Page 645 - Understanding Psychology

aversive conditioning a type of counterconditioning that links an unpleasant state with an unwanted behavior in an attempt to eliminate the behavior (p. 504)
aversive control the process of influencing behavior by means of unpleasant stimuli (p. 256)
avoidance-avoidance conflict a type of conflict situation in which the individual must choose between two nega- tive or undesirable alternatives (p. 415)
avoidance conditioning the training of an organism to withdraw from or prevent an unpleasant stimulus before it starts (p. 257)
axon a single, threadlike structure within the neuron that extends from and carries signals away from the cell body to neighboring neurons, organs, or muscles (p. 157)
axon terminals small fibers branching out from the end of an axon (p. 157)
B
basic science the pursuit of knowledge about natural phe- nomena for its own sake (p. 11)
behaviorism the belief that the proper subject matter of psychology is objectively observable behavior and noth- ing else (p. 387)
behaviorist a psychologist who analyzes how organisms learn or modify their behavior based on their response to events in the environment (p. 20)
behavior modification a systematic application of learn- ing principles to change people’s actions and feelings (pp. 263, 499)
behavior therapy a form of therapy that begins with clear, well-defined behavioral goals aimed at changing undesir- able behavior through conditioning techniques (p. 502)
binocular depth cues depth cues that depend upon the movement of both eyes (p. 228)
binocular fusion the process of combining the images received from the two eyes into a single, fused image (p. 216)
biofeedback the process of learning to control bodily states by monitoring the states to be controlled (pp. 194, 434)
bipolar disorder a disorder in which a person’s mood inappropriately alternates between feelings of mania (euphoria) and depression (p. 471)
body language an often unconscious but sometimes con- scious way of communicating by the way a person car- ries his or her body to convey an impression (p. 532)
boomerang effect a change in attitude or behavior oppo- site to the one desired by the persuader (p. 592)
brainwashing the most extreme form of attitude change, accomplished through peer pressure, physical suffering, threats, rewards for compliance, manipulation of guilt, inten- sive indoctrination, and other psychological means (p. 595)
bulimia nervosa a serious eating disorder characterized by compulsive overeating usually followed by self-induced vomitting or abuse of laxatives (p. 115)
Glossary aversive conditioning–cognitive-behavior therapy
bystander effect the tendency of a person to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present (p. 569)
C
cardinal trait a characteristic or feature that is so pervasive the person is almost identified with it (p. 400)
career a chosen pursuit, profession, or occupation in which a person works at least a few years (p. 440)
case study an in-depth research method that involves an intensive investigation of one or more subjects (p. 37) catharsis a psychological process through which anger or
aggressive energy is released by expressing or letting out
powerful negative emotions (p. 566)
central nervous system (CNS) the part of the nervous
system that consists of the brain and spinal cord (p. 156) central route for persuasion a way to deliver a message by focusing on presenting information consisting of
strong arguments and facts (p. 592)
central tendency a number that describes something
about the “average” score of a distribution (p. 51) central trait the trait that best describes a person, such as
shy, loyal, friendly, or generous (p. 400)
cerebral cortex the gray mass surrounding the subcortex,
which is the information-processing center that controls the higher brain functions, such as reading and problem solving (p. 161)
child abuse inadequate care or acts by a caregiver (physical or emotional abuse) that puts a child in danger, causes phys- ical harm or injury, or involves molestation (p. 80)
chunking combining separate items of information into a larger unit, or chunk, and then remembering chunks of information rather than an individual item (p. 277)
circadian rhythm a regular sequence of biological pro- cesses such as temperature and sleep that occurs every 24 hours (p. 186)
classical conditioning a learning procedure in which associations are made between a natural stimulus and a neutral stimulus (p. 241)
client-centered therapy an approach developed by Carl Rogers that reflects the belief that the client and therapist are partners in therapy (p. 496)
climacteric all the psychological and biological changes that occur in a woman between the ages of 45 and 50 (p. 131)
clinical psychologist a psychologist who diagnoses and treats people with emotional disturbances (p. 25)
clique a small, exclusive group of people within a larger group (p. 111)
cognitive having to do with an organism’s thinking and understanding (p. 7)
cognitive appraisal the interpretation of an event that helps determine its stress impact (p. 431)
cognitive-behavior therapy a treatment based on a com- bination of substituting healthy thoughts for negative thoughts and beliefs and changing disruptive behaviors in favor of healthy behaviors (p. 505)
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