GLOSSARY G-9
linear perspective monocular depth perception cue; the tendency for paral-
lel lines to appear to converge on each other.
linguistic relativity hypothesis the theory that thought processes and con-
cepts are controlled by language.
locus of control the tendency for people to assume that they either have
control or do not have control over events and consequences in their lives.
longitudinal design research design in which one participant or group of
participants is studied over a long period of time.
long-term memory (LTM) the system of memory into which all the infor-
mation is placed to be kept more or less permanently.
lowball technique getting a commitment from a person and then raising
the cost of that commitment.
LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) powerful synthetic hallucinogen.
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain-imaging method using radio
waves and magnetic fields of the body to produce detailed images of the
brain.
magnification the tendency to interpret situations as far more dangerous,
harmful, or important than they actually are.
magnification and minimization distortions of thinking in which a person
blows a negative event out of proportion to its importance (magnification)
while ignoring relevant positive events (minimization).
maintenance rehearsal practice of saying some information to be remem-
bered over and over in one’s head in order to maintain it in short-term
memory.
major depressive disorder severe depression that comes on suddenly and
seems to have no external cause, or is too severe for current circumstances.
maladaptive anything that does not allow a person to function within or
adapt to the stresses and everyday demands of life.
mammary glands glands within the breast tissue that produce milk when a
woman gives birth to an infant.
manic having the quality of excessive excitement, energy, and elation or
irritability.
marijuana mild hallucinogen (also known as “pot” or “weed”) derived
from the leaves and flowers of a particular type of hemp plant.
MDMA (Ecstasy or X) designer drug that can have both stimulant and hal-
lucinatory effects.
mean the arithmetic average of a distribution of numbers.
measure of central tendency numbers that best represent the most typical
score of a frequency distribution.
measures of variability measurement of the degree of differences within a
distribution or how the scores are spread out.
median the middle score in an ordered distribution of scores, or the mean
of the two middle numbers; the 50th percentile.
meditation mental series of exercises meant to refocus attention and
achieve a trancelike state of consciousness.
medulla the first large swelling at the top of the spinal cord, forming the
lowest part of the brain, which is responsible for life-sustaining functions
such as breathing, swallowing, and heart rate.
memory an active system that receives information from the senses, puts
that information into a usable form, and organizes it as it stores it away,
and then retrieves the information from storage.
memory trace physical change in the brain that occurs when a memory is
formed.
menarche the first menstrual cycle, the monthly shedding of the blood and
tissue that line the uterus in preparation for pregnancy when conception
does not occur.
menopause the cessation of ovulation and menstrual cycles and the end of
a woman’s reproductive capability.mental images mental representations that stand for objects or events and
have a picturelike quality.
mental set the tendency for people to persist in using problem-solving pat-
terns that have worked for them in the past.
microsleeps brief sidesteps into sleep lasting only a few seconds.
mindfulness meditation a form of concentrative meditation in which the
person purposefully pays attention to the present moment, without judg-
ment or evaluation.
minimization the tendency to give little or no importance to one’s suc-
cesses or positive events and traits.
mirror neurons neurons that fire when an animal or person performs an
action and also when an animal or person observes that same action being
performed by another.
misinformation effect the tendency of misleading information presented
after an event to alter the memories of the event itself.
mode the most frequent score in a distribution of scores.
modeling learning through the observation and imitation of others.
monocular cues (pictorial depth cues) cues for perceiving depth based on
one eye only.
monozygotic twins identical twins formed when one zygote splits into two
separate masses of cells, each of which develops into a separate embryo.
mood disorders disorders in which mood is severely disturbed.
morphemes the smallest units of meaning within a language.
morphine narcotic drug derived from opium, used to treat severe pain.
motion parallax monocular depth perception cue; the perception of motion
of objects in which close objects appear to move more quickly than objects
that are farther away.
motivation the process by which activities are started, directed, and contin-
ued so that physical or psychological needs or wants are met.
motor cortex rear section of the frontal lobe, responsible for sending motor
commands to the muscles of the somatic nervous system.
motor pathway nerves coming from the CNS to the voluntary muscles,
consisting of efferent neurons.
Müller-Lyer illusion illusion of line length that is distorted by inward-
turning or outward-turning corners on the ends of the lines, causing lines
of equal length to appear to be different.
multiple approach-avoidance conflict conflict in which the person must
decide between more than two goals, with each goal possessing both posi-
tive and negative aspects.
myelin fatty substances produced by certain glial cells that coat the axons
of neurons to insulate, protect, and speed up the neural impulse.
narcolepsy sleep disorder in which a person falls immediately into REM
sleep during the day without warning.
natural killer (NK) cell immune-system cell responsible for suppressing
viruses and destroying tumor cells.
nature the influence of our inherited characteristics on our personality,
physical growth, intellectual growth, and social interactions.
need a requirement of some material (such as food or water) that is essen-
tial for survival of the organism.
need for achievement (nAch) a need that involves a strong desire to suc-
ceed in attaining goals, not only realistic ones but also challenging ones.
need for affiliation (nAff) the need for friendly social interactions and rela-
tionships with others.
need for power (nPow) the need to have control or influence over others.
negatively skewed a distribution of scores in which scores are concentrated
in the high end of the distribution.Z03_CICC7961_05_SE_GLOS.indd 9 9/3/16 12:59 AM