Psychology

Psychology is an introductory elective course for high school students. Throughout the course, students will examine influences on human actions and beliefs, factors influencing behavior and perception, and basic psychological theories. Students will develop and apply their understanding of psychology through lessons and projects that require interaction and observation of others.

Vocabulary

Unit: 1. INTRODUCTION AND METHODS

abnormal

unusual; different from the expected

clinical

concerned with the treatment of disease

cognition

a person's ability to think

control group

group used for comparison that doesn't receive experimental treatment

correlation

relationship between two variables

debrief

revealing and explaining all aspects of an experiment to a participant

descriptive statistics

mathematical summaries of results

discipline

a branch of knowledge

disorder

disturbance in mental health

empathy

identifying with someone's situation or feelings

ethics

rules of conduct; moral principals

experimental group

group that receives the experimental treatment

informed consent

statement from a research participant that says he/she understands what is about to happen and agrees to continue

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

approves experiments conducted by a college

introspection

to look within yourself

mean

sum of all numbers divided by the total number of scores; the average

median

the middle number in a set of ordered numbers

mode

the number that occurs most often in a given set of numbers

perception

a personal view of a situation; ability to understand the senses

perspective

a specific way of thinking or view

population

a whole group of people

psychiatrist

mental health professional who attended medical school

psychologist

mental health professional who has a Ph.D.

psychology

the study of how people think and behave

psychophysics

psychology field that studies physical stimuli and human sensations and mental states

qualitative

research that explores the "why" and "how" of situations

sample

a group of people selected from a population

scientific method

experimental method used to find fact and separate opinions

variable

something that is likely to change

zone of proximal development

the gap between a person's current level of development and the potential development that can be achieved

Unit: 2. BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

apathy

having no feelings toward something

autonomic

the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls how your organs work

autonomy

a sense of independence and choice in actions

competent

having adequate skill or knowledge

cope

knowing how to handle or deal with a situation

drive

inner urge or basic instinct

expect

to look forward to

extrinsic

coming from outside yourself; others influence your actions

impair

hinder, stunt

improvise

to make up something without preparation

intrinsic

coming from within; your basic nature

motive

a goal or reason behind why you act a certain way

neuron

a special cell that has a cell body, axon, and dendrites

physiological

related to a person's heath or normal functioning

receptors

special cells that convert energy into signals for the nervous system

somatic

the part of the peripheral nervous system responsible for your voluntary body movements

stress

physical, mental, or emotional strain

transduction

a physical stimulus is converted into nerve impulses

transmission

the process of sending a message

umami

sometimes called the fifth sense; associated with monosodium glutamate and high protein foods

value

believing something has worth

Unit: 3. DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

attachment

the feelings of emotional connection a child has toward someone else

continuum

spectrum, range, or series

critical period

an important window of time for development

determinism

you are born a certain way and don't have choice

develop

to grow or expand

egocentric

view the world with you at the center of it

enduring

long-lasting

extrovert

a person who is energized by being social and around others

failure to thrive

a situation in which infants don't grow properly and develop as normal

free will

having choice over your actions

growth spurt

growing rapidly at a very quick rate

industry

devotion to completing a task

inferior

feeling inadequate or less than someone else

introvert

a person who is more self-contained and draws strength by being solitary

lifespan

the period of time you live from birth to death

myelin

fatty coating that surrounds neurons

objective

tests that require self-report

object permanence

the ability to know that something still exists, even if you can't see it

personality

a person's unique way of thinking, feeling, and acting

predisposition

tendency, inclination, or susceptibility

projective

tests that require responses to open-ended questions

puberty

the onset of sexual maturation

reliability

getting the same results time after time

schema

an organized way of viewing the world around you

self conscious

overly aware of yourself and how you think people see you

self-report

providing answers about yourself

state

a temporary aspect of your personality

toxins

poisonous substances

trait

an aspect of ourselves that is stable and enduring

validity

the test measures what it should

withdrawal

the process the body goes through when quitting drugs

Unit: 4. COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY

acquire

to gain or obtain for yourself

analogical representation

mental pictures that have a direct relationship to the actual object you are thinking about.

anterograde amnesia

inability to store long-term memories