Glossary page 1

Question 1

absent qualia

Answer 1

without qualia – lacking the intrinsic qualities that we associate with personal experience.

Question 2

adaptive

Answer 2

a characteristic or behaviour of an animal is adaptive if it means that
the animal is more likely to survive in its environment

Question 3

alpha bias

Answer 3

the tendency to exaggerate differences between males and females

Question 4

androcentric

Answer 4

centred on men – often with the result that women are ignored

Question 5

attribution

Answer 5

a judgement that an individual makes to explain behaviour (either of
their own or of other people); these attributions may be internal or
external

Question 6

beta bias

Answer 6

the tendency to minimise the differences between men and women

Question 7

cataplexy

Answer 7

a condition where a person suddenly feels weak and may collapse;
often associated with narcolepsy

Question 8

catatonic schizophrenia

Answer 8

a form of schizophrenia where motor abnormalities are

a key characteristic

Question 9

CBT or cognitive behavioural therapy

Answer 9

a form of psychological therapy where

faulty cognitions, beliefs and thought processes are challenged

Question 10

circadian trough

Answer 10

a time of day, usually in the early morning, where bodily

functions are at their lowest

Question 11

classical conditioning

Answer 11

the process of learning by association

Question 12

collectivist cultures

Answer 12

cultures where the emphasis is on the group and mutual

dependence; collectivism is often seen in Asian cultures

Question 13

compliance

Answer 13

sticking to a drug regime by taking medication on time and

correctly

Question 14

concordance rate 1

Answer 14

the likelihood of both twins of a pair being affected by the

same disorder or behaving in the same way

Question 15

concordance rate 2

Answer 15

the probability of seeing the presence of a trait in one

individual, given that another already has the trait

Question 16

concurrent validity

Answer 16

a test or measure has concurrent validity if scores on it
correlate significantly with scores on an already established test measuring
the same thing

Question 17

confounded

Answer 17

distorted – a confounding variable is one that interferes with the
effects of the independent variable on the dependent variable and can
distort or interfere with the results in some wa

Question 18

content validity

Answer 18

a measure has content validity if a detailed analysis of the
constituent parts shows it to be measuring the constructs that it set out to
measure

Question 19

cuckoldry

Answer 19

when males of a species use their own resources to bring up children
who are another male’s and not their own

Question 20

deduction

Answer 20

a scientific process that uses rules to come to conclusions about
specific instances from theories

Question 21

delusion

Answer 21

persistent distorted belief