Developmental psychology.pdf

Glossary 577
distributed practice Learning with small units of work
and/or interpolated rest periods. Contrasted with
massed learning, in which the individual works
continually until the skill is mastered.
divergent thinking Thought which is directed toward
finding many different answers or novel answers to a
problem; the goal is to seek numerous possible
solutions rather than the single answer.
DNA See deoxyribonucleic acid.
dominance In heredity, a trait which depends upon the
presence of one gene (dominant) which suppresses the
effects of its counterpart (recessive). Two recessive
genes must be present to express the recessive trait.
Cortical dominance refers to the dominance of one side
or hemisphere of the brain in control of handedness and
speech.
dopamine A neurotransmitter substance presumed to be
influential in arousal. See neurotransmitter substance,
dopamine hypothesis.
dopamine hypothesis The assumption that a
schizophrenic condition can be the result of high levels
of dopamine or a high degree of responsiveness to
normal amounts of dopamine, resulting'in inappropriate
arousal and schizophrenic activity. See dopamine,
neurotransmitter substance.
double-bind situation A situation in which contradictory
demands or meanings are communicated in the same
message or environment. The father, for example, may
encourage his son to be competitive and follow the "law
of the jungle" while the mother urges him to cooperate
with other people and "turn the other cheek." On this
basis, the son is in a double bind.
double blind In a psychological experiment, any method
which prevents both the experimenter and the subject
from knowing which treatment the subject receives.
Often used in drug experiments.
Down's syndrome A condition of mental retardation and
other abnormalities presumably related to the
inheritance of an extra chromosome.
dream interpretation A fundamental technique in
psychoanalysis in which dreams are studied in terms of
underlying meaning. See latent content.
drive A physiological condition involving sensitivity to
certain types of stimulation. Usually it impels the
organism to become active. Distinguished from a motive
in being initially indiscriminate, without an appropriate
direction.
drive-reduction theory A motivational concept
emphasizing that the behavior of organisms is
concerned primarily with reducing bodily or
physiological tension. For example, an organism is
motivated to reduce tension by turning towards the
sunlight, obtaining water, or seeking rest.
dualistic thinking A type of thinking which assumes that
something is either right or wrong; the truth or falsity of
something can always be determined. This type of
thinking, common in some students, may be followed by
two later stages. See multiplistic thinking and relativistic
thinking.
echo In the study of memory processes, a fleeting sensory
image of an auditory stimulus. The stimulation, after a
sound has occurred, is still in the sensory register,
which is part of the peripheral nervous system. See
sensory register.
eclectic (e-klek'-tik) Literally, "choosing." Eclecticism in
therapy, for example, occurs when the therapist
espouses no single approach but chooses among the
viewpoints available.
ecological psychology The study of the ways in which
the behavior of organisms influences their environments.
See ecosystem.
ecology The study of the relationships between organisms
and their environments. See ecosystem.
ecosystem A term which emphasizes the
interdependence between an organism and its
environment. Each element has its place in the total
system and makes its contribution to the stability of the
organism in its natural habitat.
ectomorph (ek-tuh-morf) A dimension of body build
characterized by thinness and predominance of skin
and neural mechanisms.
educable The uppermost classification of mentally
retarded individuals, in which persons, while unable to
profit from normal school instruction, can learn
academic, occupational, and social skills through special
education and later can achieve some degree of
independence in adulthood. See retarded.
educational psychology The field having to do with
applications of psychology to the processes of
education, such as teaching school subjects.
effectors Muscles and glands. The nerves that go from the
central nervous system to effectors.
efferent nerve A motor nerve, prompting activities in the
muscles and glands; it carries impulses away from the
central nervous system. Efferent means "leading out."
ego The individual's conception of himself or herself. Also,
in psychoanalysis, that part of the personality which, as
an outcome of experience, restrains the expressions of
the id and deals with the demands of the superego and
external environment. See also superego and id.
ego ideal The person an individual is striving to become; a
positive identification. Part of the superego, contrasted
with the conscience, which pertains to behaviors the
individual wishes to avoid. See also superego.
eidetic imagery (i-det'ik) Imagery of such clearness that
the objects represented appear in some respects to be
present.
elaboration In memory, emphasis and perhaps
exaggeration of central themes, in contrast to the loss of
lesser details.
Electra complex A term used by Freud to represent the
erotic attachment of a daughter to her father, with
accompanying jealousy of the mother. This attachment
may be repressed and disguised in various ways. See
also Oedipus complex.
electrocardiogram (i-lek-tr5-kard'-ee-uh-gram) A record of
the various phases of heart activity derived from
electrical concomitants of this activity. Abbreviated
EKG.