G-7 GloSSARy
repression In psychoanalytic theory, the selective, involuntary pushing
of threatening or upsetting information into the unconscious.
reticular activating system (RAS) A dense network of neurons in the core
of the brain stem; it arouses the cortex and screens incoming information.
retina Neural tissue lining the back of the eyeball’s interior, which con-
tains the receptors for vision.
retinal disparity The slight difference in lateral separation between two
objects as seen by the left eye and the right eye.
retroactive interference Forgetting that occurs when recently learned
material interferes with the ability to remember similar material stored
previously.
rods Visual receptors that respond to dim light.
role A given social position that is governed by a set of norms for proper
behavior.
saturation Vividness or purity of color; the dimension of visual experi-
ence related to the complexity of light waves.
schizophrenia A psychotic disorder marked by delusions, hallucinations,
disorganized and incoherent speech, inappropriate or catatonic behavior,
and negative symptoms such as loss of motivation and emotional flatness.
seasonal affective disorder (SAD) A disorder in which a person experiences
depression during the winter and an improvement of mood in the spring.
secondary control An effort to accept reality by changing your own atti-
tudes, goals, or emotions; a “learn to live with it” philosophy.
secondary punisher A stimulus that has acquired punishing properties
through association with other punishers.
secondary reinforcer A stimulus that has acquired reinforcing properties
through association with other reinforcers.
selective attention The focusing of attention on selected aspects of the
environment and the blocking out of others.
self-efficacy A person’s belief that he or she is capable of producing
desired results, such as mastering new skills and reaching goals.
self-fulfilling prophecy An expectation that becomes reality because of
the tendency of the person holding it to act in ways that bring it about.
semantic memories Memories of general knowledge, including facts,
rules, concepts, and propositions.
semicircular canals Sense organs in the inner ear that contribute to
equilibrium by responding to rotation of the head.
sensation The detection of physical energy emitted or reflected by phys-
ical objects; it occurs when energy in the external environment or the
body stimulates receptors in the sense organs.
sense receptors Specialized cells that convert physical energy in the
environment or the body to electrical energy that can be transmitted as
nerve impulses to the brain.
sensory adaptation The reduction or disappearance of sensory respon-
siveness that occurs when stimulation is unchanging or repetitious.
sensory deprivation The absence of normal levels of sensory stimulation.
sensory register A memory system that momentarily preserves extremely
accurate sensory information before the information fades or moves into
short-term memory.
separation anxiety The distress that most children develop, at about 6
to 8 months of age, when their primary caregivers temporarily leave them
with others.
serial-position effect The tendency for recall of the first and last items
on a list to surpass recall of items in the middle of the list.
set point The genetically influenced weight range for an individual,
maintained by biological mechanisms that regulate food intake, fat
reserves, and metabolism.
sex hormones Hormones that regulate the development and functioning
of reproductive organs and that stimulate the development of male and
female sexual characteristics; they include androgens, estrogens, and
progesterone.psychoanalysis A theory of personality and a method of psychotherapy,
originally formulated by Sigmund Freud, that emphasizes the importance
of unconscious motives and conflicts; modern psychodynamic therapies
share this emphasis but differ from Freudian analysis in various ways.
psychodynamic theories Theories that explain behavior and personality
in terms of unconscious energy dynamics within the individual.
psychological tests Procedures used to measure and evaluate person-
ality traits, emotional states, aptitudes, interests, abilities, and values.
psychology The discipline concerned with behavior and mental pro-
cesses and how they are affected by an organism’s physical state, mental
state, and external environment; the term is often represented by Ψ, the
Greek letter psi (usually pronounced sy).
psychometrics The measurement of mental abilities, traits, and processes.
psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) The study of the relationships among
psychology, the nervous and endocrine systems, and the immune system.
psychopathy (sy-KoP-uh-thee) A personality disorder (not in the DSM)
characterized by fearlessness; lack of empathy, guilt, and remorse; the
use of deceit; and coldheartedness. In the DSM, it is one symptom of
antisocial personality disorder.
psychosexual stages In Freud’s theory, the idea that sexual energy takes
different forms as the child matures; the stages are oral, anal, phallic
(Oedipal), latency, and genital.
psychosis An extreme mental disturbance involving distorted percep-
tions, delusions, and irrational behavior. (Plural: psychoses.)
puberty The age at which a person becomes capable of sexual reproduction.
punishment The process by which a stimulus or event weakens or
reduces the probability of the response that it follows.
random assignment A procedure for assigning people to experimental
and control groups in which each individual has the same probability as
any other of being assigned to a given group.
randomized controlled trials Research designed to determine the effec-
tiveness of a new medication or form of therapy, in which people with
a given problem or disorder are randomly assigned to one or more treat-
ment groups or to a control group.
range A measure of the spread of scores, calculated by subtracting the
lowest score from the highest score.
rapid eye movement (REM) sleep Sleep periods characterized by eye
movement, loss of muscle tone, and vivid dreams.
rational emotive behavior therapy A form of cognitive therapy devised
by Albert Ellis, designed to challenge the client’s unrealistic or irrational
thoughts.
reasoning The drawing of conclusions or inferences from observations,
facts, or assumptions.
recall The ability to retrieve and reproduce from memory previously
encountered material.
reciprocal determinism In social-cognitive learning theories, the two-
way interaction between aspects of the environment and aspects of the
individual in the shaping of behavior and personality traits.
recognition The ability to identify previously encountered material.
reinforcement The process by which a stimulus or event strengthens or
ncreases the probability of the response that it follows.
relearning method A method for measuring retention that compares the
time required to relearn material with the time used in the initial learning
of the material.
reliability In test construction, the consistency of test scores from one
time and place to another.
REM behavior disorder A disorder in which the muscle paralysis that
normally occurs during REM sleep is absent or incomplete, and the
sleeper is able to act out his or her dreams.
representative sample A group of individuals, selected from a popula-
tion for study, which matches that population on important characteris-
tics such as age and sex.