Page 647 - Understanding Psychology

critical period a stage or point in development when cer- tain skills or abilities are most easily learned (p. 75)
cross-sectional studies a research method in which data are collected from groups of participants of different ages and compared so that conclusions can be drawn about differences due to age differences (p. 38)
cultural bias an aspect of an intelligence test in which the wording used in questions and the experiences on which they are based may be more familiar to people of one social group than to another group (p. 356)
D
decay fading away of memory over time (p. 285) declarative memory memory of facts or events such as scenes, stories, words, conversations, faces, or daily events
that can be called forth consciously as needed (p. 279) decremental model of aging a theory that holds that progressive physical and mental decline is inevitable with
age (p. 138)
defense mechanisms certain specific means by which the
ego unconsciously protects itself against unpleasant
impulses or circumstances (p. 380)
deindividuation individuals behave irrationally when
there is less chance of being personally identified (p. 570) delusions a false belief, as of persecution or grandeur, that a person maintains in the face of contradictory evi-
dence (p. 466)
democratic/authoritativefamily familyinwhichadoles-
cents participate in decisions affecting their lives (p. 79) democratic leader a person who encourages group mem-
bers to come to decisions through consensus (p. 554) dendrites the branchlike extensions of a neuron that receive impulses from other neurons, muscles, or sense
organs and conduct them toward the cell body (p. 157) denial a defense coping mechanism in which a person refuses to admit that a problem exists (pp. 145, 381, 431) dependent variable in an experiment, the factor that is being measured that may or may not change when the
independent variable is changed (p. 40)
depression a psychological disorder characterized by
extreme sadness, an inability to concentrate, and feelings
of helplessness and dejection (p. 145)
descriptive statistics the listing and summarizing of data
in a practical, efficient way such as through graphs and
averages (p. 48)
developmental friendship the type of friendship in which
the partners force each other to reexamine their basic assumptions and perhaps adopt new ideas and beliefs (p. 438)
developmental psychologist a psychologist who studies the emotional, physical, cognitive, biological, personal, and social changes that occur as an individual matures (p. 26)
developmental psychology the branch of psychology that studies the emotional, physical, cognitive, biological, personal, and social changes that occur throughout an individual’s life cycle (p. 61)
Glossary critical period–DSM-IV
difference threshold the smallest change in a physical stimulus that can be detected between two stimuli (p. 210) diffusion of responsibility when the presence of others lessens an individual’s feelings of responsibility for his or
her actions or failure to act (p. 569)
directed thinking a systematic and logical attempt to reach
a specific goal, such as a solution to a problem (p. 297) disconfirmation one of three principles in cognitive ther- apy where clients may be confronted with evidence that
directly contradicts their existing beliefs (p. 500) discrimination the ability to respond differently to similar but distinct stimuli (p. 244); the unequal treatment of individuals on the basis of their race, ethnic group, age, gender, or membership in another category rather than
on the basis of individual characteristics (p. 588) displacement a defense mechanism that shifts the desires, feelings, or impulses from their proper object to a substi-
tute (p. 383)
dissociative amnesia a dissociative disorder characterized
by the inability to recall important personal events or infor-
mation and usually associated with stressful events (p. 462) dissociative disorder a disorder characterized by a disrup- tion, split, or breakdown in a person’s normally integrated and functioning memory, identity, or consciousness (p. 462) dissociative fugue a dissociative disorder in which a per- son suddenly and unexpectedly travels away from home
or work and is unable to recall the past (p. 462) dissociative identity disorder a dissociative disorder in which a person exhibits two or more personality states, each with its own patterns of thinking, perceiving, behav-
ing, and relating in the world (p. 462)
distress the type of stress that stems from acute anxiety or
pressure and is damaging or negative (p. 414) divergent thinking a way of thinking that consists of a free flow of thoughts with no particular plan and
depends more on images (p. 297)
door-in-the-face technique a method of gaining compli-
ance by first making an outrageous request and then reply-
ing to the refusal with a more reasonable request (p. 594) double approach-avoidance conflict a situation in which the individual must choose between two or more alternatives, each of which has attractive and unattractive
aspects (p. 415)
double-blind experiment an experiment in which neither
the experimenter nor the participants know which par-
ticipants receive which treatment (p. 43)
dream analysis a technique used by psychoanalysts to
interpret the content of patients’ dreams (p. 495)
drive a condition of arousal or tension produced by a need
that motivates an organism toward a goal (p. 315)
drug therapy a form of biological therapy that uses med-
ications (p. 507)
DSM-IV the fifth version of the American Psychiatric
Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (p. 451)
Glossary 633