Science of Psychology

Spring 2014
Vocabulary for Exam 1
Below is a list of vocabulary words from each of the textbook chapters.
For the most part, it is simply a list of the words that are emboldened
in the text. It would be to your advantage to be familiar enough with
these terms that you would feel comfortable using them in a
conversation about psychology. If you do not know the definition of a
term, write it out in your own words. Writing the definition in your own
words will help you remember it/understand it better than you would if
you just copied the definition out of the text.
Note that although we cover a limited portion of the material from the
sensation chapter in class, you are responsible for the full chapter
There will be questions on the exam from the parts of the chapter that
we did not cover, but they will be less challenging questions than we
will ask about topics we do cover in class. This logic applies to
material from all the chapters, but is particularly relevant to the
sensation chapter.
Good luck studying.
Chapter 1 Research Methods
variable
testable hypothesis
operational definition
dependent variable
independent variable
population
sample
random sampling
case study
external validity
demand characteristics
double-blind design
descriptive statistics
inferential statistics
mean (M)
median
variability
standard deviation (SD)
correlation
correlation coefficient (r)
reliability
validity

effect size
statistical significance
quasi-experiment
correlational studies
third-variable problem
experiment
experimental manipulation
experimental group
control group
random assignment
within-subject comparisons
between-subject comparisons
internal validity
replication
meta-analysis
informed consent
debriefing
empirical claims
Chapter 3 - Neuropsych
neuron
dendrites
cell body
axon
efferent neurons
afferent neurons
interneurons
glia
myelin
action potential
resting potential
excitation threshold
refractory period
depolarize
propagation
all-or-none law
synapse
neurotransmitters
synaptic reuptake
agonists
antagonists
blood-brain barrier
endocrine system
hormone
transcranial magnetic simulation (tms)
electroencephalogram (eeg)

event-related potential (erp)

CT (computerized tomography) scan
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
PET (position emission tomography)
functional MRI (fMRI) scan
central nervous system (CNS)
peripheral nervous system (PNS)
somatic nervous system (SNS)
autonomic nervous system (ANS)
sympathetic branch
parasympathetic branch
brain stem
cerebellum
cerebral cortex
cerebral hemisphere
frontal lobe
parietal lobe
temporal lobe
occipital lobe
hypothalamus
limbic system
amygdala
hippocampus
lateralization
corpus callosum
projection areas
contralateral control
apraxia
visual agnosia
neglect syndrome
aphasia
prefrontal area
executive control
preservation
brain plasticity
Chapter 4 - Sensation
distal stimulus
proximal stimulus
psychophysics
absolute threshold
difference threshold
just noticeable difference (jnd)
Webers law
Fechners law
perceptual sensitivity

decision criteria
signal-detection theory
payoff matrix
transduction
sensory coding
specificity theory
pattern theory
sensory adaptation
kinesthesis
vestibular senses
skin senses
nociceptors
gate control theory
olfactory epithelium
glomeruli
pheromones
papillae
sound waves
amplitutde
frequency
cochlea
eardrum
oval window
auditory ossicles
basilar membrane
hair cells
place theory
timbre
photoreceptor
retinal image
rods
cones
fovea
optic nerve
photopigment
lateral inhibition
trichromatic color vision
opponent-process theory
receptive field
feature detectors
Chapter 5 - Perception
Gestalt psychology
similarity
proximity
good continuation

subjective contours
reversible figure
visual search
feature net
geons (geometric ions)
parvo cells
magno cells
what system
where system
binding problem
perceptual constancy
unconscious inference
depth cues
binocular disparity
monocular depth cues
pictorial cues
interposition
linear perspective
motion parallax
motion detectors
apparent movement
induced motion
correspondence problem
illusory conjunction
priming
Chapter 6 Consciousness
consciousness
introspection
cognitive unconscious
blindsight
mind-body problem
neural correlates of consciousness
global workspace hypothesis
alpha rhythm
beta rhythm
delta rhythm
slow-wave sleep
REM sleep
activation-synthesis hypothesis
hypnosis
depressants
stimulants
hallucinogens
withdrawl
drug tolerance