Hockenbury Discovering Psychology 5th txtbk

GLOSSARYAabsolute threshold The smallest possiblestrength of a stimulus that can be detectedhalf the time (p. 90).accommodation The process by which thelens changes shape to focus incoming light sothat it falls on the retina (p. 94).acculturative stress (ah-KUL-chur-uh-tiv)The stress that results from the pressure ofadapting to a new culture (p. 503.acetylcholine (uh-seet-ull-KO-leen) Neurotransmitterthat causes muscle contractionsand is involved in learning and memory(p. 52).achievement motivation The desire to directone’s behavior toward excelling, succeeding,or outperforming others at some task(p. 343).achievement test A test designed to mea s-ure a person’s level of knowledge, skill, or accomplishmentin a particular area (p. 297).action potential A brief electrical impulseby which information is transmitted along theaxon of a neuron (p. 47).activation–synthesis model of dreamingThe theory that brain activity during sleepproduces dream images (activation), whichare combined by the brain into a dream story(p. 152).activity theory of aging The psychosocialtheory that life satisfaction in late adulthoodis highest when people maintain the level ofactivity they displayed earlier in life (p. 408).actualizing tendency In Rogers’s theory,the innate drive to maintain and enhance thehuman organism (p. 434).acupuncture Ancient Chinese medical procedureinvolving the insertion and manipulationof fine needles into specific locations onthe body to alleviate pain and treat illness;modern acupuncture may involve sendingelectrical current through the needles ratherthan manipulating them (p. 129).adipose tissue Body fat that is the mainsource of stored, or reserve, energy (p. 323).adolescence The transitional stage betweenlate childhood and the beginning of adulthood,during which sexual maturity isreached (p. 393).adolescent growth spurt The period of acceleratedgrowth during puberty, involvingrapid increases in height and weight (p. 394).adrenal cortex The outer portion of theadrenal glands (p. 60).adrenal glands Pair of endocrine glandsthat are involved in the human stress response(p. 60).adrenal medulla The inner portion of theadrenal glands; secretes epinephrine and norepinephrine(p. 61).afterimage A visual experience that occursafter the original source of stimulation is nolonger present (p. 100).agoraphobia An anxiety disorder involvingthe extreme and irrational fear of experiencinga panic attack in a public situation andbeing unable to escape or get help (p. 538).algorithm A problem-solving strategy thatinvolves following a specific rule, procedure,or method that inevitably produces the correctsolution (p. 282).all-or-none law The principle that either aneuron is sufficiently stimulated and an actionpotential occurs or a neuron is not sufficientlystimulated and an action potential does notoccur (p. 49).alpha brain waves Brain-wave pattern associatedwith relaxed wakefulness and drowsiness(p. 141).altruism Helping another person with noexpectation of personal reward or benefit(p. 486).Alzheimer’s disease (AD) A progressivedisease that destroys the brain’s neurons,gradually impairing memory, thinking, language,and other cognitive functions, resultingin the complete inability to care for oneself;the most common cause of dementia(p. 268).amnesia (am-NEE-zha) Severe memoryloss (p. 264).amphetamines (am-FET-uh-meens) A classof stimulant drugs that arouse the centralnervous system and suppress appetite (p.172).amplitude The intensity or amount of energyof a wave, reflected in the height of thewave; the amplitude of a sound wave determinesa sound’s loudness (p. 102).amygdala (uh-MIG-dull-uh) Almondshapedcluster of neurons in the brain’s temporallobe, involved in memory and emotionalresponses, especially fear; part of thelimbic system (pp. 72, 349).animal cognition The study of animallearning, memory, thinking, and language;also called comparative cognition (p. 293).anorexia nervosa An eating disorder characterizedby excessive weight loss, an irrationalfear of gaining weight, and distortedbody self-perception (p. 553).anterograde amnesia Loss of memorycaused by the inability to store new memories;forward-acting amnesia (p. 265).anthropomorphism The attribution of humantraits, motives, emotions, or behaviors tononhuman animals or inanimate objects(p. 353).antianxiety medications Prescription drugsthat are used to alleviate the symptoms ofanxiety (p. 610).antidepressant medications Prescriptiondrugs that are used to reduce the symptomsassociated with depression (p. 611).antipsychotic medications (an-tee-sy-KOT-ick or anti-si-KOT-ick) Prescriptiondrugs that are used to reduce psychotic symptoms;frequently used in the treatment ofschizophrenia; also called neuroleptics (p. 607).antisocial personality disorder A personalitydisorder characterized by a pervasive patternof disregarding and violating the rightsof others; such individuals are also often referredto as psychopaths or sociopaths (p. 557).anxiety An unpleasant emotional state characterizedby physical arousal and feelings oftension, apprehension, and worry (p. 537)anxiety disorders A category of psychologicaldisorders in which extreme anxiety is themain diagnostic feature and causes significantdisruptions in the person’s cognitive, behavioral,or interpersonal functioning (p. 537).aphasia (uh-FAZE-yuh) The partial orcomplete inability to articulate ideas or understandspoken or written language becauseof brain injury or damage (p. 73).aptitude test A test designed to assess aperson’s capacity to benefit from education ortraining (p. 297).G-1