Glossary page 4 Flashcards
intrasexual selection
Selection between the sexes – in humans this means
female mate choice
lesioned
damaged; often used of deliberate damage to an animal’s nervous
system for the purposes of science
maintenance
the process whereby people stay addicted and carry on behaving in
an addictive fashion, despite negative consequences
melatonin
a hormone, which has an effect on sleep, produced by the pineal
gland
memoing
in grounded theory, the process of recording thought, opinions and
ideas about the process
menstrual synchrony
the idea that the menstrual cycles of women who live
together become synchronised over time
narcolepsy
a neurological sleep disorder characterised by excessive daytime
sleepiness and sudden ‘sleep attacks’ that may come without warning
neuroadaptation
refers to the changes in brain chemistry that happen after a
drug has been taken, as the brain tries to deal with the immediate effects
of the drug
neurotransmitters
messenger chemicals in the brain that transmit nerve
impulses from one neuron to another
objective
being unbiased, so the facts or data are independent of the
researcher’s own viewpoint
operant conditioning
learning by reinforcement – for example, by getting
rewards or punishments
opportunity sample
a sample where the researcher has chosen people who
happened to be available to take part in the study; it is a non-random
method
optic chiasm
the point where the optic nerves (one from each eye) cross in the
brain
paradigm
a way of thinking about the world, a world view that is generally
agreed on and accepted by most individuals working within a subject area
paradoxical sleep
another term for REM sleep
