significantly (15 percent or more) underweight
what is anorexia nervosa?