Hockenbury Discovering Psychology 5th txtbk

epresentative sample A selected segmentthat very closely parallels the larger populationbeing studied on relevant characteristics(p. 24).representativeness heuristic A strategy inwhich the likelihood of an event is estimatedby comparing how similar it is to the prototypeof the event (p. 286).repression Motivated forgetting that occursunconsciously; a memory that isblocked and unavailable to consciousness(pp. 252, 424).resistance In psychoanalysis, the patient’sunconscious attempts to block the revelationof repressed memories and conflicts(p. 583).resting potential State in which a neuron isprepared to activate and communicate itsmessage if it receives sufficient stimulation(p. 47).reticular formation (reh-TICK-you-ler) Anetwork of nerve fibers located in the centerof the medulla that helps regulate attention,arousal, and sleep; also called the reticular activatingsystem (p. 67).retina (RET-in-uh) A thin, light-sensitivemembrane located at the back of the eye thatcontains the sensory receptors for vision(p. 95).retrieval The process of recovering informationstored in memory so that we are consciouslyaware of it (pp. 232, 243).retrieval cue A clue, prompt, or hint thathelps trigger recall of a given piece of informationstored in long-term memory(p. 243).retrieval cue failure The inability to recalllong-term memories because of inadequate ormissing retrieval cues (p. 243).retroactive interference Forgetting inwhich a new memory interferes with rememberingan old memory; backward-actingmemory interference (p. 252).retrograde amnesia Loss of memory, especiallyfor episodic information; backward-actingamnesia (p. 264).reuptake The process by which neurotransmittermolecules detach from a postsynapticneuron and are reabsorbed by a presynapticneuron so they can be recycled and usedagain (p. 50).rods The long, thin, blunt sensory receptorsof the eye that are highly sensitive tolight, but not to color, and that are primarilyresponsible for peripheral vision and night vision(p. 95).Rorschach Inkblot Test A projective testusing inkblots, developed by Swiss psychiatristHermann Rorschach in 1921 (p. 447).Ssample A selected segment of the populationused to represent the group that is beingstudied (p. 24); a subset of a population (p.A-13).satiation (say-she-AY-shun) In eating behavior,the feeling of fullness and diminisheddesire to eat that accompanies eating a meal;in general, the sensation of having an appetiteor desire fully or excessively satisfied (p. 325).saturation The property of color that correspondsto the purity of the light wave (p. 98).scatter diagram or scatter plot A graphthat represents the relationship between twovariables (p. A-10).schedule of reinforcement The delivery ofa reinforcer according to a preset patternbased on the number of responses or the timeinterval between responses (p. 210).schema (SKEE-muh) An organized clusterof information about a particular topic(p. 256).schizophrenia A psychological disorder inwhich the ability to function is impaired byseverely distorted beliefs, perceptions, andthought processes (p. 563).scientific method A set of assumptions, attitudes,and procedures that guide researchersin creating questions to investigate, in generatingevidence, and in drawing conclusions(p. 16).script A schema for the typical sequence ofan everyday event (p. 256).seasonal affective disorder (SAD) Amood disorder in which episodes of depressiontypically occur during the fall and winterand subside during the spring and summer(p. 547).secondary sex characteristics Sexual characteristicsthat develop during puberty andare not directly involved in reproduction butdifferentiate between the sexes, such as malefacial hair and female breast development(p. 394).selection device validity The extent towhich a personnel selection device is successfulin distinguishing between those who willbecome high performers at a certain job andthose who will not (p. B-4).selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors(SSRIs) Class of antidepressant medicationsthat increase the availability of serotonin inthe brain and cause fewer side effects thanearlier antidepressants; they include Prozac,Paxil, and Zoloft (p. 612).self-actualization Defined by Maslow as aperson’s “full use and exploitation of talents,capacities, and potentialities” (p. 340).self-concept The set of perceptions and beliefsthat you hold about yourself (p. 434).self-determination theory (SDT) EdwardDeci and Richard Ryan’s theory that optimalhuman functioning can occur only ifthe psychological needs for autonomy,competence, and relatedness are satisfied(p. 341).self-efficacy The beliefs that people haveabout their ability to meet the demands of aspecific situation; feelings of self-confidenceor self-doubt (pp. 361, 437).self-report inventory A type of psychologicaltest in which a person’s responses to standardizedquestions are compared to establishednorms (p. 449).self-serving bias The tendency to attributesuccessful outcomes of one’s own behavior tointernal causes and unsuccessful outcomes toexternal, situational causes (p. 465).semantic memory Category of long-termmemory that includes memories of generalknowledge of facts, names, and concepts(p. 240).semantic network model A model that describesunits of information in long-termmemory as being organized in a complex networkof associations (p. 242).sensation The process of detecting a physicalstimulus, such as light, sound, heat, orpressure (p. 89).sensation seeking The degree to which anindividual is motivated to experience high levelsof sensory and physical arousal associatedwith varied and novel activities (p. 321).sense of self An individual’s unique senseof identity that has been influenced by social,cultural, and psychological experiences; yoursense of who you are in relation to other people(p. 458).sensorimotor stage In Piaget’s theory, thefirst stage of cognitive development, frombirth to about age 2; the period during whichthe infant explores the environment and acquiresknowledge through sensing and manipulatingobjects (p. 386).sensory adaptation The decline in sensitivityto a constant stimulus (p. 92).sensory memory The stage of memorythat registers information from the environmentand holds it for a very brief period oftime (p. 233).sensory neuron Type of neuron that conveysinformation to the brain from specializedreceptor cells in sense organs and internal organs(p. 45).sensory receptors Specialized cells uniqueto each sense organ that respond to a particularform of sensory stimulation (p. 89).sensory-specific satiety (sah-TIE-it-tee)The reduced desire to continue consuming aparticular food (p. 326).Glossary G-13