Page 644 - Understanding Psychology

Glossary absolute threshold–autonomy
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absolute threshold the weakest amount of a stimulus that a person can detect half the time (p. 209)
abstinence a choice to avoid harmful behaviors including premarital sex and use of drugs and alcohol (p. 99)
accommodation the process by which a person changes his or her old methods or schemas to adjust or deal with new situations (p. 71)
achievement test an instrument used to measure the amount of knowledge a person has learned in a given subject or area (p. 360)
acoustic codes when people try to remember some- thing by saying it out loud or to themselves repeatedly (p. 274)
acquisition the process by which a conditioned response is established or strengthened (p. 244)
ACT American College Testing Proficiency Examination Pro- gram; a standardized test (p. 611)
active listening empathetic listening in which the listener acknowledges, understands, restates, and clarifies the speaker’s thoughts and concerns (p. 497)
actor-observer bias tendency to attribute one’s own behavior to outside causes but attribute the behavior of others to internal causes (p. 531)
addiction a self-destructive pattern of drug abuse charac- terized by an overwhelming and compulsive desire to obtain and use the drug (p. 476)
ageism prejudice or discrimination based on age, espe- cially against the elderly (p. 138)
aggression the initiation of hostile or destructive behavior intended to do physical or psychological harm to others (pp. 119, 565)
agoraphobia extreme fear of being in a public place (p. 457)
algorithm a step-by-step procedure for solving a problem that leads to a solution (p. 299)
altruism unselfishly helping others, often at a cost or risk, for reasons other than rewards (p. 568)
Alzheimer s disease currently an irreversible, incurable condition that destroys a person’s ability to think, remember, relate to others, and care for herself or him- self (p. 143)
amnesia severe loss or deterioration of memory that occurs after damage to the brain (temporary or permanent) fol- lowing drug abuse or severe psychological stress (p. 286)
anal stage the stage at which children associate erotic plea- sure with the elimination process (p. 82)
androgynous combining or blending traditionally male and female characteristics (p. 117)
anger a strong feeling of displeasure, resentment, or hostil- ity, with an irate reaction likely to result from frustration (pp. 145, 422)
anorexia nervosa a serious eating disorder where the fear of gaining weight results in prolonged self-starvation and dramatic weight loss (p. 114)
antianxiety drugs a type of medication that relieves anxi- ety disorders and panic disorders by depressing the activ- ity of the central nervous system (p. 508)
antidepressants a type of medication used to treat major depression by increasing the amount of neurotransmit- ters believed to be involved in the regulation of emotions and moods (p. 508)
antipsychotic drugs a type of medication used to reduce agitation, delusions, and hallucinations; also called tran- quilizers (p. 507)
antisocial personality a personality disorder character- ized by a pattern of irresponsibility, shallow emotions, lack of conscience, and violating the rights of others without feeling guilt or remorse (p. 475)
anxiety an unpleasant psychological state characterized by a vague, generalized apprehension or feeling that one is in danger (pp. 422, 456)
applied science discovering ways to use scientific findings to accomplish practical goals (p. 11)
approach-approach conflict a type of conflict situation in which the individual must choose between two positive but mutually exclusive alternatives (p. 414)
approach-avoidance conflict a type of conflict situation in which the individual wants to do something but fears or dislikes it at the same time (p. 415)
aptitude test an instrument used to predict or estimate the probability that a person will be successful in learning a specific new skill or skills in the future (p. 360)
archetype an inherited idea, image, or concept based on the experiences of one’s ancestors that shapes one’s per- ception of the world (p. 384)
assimilation the process of fitting objects and experiences into one’s schemas to deal with new situations and to understand the environment (p. 71)
asynchrony the condition during adolescence in which the growth or maturation of bodily parts is uneven (p. 96)
attitude a predisposition to act, think, and feel in a par- ticular way toward a class of people, objects, or an idea (p. 577)
attribution theory a collection of principles based on our explanations of the causes of events, other people’s behaviors, and our own behaviors (p. 530)
auditory nerve the nerve that carries impulses from the inner ear to the brain, resulting in the perception of sound (p. 218)
authoritarian family family in which parents attempt to control, shape, and evaluate the behavior and attitudes of children in accordance with a set code of conduct (p. 79)
authoritarian leader a person who makes all the decisions and assigns tasks to group members (p. 554)
autonomic nervous system (ANS) the portion of the peripheral nervous system that controls internal biologi- cal functions such as heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure (p. 158)
autonomy the ability to take care of oneself and make one’s own decisions independently (p. 437)
630 Glossary