Psychology: Perception and Social Behavior

The weakest amount of a stimulus needed for detection 50% of the time.

The tendency to pay less attention to a stimulus that is frequently repeated.

The process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, giving it meaning.

A psychological state where people feel helpless to control their environment.

A social psychology concept that refers to the tendency for individuals to underestimate the influence of situational factors on other people's behavior.

The ability to differentiate between similar stimuli and respond differently to each, while generalizing to similar stimuli.

Long-term memory (LTM) stores information for an extended period. Retrieval from LTM depends on factors like retrieval cues and the strength of the memory trace.

Observational learning occurs when an individual acquires knowledge by watching and imitating the actions of others.

Shaping involves gradually reinforcing closer approximations of a desired behavior until the complete behavior is achieved.

Proactive interference occurs when previously learned information hinders the retrieval of newly learned information, while retroactive interference occurs when newly learned information interferes with the retrieval of previously learned information.

A theory that states that behavior, personal factors, and the environment all interact and influence each other.

The three stages of the body's response to stress: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion.

The theory that focuses on the idea that people's beliefs and values are the main factors in shaping personality.

Freud's theory that the mind has three parts: id, ego, and superego, which are constantly in conflict.

The theory that explains how people learn through observation, imitation, and reinforcement.

A type of psychological stress where individuals tend to be competitive, ambitious, and time-conscious, often exhibiting hostility and impatience.

A psychological theory that describes how our existing knowledge influences how we process new information, involving either assimilation (fitting new information into existing schemas) or accommodation (adjusting schemas to accommodate new information).

A theory proposed by Jean Piaget that describes the stages of cognitive development in children, starting from the sensorimotor stage (infancy) and progressing to the formal operational stage (adolescence), with each stage characterized by specific cognitive abilities.

The principle that describes the relationship between arousal levels and performance, suggesting that optimal performance is achieved at a moderate level of arousal, with performance declining at both very low and very high arousal levels.

The ability to understand that objects continue to exist even when they are not visible, a key developmental milestone in infancy.

The all-or-none rule states that a neuron either fires completely or not at all. There's no in-between; it's like a light switch, either on or off.

The synapse is the tiny gap between neurons where communication happens. It's like a bridge where chemicals called neurotransmitters cross over to send signals.

The sympathetic nervous system prepares the body for 'fight or flight' responses, like when you're scared or stressed. It's your body's 'go!' signal.

Transduction is the process of converting sensory stimuli into neural signals that the brain can understand. It's like translating languages so the brain can 'read' the message.

Neural plasticity refers to the brain's ability to change and adapt over time. It's like the brain's 'remodeling' project, getting better at certain things.