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Intro College Psychology Concepts
Classic studies, theories and ideas from an introductory psychology course.
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104 cards
- Milgram obedience studyConceptParticipants often followed instructions from an authority figure even when uncomfortable
- Stanford prison experimentConceptStudy of how assigned roles shape behavior; its methods are widely criticized
- Asch conformityConceptPeople often give wrong answers to match a group
- Bystander interventionConceptHelping drops when more witnesses are present
- Diffusion of responsibilityConceptIndividuals feel less personally responsible in groups
- Social loafingConceptPeople put in less effort in a group
- GroupthinkConceptGroup desire for harmony overrides critical thinking
- Social facilitationConceptPresence of others improves performance on easy tasks
- Foot-in-the-doorConceptAgreeing to a small request makes a larger one more likely
- Door-in-the-faceConceptA refused large request makes a smaller one more likely to be accepted
- Self-serving biasConceptTaking credit for successes and blaming outside forces for failures
- Just-world hypothesisConceptBelief that people get what they deserve
- Halo effectConceptOne good trait colors judgment of the whole person
- StereotypeConceptA generalized belief about a group
- PrejudiceConceptAn unjustified attitude toward a group
- DiscriminationConceptUnfair behavior toward a group
- Implicit biasConceptUnconscious attitudes that affect judgments
- Contact hypothesisConceptPositive contact between groups can reduce prejudice
- Attribution theoryConceptHow people explain causes of behavior
- Mere exposure effectConceptLiking something more with repeated exposure
- Reciprocity normConceptTendency to return favors
- Self-fulfilling prophecyConceptAn expectation that causes itself to come true
- Pygmalion effectConceptHigher expectations lead to better performance
- Spotlight effectConceptOverestimating how much others notice us
- Illusion of controlConceptBelieving we influence chance events
- Sunk cost fallacyConceptContinuing because of past investment
- Availability heuristicConceptJudging likelihood by how easily examples come to mind
- AnchoringConceptOver-relying on the first piece of information
- Framing effectConceptChoices differ depending on how options are presented
- Dunning-Kruger effectConceptPeople with low skill may overestimate their ability
- Hindsight biasConceptBelieving an event was predictable after it happened
- OverconfidenceConceptBeing more sure of judgments than accuracy justifies
- Representativeness heuristicConceptJudging by how closely something matches a typical example
- SchemaConceptA mental framework organizing knowledge
- AssimilationConceptFitting new information into existing schemas
- AccommodationConceptChanging schemas to fit new information
- Theory of mindConceptUnderstanding that others have different thoughts and beliefs
- Critical periodConceptWindow when experience has the greatest effect on development
- ImprintingConceptRapid attachment to the first moving object seen
- Strange SituationConceptAinsworth's test of infant attachment types
- Secure attachmentConceptInfant uses a caregiver as a safe base
- Kohlberg's moral stagesConceptPreconventional, conventional and postconventional reasoning
- Identity vs. role confusionConceptErikson's adolescent task of forming a sense of self
- Emerging adulthoodConceptPeriod roughly ages 18-25 of exploring identity
- Nature vs. nurtureConceptDebate over genes versus environment
- HeritabilityConceptThe share of variation in a trait in a group that is due to genetic differences
- Twin studyConceptCompares identical and fraternal twins to separate genes and environment
- EpigeneticsConceptEnvironmental effects on gene activity without changing DNA
- TemperamentConceptInborn emotional reactivity
- Reticular formationConceptBrain structure controlling alertness
- ThalamusConceptSensory relay station
- Limbic systemConceptBrain circuits for emotion and memory
- Prefrontal cortexConceptArea for planning, judgment and self-control
- Phineas GageConceptRailroad worker whose injury showed frontal lobe roles in personality
- Split brainConceptSevering the corpus callosum affects communication between hemispheres
- LateralizationConceptDifferent functions in each hemisphere
- Mirror neuronsConceptNeurons that fire both when acting and when watching others act
- Blind spotConceptSpot on the retina with no receptors
- Rods and conesConceptRetinal cells for dim light and for color
- Trichromatic theoryConceptColor vision from three receptor types
- Opponent-process theoryConceptColor perception through opposing pairs
- Place theoryConceptPitch is determined by where on the cochlea the wave peaks
- Gate-control theoryConceptPain signals can be blocked at the spinal cord
- Signal detection theoryConceptHow we detect faint stimuli amid noise
- Selective attentionConceptFocusing on one stimulus
- Inattentional blindnessConceptFailing to notice an unexpected object while focused elsewhere
- Change blindnessConceptFailing to notice changes in a scene
- Cocktail party effectConceptHearing your name in a noisy room
- Stages of sleepConceptLight sleep, deep sleep, and REM, cycling through the night
- HypnosisConceptA state of focused attention and heightened suggestibility
- HabituationConceptDecreased response to repeated stimulus
- Latent learningConceptLearning that is not shown until needed
- Learned helplessnessConceptGiving up after repeated uncontrollable events
- Taste aversionConceptAvoiding a food linked with sickness; learned in one try
- ShapingConceptReinforcing steps toward a target behavior
- Spontaneous recoveryConceptReturn of an extinguished response after rest
- GeneralizationConceptResponding similarly to similar stimuli
- Discrimination (learning)ConceptResponding only to specific stimuli
- Flashbulb memoryConceptVivid memory of an emotional event
- Serial position effectConceptRemembering first and last items best
- ChunkingConceptGrouping information into units
- Levels of processingConceptDeeper thinking leads to stronger memory
- Method of lociConceptMemory technique linking items to places
- Misinformation effectConceptMemory distorted by later information
- Source amnesiaConceptForgetting where information was learned
- Tip-of-the-tongueConceptFeeling that a word is known but not recalled
- Context-dependent memoryConceptEasier recall in the setting where learning happened
- Ebbinghaus forgetting curveConceptForgetting is fastest soon after learning
- Linguistic relativityConceptThe idea that language shapes thought
- Fluid intelligenceConceptAbility to reason and solve new problems
- Crystallized intelligenceConceptAccumulated knowledge and skills
- Multiple intelligencesConceptGardner's proposal of several distinct kinds of intelligence
- Flynn effectConceptRising average test scores over generations
- Yerkes-Dodson lawConceptPerformance is best at moderate arousal
- Drive-reduction theoryConceptBehavior is motivated to reduce internal tension
- Set point theoryConceptBody tends to maintain a particular weight
- Self-determination theoryConceptMotivation depends on autonomy, competence and relatedness
- Display rulesConceptCultural norms for showing emotion
- Stress responseConceptAlarm, resistance and exhaustion stages in Selye's model
- EustressConceptPositive, motivating stress
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