S's in Glossary Flashcards

1
Q

savant syndrome

A

a condition in which a person otherwise limited in mental ability has an exceptional specific skill

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2
Q

scapegoat theory

A

the theory that prejudice offers an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame

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3
Q

scatterplot

A

a graphed cluster of dots

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4
Q

schema

A

a concept or framework that organizes and interprets info

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5
Q

schizophrenia

A

a psychological disorder characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, and/or diminished, inappropriate emotional expression

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6
Q

secondary sex characteristics

A

non-reproductive sexual characteristics

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7
Q

selective attention

A

the focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus

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8
Q

self

A

assumed to be the center of personality, the organizer of our thoughts, feelings, and actions

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9
Q

self-actualization

A

one of the ultimate psychological needs that arises after basic physical and psychological needs are met and self-esteem is achieved; the motivation to fulfill one’s own potential

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10
Q

self-concept

A

all our thoughts and feelings about ourselves

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11
Q

self-control

A

the ability to control impulses and delay short-term gratification for greater long-term rewards

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12
Q

self-disclosure

A

revealing intimate aspects of oneself to others

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13
Q

self-esteem

A

one’s feelings of high or low self-worth

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14
Q

self-serving bias

A

a readiness to perceive oneself favorably

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15
Q

sensation

A

the process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment

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16
Q

sensorimotor stage

A

the stage (from birth to about 2 years old) during which infants mostly know the world in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activities; Piaget

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17
Q

sensorineural hearing loss

A

hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea’s receptor cells or to the auditory nerves

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18
Q

sensory adaptation

A

diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation

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19
Q

sensory cortex

A

area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations

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20
Q

sensory interaction

A

the principle that one sense may influence another

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21
Q

sensory memory

A

the immediate, very brief recording of sensory info into the memory system

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22
Q

sensory neurons

A

neurons that carry incoming info from the sensory receptors to the brain and the spinal cord

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23
Q

serial position effect

A

our tendency to recall best the last and first items on a list

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24
Q

set point

A

the point at which an individual’s “weight thermostat” is supposedly set.

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25
Q

sexual dysfunction

A

a problem that consistently impairs sexual arousal or functioning

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26
Q

sexual orientation

A

an enduring sexual attraction toward either members of one’s own sex or the other sex

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27
Q

sexual response cycle

A

the 4 stages of sexual responding described by Masters and Johnson – excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution

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28
Q

shallow processing

A

encoding on a basic level based on structure or appearance of words

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29
Q

shaping

A

an operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior

30
Q

short-term memory

A

activated memory that holds a few items briefly before info is stored or forgetten

31
Q

signal detection theory

A

a theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of faint stimulus amid background stimulation

32
Q

sleep

A

periodic, natural, reversible loss of consciousness

33
Q

sleep apnea

A

a sleep disorder characterized by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and repeated momentary awakenings

34
Q

social clock

A

the culturally preferred timing of social events such as marriage, parenthood, and retirement

35
Q

social exchange theory

A

the theory that our social behavior is an exchange process, the aim of which is to maximize benefits and minimize costs

36
Q

social facilitation

A

stronger responses on simple or well-learned tasks in the presence of others

37
Q

social identity

A

the “we” aspect of our self-concept

38
Q

social leadership

A

group-orientated leadership that builds teamwork, mediates conflict, and offers support

39
Q

social learning theory

A

the theory that we learn social behaviors by observing and imitating and by being rewarded or punished

40
Q

social loafing

A

the tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal than when individually accountable

41
Q

social psychology

A

the scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another

42
Q

social script

A

culturally modeled guide for how to act in various situations

43
Q

social trap

A

a situation in which the conflicting parties become caught in mutually destructive behavior

44
Q

social-cognitive perspective

A

views behavior as influenced by the interaction between people’s traits and their social context

45
Q

social-responsibility norm

A

an expectation that people will help those dependent upon them

46
Q

somatic nervous system

A

the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body’s skeletal muscles

47
Q

source amnesia

A

attributing to the wrong source an event we have experienced, heard about, read about, or imagined. (source amnesia and misinformation effect are the heart of false memories)

48
Q

spacing effect

A

the tendency for distributed study or practice to yield better long-term retention than is achieved through massed study or practice

49
Q

split brain

A

a condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain’s two hemispheres by cutting the fibers connecting them

50
Q

spontaneous recovery

A

the reappearance of an extinguished conditioned response

51
Q

spotlight effect

A

overestimating other’s noticing and evaluating our appearance, performance, and blunders

52
Q

SQ3R

A

a study method incorporating 5 steps: survey, question, read, retrieve, review

53
Q

standard deviation

A

a computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean score

54
Q

standardization

A

defining meaningful scores by comparison with the performance of a pretested group

55
Q

Standford-Binet

A

the widely used American revision of Binet’s original intelligence test

56
Q

statistical signifance

A

a statistical statement of how likely it is that an obtained result occurred by chance

57
Q

stereotype

A

a generalized belief about a group of people

58
Q

stereotype threat

A

a self-confirming concern that one will be evaluated based on a negative stereotype

59
Q

stimulants

A

drugs that excite neural activity and speed up bodily functions (caffeine, nicotine, cocaine, ectasy, and meth)

60
Q

stimulus

A

any event or situation that evokes a response

61
Q

storage

A

the retention of encoded info over time

62
Q

stranger anxiety

A

the fear of strangers tat infants commonly display, beginning around 8 months old

63
Q

structured interviews

A

interview process that asks the same job-relevant questions of all applicants, each of whom is rated on established scales

64
Q

subjective well-being

A

self-perceived happiness or satisfaction with life

65
Q

subliminal

A

below one’s absolute threshold for conscious awareness

66
Q

substance use disorder

A

continued substance craving and use despite significant life disruption and/or physical risk

67
Q

superego

A

the part of the personality that represents internalized ideals and provides standards for judgment and for future aspirations

68
Q

subordinate goals

A

shared goals that override differences among people and require their cooperation

69
Q

survey

A

a technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a particular group

70
Q

sympathetic nervous system

A

the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations

71
Q

synapse

A

the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron

72
Q

systematic desensitization

A

a type of therapy that associates a pleasant relaxed state with gradually increasing anxiety-triggering stimuli