racism Prejudice directed toward members of certain racial groups. 17
random sampling A technique in which every member of the population has an equal chance of being included. 2
range The difference between the highest and lowest scores of a set of scores. 2
rape myth The idea that women mean “yes” when they say “no,” and in fact secretly wish to be raped. 18
rapid eye movement (REM) sleep A stage of sleep when a person experiences rapid eye movement. Vivid dreaming appears to take place primarily during episodes of REM sleep. 5
rational-emotive therapy (RET) Albert Ellis’s cognitive-behavior treatment. It seeks to replace irrational, problem-provoking outlooks with more realistic ones. 16
rationalization According to Freud, a defense mechanism whereby one attempts to explain failure or shortcomings in nonthreatening ways. 13
reaction formation According to Freud, a defense mechanism that involves the replacement of an anxiety-producing impulse or feeling with its direct opposite. 13
reaction range The range of social and developmental possibilities that depend on the person’s experiences. 10
reality principle According to Freud, the operating principle of the ego based on the need for gratification of instinctual drives to be curbed by the realistic demands of the environment. Gratification is thereby modified or delayed to ensure the safety of the individ-ual. 13
recall The retrieval of specific pieces of information from long-term memory, usually guided by cues. 7
receptor cells Cells embedded in the sense organs that are sensitive to various types of stimulation from the environment. 3
recognition Realizing that a particular stimulus was encountered previously and matches something stored in long-term memory. 7
recuperative theory The theory that sleep is a time for the body to repair and recover from the day’s activities. 5
regression According to Freud, a defense mechanism that involves a return to behaviors characteristic of an earlier stage in life; a special type of correlational technique that uses the relationship between variables to make specific predictions. 2, 13
rehearsal The conscious repetition of information in an effort to retain it in short-term memory, usually involving speech. 7
reinforcement (reward) A stimulus that increases the frequency of a response. 6
relative closeness A monocular depth cue; objects that are closer to the horizon are generally seen as more distant. 4
relative size A monocular depth cue; of two objects thought to be the same size, the one that casts the smaller retinal image is perceived to be farther away. 4
reliable (reliability) Refers to a test that consistently yields the same results. Reliability is an essential criterion in determining the value of a test. 14
REM rebound Compensation for lost REM sleep on one night by more REM sleep the next night. 5
replication Reconstruction of the basic features of a study to see if the results are similar. 2
representational thought The ability to represent objects mentally when they are no longer physically present. 9
representative sample A sample in which important subgroups are represented according to their incidence in the population as a whole. 2
representativeness heuristic A heuristic by which given infor- mation is matched with a stereotype. 8
repression The psychological defense mechanism, first described by Freud, by which people push unacceptable, anxiety-provoking thoughts and impulses into the unconscious to avoid con- fronting them directly.
resistance In psychoanalysis, attempts by the patient to block treatment. 16
resolution stage The final stage of Masters and Johnson’s sexual response cycle, characterized by the gradual reduction of heart rate, blood pressure, and muscle tension as the body returns to normal. 11
resting potential The electrical imbalance that occurs across the cell membrane when a cell is polarized; in this state, the nerve cell membrane is negatively charged inside and positively charged outside. 3
reticular formation Clusters of neurons and nerve fibers that extend from the spinal cord to the thalamus, acting as a sentry system to arouse the forebrain and also affecting the sleep- waking cycle. 3
retina The light-sensitive inner surface of the eyeball. The retina is a predominantly neural structure consisting of several layers, including a layer of rods and cones. 4
retrieval The process of finding stored memories and making them available for use. 7
retrieval cues Bits of information that are related to items stored in long-term memory. 7
retrograde A form of amnesia that involves a memory loss for only a segment of the past, not for the recollection of new events. 7
rhodopsin The deep red pigment in the rods of the eye. 4
rods Long, thin receptor cells in the periphery of the retina that are sensitive to light of low intensity and that function in dim light and nighttime vision. 4
rooting reflex The tendency of a baby to turn toward any object that gently touches its cheek. 9
Rorschach Inkblot Test A projective psychological test in which people look at ten inkblots and report what they see in each. The responses are evaluated for their emotional expression, their focus, and their recurring patterns. 14