Glossary

	Psychology: Concepts and Applications 3e Halonen
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Glossary

Glossary: A

ABC model of attitudes
	The model suggesting that an attitude has three components: affect, behavior, and cognition (Ch. 18)

absolute threshold
	The smallest intensity of a stimulus that must be present for it to be detected (Ch. 4)

achievement test
	A test meant to ascertain a person’s level of knowledge in a given subject area (Ch. 9)

acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)
	A fatal, sexually transmitted disease caused by a virus that destroys the body’s immune system (Ch. 11)

action potential
	An electric nerve impulse that travels through a neuron when it is set off by a “trigger,” changing the cell’s charge from negative to positive (Ch. 3)

activation-synthesis theory
	Hobson’s theory that the brain produces random electrical energy during REM sleep that stimulates memories lodged in various portions of the brain (Ch. 5)

activity theory of aging
	A theory that suggests that the elderly who are most successful are those who maintain the interests and activities they had during middle age (Ch. 13)
adaptation
	An adjustment in sensory capacity following prolonged exposure to stimuli (Ch. 4)

addictive drugs
	Drugs that produce a biological or psychological dependencein the user, and withdrawal from them leads to a craving for the drug that, in some cases, may be nearly irresistible (Ch. 5)

adolescence
	The developmental stage between childhood and adulthood (Ch. 13)

age of viability
	The point at which the fetus can survive if born prematurely (Ch. 12)

aggression
	Intentional injury or harm to another person (Ch. 18)

algorithm
	A rule which, if followed, guarantees a solution to a problem (Ch. 8)

all-or-none law
	The rule that neurons are either on or off (Ch. 3)

altruism
	Helping behavior that is beneficial to others but clearly requires self-sacrifice (Ch. 18)

anal stage
	According to Freud, a stage from 12–18 months to 3 years of age, in which a child’s pleasure is centered on the anus (Ch. 14)

androgens
	Male sex hormones secreted by the testes (Ch. 11)

androgynous
	Characterized by gender roles that encompass traits thought typical of both sexes (Ch. 11)

anorexia nervosa
	A severe eating disorder in which people may refuse to eat, while denying that their behavior and appearance—which can become skeleton like—are unusual (Ch. 10)

anorgasmia (an or GAZ mee uh)
	A female’s lack of orgasm (Ch. 11)

antianxiety drugs
	Drugs that reduce the level of anxiety a person experiences, essentially by reducing excitability and in part by increasing drowsiness (Ch. 17)
antidepressant drugs
	Medication that improves a depressed patient’s mood and feeling of well-being (Ch. 17)

antipsychotic drugs
	Drugs that temporarily alleviate psychotic symptoms such as agitation and overactivity (Ch. 17)

antisocial or sociopathic personality disorder
	A disorder in which individuals tend to display no regard for the moral and ethical rules of society or the rights of others (Ch. 16)

anxiety disorder
	The occurrence of anxiety without obvious external cause, intruding on daily functioning (Ch. 16)

aptitude test
	A test designed to predict a person’s ability in a particular area or line of work (Ch. 9)

archival research
	Research in which existing records, such as census data, birth certificates, or newspaper clippings, are examined to confirm a hypothesis (Ch. 2)

arousal approaches to motivation
	The belief that we try to maintain a certain level of stimulation and activity, increasing or reducing them as necessary (Ch. 10)

arrangement problems
	Problems whose solution requires the rearrangement of a group of elements in order to satisfy a certain criterion (Ch. 8)

association areas
	One of the major areas of the brain, the site of the higher mental processes such as thought, language, memory, and speech (Ch. 3)

associative models
	A technique of recalling information by thinking about related information (Ch. 7)

assumed-similarity bias
	The tendency to think of people as being similar to oneself, even when meeting them for the first time (Ch. 18)

attachment
	The positive emotional bond that develops between a child and a particular individual (Ch. 12)

attitudes
	Learned predispositions to respond in a favorable or unfavorable manner to a particular person, behavior, belief, or thing (Ch. 18)

attribution theory
	The theory of personality that seeks to explain how we decide, on the basis of samples of an individual’s behavior, what the specific causes of that person’s behavior are (Ch. 18)
authoritarian parents
	Parents who are rigid and punitive and value unquestioning obedience from their children (Ch. 12)

authoritative parents
	Parents who are firm, set clear limits, reason with their children, and explain things to them (Ch. 12)

autobiographical memories
	Our recollections of circumstances and episodes from our own lives (Ch. 7)

autonomic division
	The part of the nervous system that controls involuntary movement (the actions of the heart, glands, lungs, and other organs) (Ch. 3)

autonomy-versus-shame-and-doubt stage
	The period during which, according to Erikson, toddlers (ages 18 months to 3 years) develop independence and autonomy if exploration and freedom are encouraged, or shame and self-doubt if they are restricted and overprotected (Ch. 12)

axon
	The part of the neuron that carries messages destined for other cells (Ch. 3)

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