VCE Psychology key terms

The brain and spinal cord. It receives sensory information, processes it, and sends instructions to the body's muscles and glands.

All nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. It carries messages between the central nervous system and the rest of the body.

A nerve cell that receives, transmits and processes information as electrical and chemical signals. It is the basic building block of the nervous system.

The tiny gap between two neurons where chemical messages cross. A signal arriving at the end of one neuron triggers release of neurotransmitters into this space.

A chemical released by a neuron that carries a signal across a synapse and binds to receptors on the next cell, either exciting or inhibiting it.

The part of the peripheral nervous system that controls involuntary body functions such as heart rate, digestion and sweating without conscious effort.

The branch of the autonomic nervous system that prepares the body for action during stress, raising heart rate, widening pupils and releasing energy.

The body's automatic reaction to a perceived threat, involving increased heart rate, faster breathing and muscle tension that ready a person to confront or escape danger.

A person's awareness of their own thoughts, feelings and surroundings at a given moment, which can vary in level and content.

A condition in which awareness, perception or thought differs noticeably from normal waking consciousness, as in sleep, hypnosis or the effects of drugs.

A biological cycle of roughly 24 hours that regulates functions such as sleep-wake timing, body temperature and hormone release.

A learning process in which a neutral stimulus repeatedly paired with a meaningful stimulus comes to trigger a similar response on its own.

A stimulus that originally had no effect but, after being paired repeatedly with an unconditioned stimulus, now produces a learned response.

A natural, unlearned reaction to a stimulus, such as salivating when food is placed in the mouth.

Learning in which behaviour changes because of its consequences. Actions followed by reinforcement become more likely, while those followed by punishment become less likely.

Any consequence that increases the likelihood of a behaviour recurring. It may be positive, adding something pleasant, or negative, removing something unpleasant.

A consequence that decreases the likelihood of a behaviour recurring, either by adding something unpleasant or removing something desirable.

Learning by watching others and noting the consequences of their actions, then imitating or avoiding the behaviour later.

A person whose behaviour is observed and imitated during observational learning, often because they are high in status or similar to the learner.

The first stage of memory, in which information from the senses is converted into a form the brain can store.

The memory process of holding encoded information over time so it can later be accessed.

The memory process of locating stored information and bringing it back into awareness when it is needed.

The relatively permanent store that holds information for long periods, with apparently unlimited capacity, including facts, personal events and skills.

A limited-capacity store that holds a small amount of information briefly, typically around 15 to 30 seconds without rehearsal.

A learned dislike of a food or drink that follows illness, formed after a single pairing of the flavour with nausea.

A psychological and physiological response to demands or threats that are perceived as exceeding a person's ability to cope.

A thought or action used to manage stress. It may target the problem itself or focus on regulating the emotional reaction to it.

A state in which a person can cope with everyday pressures, work productively and contribute to their community, with a balance of positive and negative emotions.

An intense, persistent and irrational fear of a specific object or situation that leads a person to avoid it and interferes with daily life.

A feeling of unease, worry or apprehension about a possible future threat, often accompanied by physical signs such as a racing heart.

An approach that explains health and illness as the product of interacting biological, psychological and social factors rather than any single cause.

An improvement in a person's condition that results from their expectation of treatment rather than from any active ingredient in it.

The extent to which a measurement or research procedure produces consistent results when repeated under the same conditions.

The extent to which a measurement or study truly measures or demonstrates what it claims to, rather than something else.

An ethical requirement that participants voluntarily agree to take part after being told the purpose, procedures, risks and their right to withdraw.

The brain's ability to reorganise its connections and structure in response to experience, learning or injury.