Test Bank For Myers Psychology for AP 1st Edition By David G
Myers 9781429244367 ALL Chapters .
empiricism - ANSWER: the view that (a) knowledge comes from experience via the senses, and (b)
science flourishes through observation and experiment.
structuralism - ANSWER: an early school of psychology that used introspection to explore the
elemental structure of the human mind
functionalism - ANSWER: a school of psychology that focused on how mental and behavioral
processes function - how they enable the organism to adapt, survive, and flourish.
nature-nurture issue - ANSWER: the longstanding controversy over the relative contributions that
genes and experience make to the development of psychological traits and behaviors
basic research - ANSWER: pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base
applied research - ANSWER: scientific study that aims to solve practical problems
clinical psychology - ANSWER: a branch of psychology that studies, assesses, and treats people with
psychological disorders.
psychiatry - ANSWER: a branch of medicine dealing with psychological disorders; practiced by
physicians who sometimes provide medical (for example, drug) treatments as well as psychological
therapy
hindsight bias - ANSWER: the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have
foreseen it. (Also known as the I-knew-it-all-along phenomenon)
psychology - ANSWER: the science of behavior and mental processes
critical thinking - ANSWER: thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it
examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions.
theory - ANSWER: an explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes and predicts
observations
hypothesis - ANSWER: a testable prediction, often implied by a theory
operational definition - ANSWER: a statement of the procedures (operations) used to define research
variables. For example, human intelligence may be operationally defined as what an intelligence test
measures
replication - ANSWER: repeating the essence of a research study, usually with different participants in
different situations, to see whether the basic finding extends to other participants and circumstances
case study - ANSWER: an observation technique in which one person is studied in depth in the hope
of revealing universal principles
survey - ANSWER: a technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of people,
usually by questioning a representative, random sample of them
population - ANSWER: all the cases in a group, from which samples may be drawn for a study
,random sample - ANSWER: a sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an
equal chance of inclusion
naturalistic observation - ANSWER: Observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations
without trying to manipulate and control the situation.
correlation coefficient - ANSWER: A statistical measure of the extent to which two factors vary
together, and thus of how well either factor predicts the other
illusory correlation - ANSWER: the perception of a relationship where none exists
experiment - ANSWER: a research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factors
(independent variables) to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process (the dependent
variable). By random assignment of participants, the experimenter aims to control other relevant
factors.
placebo - ANSWER: an inert substance or condition that may be administered instead of a presumed
active agent, such as a drug, to see if it triggers the effects believed to characterize the active agent
double-blind procedure - ANSWER: an experimental procedure in which both the research
participants and the research staff are ignorant (blind) about whether the research participants have
received the treatment or a placebo. Commonly used in drug evaluation studies.
placebo effect - ANSWER: Any effect on behavior caused by a placebo
experimental condition - ANSWER: the condition of an experiment that exposes participants to the
treatment, that is, to one version of the independent variable
control condition - ANSWER: the condition of an experiment that contrasts with the experimental
condition and serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment
random assignment - ANSWER: Assigning participants to experimental and control conditions by
chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between those assigned to the different groups.
independent variable - ANSWER: The experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose
effect is being studied.
dependent variable - ANSWER: The experimental factor - in psychology, the behavior or mental
process - that is being measured; the variable that may change in response to manipulations of the
independent variable
culture - ANSWER: the enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, and traditions shared by a large group of
people and transmitted from one generation to the next
SQ3R - ANSWER: a study method incorporating five steps: Survey, Question, Read, Rehearse, Review.
biological psychology - ANSWER: a branch of psychology concerned with the links between biology
and behavior
neuron - ANSWER: a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system
dendrite - ANSWER: the bushy, branching extensions of a neuron that receive messages and conduct
impulses toward the cell body
axon - ANSWER: the extension of a neuron, ending in branching terminal fibers, through which
messages pass to other neurons or to muscles or glands
,action potential - ANSWER: a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon. the
action potential is generated by the movement of positively charged atoms in and out of channels in
the axon's membrane
myelin sheath - ANSWER: a layer of fatty tissue segmentally encasing the fibers of many neurons;
enables vastly greater transmission speed of neural impulses as the impulse hops from one node to
the next
threshold - ANSWER: the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse
synapse - ANSWER: the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell
body of the receiving neuron. The tiny gap at this junction is called the synaptic gap or cleft.
neurotransmitters - ANSWER: chemical messengers that traverse the synaptic gaps between neurons.
When released by the sending neuron, neurotransmitters travel across the synapse and bind to
receptor sites on the receiving neuron, thereby influencing whether that neuron will generate a
neural impulse.
endorphins - ANSWER: "morphine within"--natural, opiatelike neurotransmitters linked to pain
control and to pleasure.
nervous system - ANSWER: the body's speedy, electrochemical communication system, consisting of
all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems
central nervous system - ANSWER: The brain and spinal cord
peripheral nervous system - ANSWER: the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central
nervous system to the rest of the body
nerves - ANSWER: neural "cables" containing many axons. These bundled axons, which are part of the
peripheral nervous system, connect the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense
organs
sensory neurons - ANSWER: neurons that carry incoming information from the sense receptors to the
central nervous system.
interneurons - ANSWER: Central nervous system neurons that internally communicate and intervene
between the sensory inputs and motor outputs
motor neurons - ANSWER: neurons that carry outgoing information from the central nervous system
to the muscles and glands
somatic nervous system - ANSWER: the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the
body's skeletal muscles. Also called the skeletal nervous system
autonomic nervous system - ANSWER: The part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the
glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart). Its sympathetic division arouses; its
parasympathetic division calms.
sympathetic nervous system - ANSWER: the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses
the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations
parasympathetic nervous system - ANSWER: the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms
the body, conserving its energy
reflex - ANSWER: a simple, automatic, inborn response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk
response
, brainstem - ANSWER: The oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord
swells as it enters the skull; the brainstem is responsible for automatic survival functions
medulla - ANSWER: the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing
reticular formation - ANSWER: a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in
controlling arousal
thalamus - ANSWER: the brain's sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstem; it directs
messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and
medulla
lesion - ANSWER: tissue destruction. A brain lesion is a naturally or experimentally caused destruction
of brain tissue
electroencephalogram (EEG) - ANSWER: an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that
sweep across the brain's surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp.
PET (positron emission tomography) scan - ANSWER: a visual display of brain activity that detects
where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task.
cerebellum - ANSWER: the "little brain" attached to the rear of the brainstem; it helps coordinate
voluntary movement and balance
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) - ANSWER: a technique that uses magnetic fileds and radio waves
to produce computer generated images that distinguish among different types of soft tissue; allows us
to see structures within the brain
limbic system - ANSWER: a doughnut-shaped system of neural structures at the border of the
brainstem and cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions such as fear and aggression and
drives such as those for food and sex. Includes the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus.
amygdala - ANSWER: two almond-shaped neural clusters that are components of the limbic system
and are linked to emotion
hypothalamus - ANSWER: a neural structure lying below (hypo) the thalamus; it directs several
maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature), helps govern the endocrine system via
the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion.
cerebral cortex - ANSWER: the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells that covers the cerebral
hemispheres; the body's ultimate control and information-processing center
frontal lobes - ANSWER: the portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in
speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgements
parietal lobes - ANSWER: The portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward
the rear; includes the sensory cortex
occipital lobes - ANSWER: the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes the
visual areas, which receive visual information from the opposite visual field
temporal lobes - ANSWER: the portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes
the auditory areas, each of which receives auditory information primarily from the opposite ear
motor cortex - ANSWER: An area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements.
Myers 9781429244367 ALL Chapters .
empiricism - ANSWER: the view that (a) knowledge comes from experience via the senses, and (b)
science flourishes through observation and experiment.
structuralism - ANSWER: an early school of psychology that used introspection to explore the
elemental structure of the human mind
functionalism - ANSWER: a school of psychology that focused on how mental and behavioral
processes function - how they enable the organism to adapt, survive, and flourish.
nature-nurture issue - ANSWER: the longstanding controversy over the relative contributions that
genes and experience make to the development of psychological traits and behaviors
basic research - ANSWER: pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base
applied research - ANSWER: scientific study that aims to solve practical problems
clinical psychology - ANSWER: a branch of psychology that studies, assesses, and treats people with
psychological disorders.
psychiatry - ANSWER: a branch of medicine dealing with psychological disorders; practiced by
physicians who sometimes provide medical (for example, drug) treatments as well as psychological
therapy
hindsight bias - ANSWER: the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have
foreseen it. (Also known as the I-knew-it-all-along phenomenon)
psychology - ANSWER: the science of behavior and mental processes
critical thinking - ANSWER: thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it
examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions.
theory - ANSWER: an explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes and predicts
observations
hypothesis - ANSWER: a testable prediction, often implied by a theory
operational definition - ANSWER: a statement of the procedures (operations) used to define research
variables. For example, human intelligence may be operationally defined as what an intelligence test
measures
replication - ANSWER: repeating the essence of a research study, usually with different participants in
different situations, to see whether the basic finding extends to other participants and circumstances
case study - ANSWER: an observation technique in which one person is studied in depth in the hope
of revealing universal principles
survey - ANSWER: a technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of people,
usually by questioning a representative, random sample of them
population - ANSWER: all the cases in a group, from which samples may be drawn for a study
,random sample - ANSWER: a sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an
equal chance of inclusion
naturalistic observation - ANSWER: Observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations
without trying to manipulate and control the situation.
correlation coefficient - ANSWER: A statistical measure of the extent to which two factors vary
together, and thus of how well either factor predicts the other
illusory correlation - ANSWER: the perception of a relationship where none exists
experiment - ANSWER: a research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factors
(independent variables) to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process (the dependent
variable). By random assignment of participants, the experimenter aims to control other relevant
factors.
placebo - ANSWER: an inert substance or condition that may be administered instead of a presumed
active agent, such as a drug, to see if it triggers the effects believed to characterize the active agent
double-blind procedure - ANSWER: an experimental procedure in which both the research
participants and the research staff are ignorant (blind) about whether the research participants have
received the treatment or a placebo. Commonly used in drug evaluation studies.
placebo effect - ANSWER: Any effect on behavior caused by a placebo
experimental condition - ANSWER: the condition of an experiment that exposes participants to the
treatment, that is, to one version of the independent variable
control condition - ANSWER: the condition of an experiment that contrasts with the experimental
condition and serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment
random assignment - ANSWER: Assigning participants to experimental and control conditions by
chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between those assigned to the different groups.
independent variable - ANSWER: The experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose
effect is being studied.
dependent variable - ANSWER: The experimental factor - in psychology, the behavior or mental
process - that is being measured; the variable that may change in response to manipulations of the
independent variable
culture - ANSWER: the enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, and traditions shared by a large group of
people and transmitted from one generation to the next
SQ3R - ANSWER: a study method incorporating five steps: Survey, Question, Read, Rehearse, Review.
biological psychology - ANSWER: a branch of psychology concerned with the links between biology
and behavior
neuron - ANSWER: a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system
dendrite - ANSWER: the bushy, branching extensions of a neuron that receive messages and conduct
impulses toward the cell body
axon - ANSWER: the extension of a neuron, ending in branching terminal fibers, through which
messages pass to other neurons or to muscles or glands
,action potential - ANSWER: a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon. the
action potential is generated by the movement of positively charged atoms in and out of channels in
the axon's membrane
myelin sheath - ANSWER: a layer of fatty tissue segmentally encasing the fibers of many neurons;
enables vastly greater transmission speed of neural impulses as the impulse hops from one node to
the next
threshold - ANSWER: the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse
synapse - ANSWER: the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell
body of the receiving neuron. The tiny gap at this junction is called the synaptic gap or cleft.
neurotransmitters - ANSWER: chemical messengers that traverse the synaptic gaps between neurons.
When released by the sending neuron, neurotransmitters travel across the synapse and bind to
receptor sites on the receiving neuron, thereby influencing whether that neuron will generate a
neural impulse.
endorphins - ANSWER: "morphine within"--natural, opiatelike neurotransmitters linked to pain
control and to pleasure.
nervous system - ANSWER: the body's speedy, electrochemical communication system, consisting of
all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems
central nervous system - ANSWER: The brain and spinal cord
peripheral nervous system - ANSWER: the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central
nervous system to the rest of the body
nerves - ANSWER: neural "cables" containing many axons. These bundled axons, which are part of the
peripheral nervous system, connect the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense
organs
sensory neurons - ANSWER: neurons that carry incoming information from the sense receptors to the
central nervous system.
interneurons - ANSWER: Central nervous system neurons that internally communicate and intervene
between the sensory inputs and motor outputs
motor neurons - ANSWER: neurons that carry outgoing information from the central nervous system
to the muscles and glands
somatic nervous system - ANSWER: the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the
body's skeletal muscles. Also called the skeletal nervous system
autonomic nervous system - ANSWER: The part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the
glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart). Its sympathetic division arouses; its
parasympathetic division calms.
sympathetic nervous system - ANSWER: the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses
the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations
parasympathetic nervous system - ANSWER: the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms
the body, conserving its energy
reflex - ANSWER: a simple, automatic, inborn response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk
response
, brainstem - ANSWER: The oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord
swells as it enters the skull; the brainstem is responsible for automatic survival functions
medulla - ANSWER: the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing
reticular formation - ANSWER: a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in
controlling arousal
thalamus - ANSWER: the brain's sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstem; it directs
messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and
medulla
lesion - ANSWER: tissue destruction. A brain lesion is a naturally or experimentally caused destruction
of brain tissue
electroencephalogram (EEG) - ANSWER: an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that
sweep across the brain's surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp.
PET (positron emission tomography) scan - ANSWER: a visual display of brain activity that detects
where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task.
cerebellum - ANSWER: the "little brain" attached to the rear of the brainstem; it helps coordinate
voluntary movement and balance
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) - ANSWER: a technique that uses magnetic fileds and radio waves
to produce computer generated images that distinguish among different types of soft tissue; allows us
to see structures within the brain
limbic system - ANSWER: a doughnut-shaped system of neural structures at the border of the
brainstem and cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions such as fear and aggression and
drives such as those for food and sex. Includes the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus.
amygdala - ANSWER: two almond-shaped neural clusters that are components of the limbic system
and are linked to emotion
hypothalamus - ANSWER: a neural structure lying below (hypo) the thalamus; it directs several
maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature), helps govern the endocrine system via
the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion.
cerebral cortex - ANSWER: the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells that covers the cerebral
hemispheres; the body's ultimate control and information-processing center
frontal lobes - ANSWER: the portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in
speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgements
parietal lobes - ANSWER: The portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward
the rear; includes the sensory cortex
occipital lobes - ANSWER: the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes the
visual areas, which receive visual information from the opposite visual field
temporal lobes - ANSWER: the portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes
the auditory areas, each of which receives auditory information primarily from the opposite ear
motor cortex - ANSWER: An area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements.
