The emotions, both pleasant and unpleasant, that are naturally and functionally related to cognition and behaviors and to antecedents and consequences. (Pronounced AF-fect)

Stimulus events that precede a behavior, thought, or feeling and make it likely to occur.

Any observable action of an organism, including actions that can be observed only by using sophisticated technology such as brain imaging techniques.

Intentionally using the natural principles of learning to systematically influence someone's learning, usually by trying to increase desirable behaviors and decrease undesirable ones.

Intentionally using the natural principles of learning to systematically influence someone's learning, usually by trying to increase desirable behaviors and decrease undesirable ones.

A psychological theoretical model that attributes all human thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to natural biological causes, and features a natural information processing model of human cognition (thoughts, ideas, memories, concepts, learning, etc.) in contrast with psychodynamic, behavioral, and other cognitive models of psychological theory.

The scientific means of answering all “why” questions about human thought, feelings, and behaviors by translating into testable hypotheses of scientific study to derive explanations and predictions which combine to yield understanding.

The scientific means of answering all “why” questions about human thought, feelings, and behaviors by translating into testable hypotheses of scientific study to derive explanations and predictions which combine to yield understanding.

The brain and spinal cord.

The brain and spinal cord.

Any symbolic representation in the brain, such as a thought, memory, idea, intention, or sensory image.

A dramatic change in perception or understanding, sometimes concerning the nature of the universe, life, or other fundamental questions.

Researching human psychological phenomena by studying non-human animals and then generalizing the results back to our own species.

A relatively permanent change in behavior (thinking/emotion) due to environmental experience; changing behavior because of its consequences; one of the three natural determinants which programs and reprograms the psychological repertoire.

Stimulus events that folow a behavior, thought, or feeling and determine its future occurrence in similar situations

Not enough stimulus.

An antecedent that reliably predicts what reinforcement or nonreinforcement will follow a particular behavior.

The idea that reality is divided into two categories: that which is natural and material, and that which is supernatural and mystical.

Hypothetical constructs that are predicted to have real, tangible, observable, measurable, testable existence, once sufficient scientific research has been done; natural causal agents.

The memory process of associating a new image with already learned information in order to produce an easily stored, easily retrieved memory image.

Method of artificially stimulating sensory transmission fibers or sensory reception neurons with tiny electrical charges to produce a sensory experience.

Hypothetical constructs that are predicted to have real, tangible, observable, measurable, testable existence, once sufficient scientific research has been done; natural causal agents.

The translation of stimulus energy into neural impulse energy.

One of the trillions of memory images in the human brain.

Memory images in the human brain, which number in the trillions.

Method of artificially stimulating sensory transmission fibers or sensory reception neurons with tiny electrical charges to produce a sensory experience.

Reducing an undesirable behavior by having absolutely no consequence, positive or negative, associated the behavior.

Inherited DNA and RNA codes that pre-program psychological instincts and potential capabilities and can predispose us to develop particular ways of thinking, feeling, and/or behaving/acting; one of three natural determinants.

Our genes' abilities to give us our general capacities to think, feel, and act.

Agents or factors that are guessed to cause one or more aspects of human cognition (thinking), affect (feelings/emotion), or behavior.

The way humans take in, interpret, understand, think about, and make and implement decisions about stimuli from our environments.

Reducing an undesirable behavior by presenting a nonreinforcing consequence (such as time out or response cost) to the subject.

Inherited, specific thoughts, feelings, and behaviors which occur automatically in response to particular internal or external stimuli.

The way humans take in, interpret, understand, think about, and make and implement decisions about stimuli from our environments.

When two or more explanations (theories) account equally well for the same results, the simpler one (the one requiring the fewest causal agents) is best.

A relatively permanent change in behavior (thinking/emotion) due to environmental experience; changing behavior because of its consequences; one of the three natural determinants which programs and reprograms the psychological repertoire.

The third component of human memory that permanently stores a memory in unchanged form and efficiently retrieves that memory when needed.

The third component of human memory that permanently stores a memory in unchanged form and efficiently retrieves that memory when needed.

The memory process of restimulating ourselves with a stimulus material over and over again to produce a singular, impoverished long term memory image which is fairly easy to store.

The brain's storehouse for previous learning experiences.

An external stimulus cue or internal idea that produces other memory associations (i.e., retrieves other memory engrams).

The uniquely human activity of using our brains to study how our brains work and improve their functioning.

Memory aids.

The idea that everything in the universe is part of the natural realm and therefore subject to natural laws; i.e., that there is no supernatural realm.

For every function, there can be an equal and opposite dysfunction, ranging from 0% to 99.999%.

The genes, learning, and trauma; three components of the natural universe postulated to cause all psychological phenomena.

Hypothetical constructs or hypothesized causal agents that have no real, tangible, observable, measurable, testable existence or identity.

A group of two or three to tens of thousands of neurons acting together to produce some psychological phenomenon.

Genetically pre-programmed groups of neurons fired by transmission neurons when memory information enters the brain.

In human memory processing, a complex of associated groups of circuits organized and linked by common meanings.

Nerve cell.

Antecedents that fail to predict what behaviors will be reinforced or nonreinforced.

Hypothetical constructs or hypothesized causal agents that have no real, tangible, observable, measurable, testable existence or identity.

When two or more explanations (theories) account equally well for the same results, the simpler one (the one requiring the fewest causal agents) is best.

The Psychology-as-Biology Theorem, which essentially characterizes psychology as the scientific study of brain biochemistry.

The result of sensory reception area neurons firing circuits of neurons in sensory association areas and memory circuits so that they become biochemically associated with a sensory code, providing an image or sensory experience in the brain.

Capacities for developing particular types of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, but which require specific environmental conditions called triggers to actually manifest themselves.

The acquisition of any and all thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

The medical science specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of human psychopathology (abnormal psychology).

Our term for the unique totality of one’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, replacing the term "personality."

The science of human cognition (thoughts, ideas, memory), affect (emotions, feelings), and behavior (actions).

An unpleasant or aversive stimulus presented to a subject as a consequence of behavior done in response to some antecedent.

In human memory, simple one-to-one correspondence.

In human memory, the ability to tell something familiar from something novel.

The most complex form of human memory, involving several different senses and heavily laden with emotion.

The least qualitative degree of human memory, so impoverished in content that it cannot be used consciously and must be demonstrated under lab conditions.

Our term for the unique totality of one’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, replacing the term "personality."

Form of inhibition which decreases an undesirable behavior by removing a positive consequence (from the subject as a result of the behavior; a fine or penalty.

The branch of psychological theorists who scientifically studied everything that went into the brain (stimuli) and everything that came out of the brain (responses) to learn what went on in between.

The best (most rigorous) means of explaining and predicting cause and effect; techniques of observation, operational definition, hypothesis formation, hypothesis testing, experimentation, replication, and dissemination of results.

Theories and principles of psychology that only use natural, empirical explanatory constructs.

Explanation + prediction; the ability to scientifically explain the cause(s) and acurately predict future occurrences of some phenomenon.

Theories and principles of psychology that only use natural, empirical explanatory constructs.

The process by which the human brain screens out stimuli that cannot be processed by short term memory, so that only a manageable amount of information passes to it from sensory memory.

The result of sensory reception area neurons firing circuits of neurons in sensory association areas and memory circuits so that they become biochemically associated with a sensory code, providing an image or sensory experience in the brain.

The Central Nervous System function that creates perception, so that humans can attach meaning to sensory stimuli.

The first component of human memory that stores a veridical (true, unprocessed) copy of a sensory stimulus for approximately .25 to .50 of a second and passes it on to short term memory.

Specialized neurons that allow sense organs to transduce an energy source external to the Central Nervous System into neural impulses.

The process in which the sensory receptor neuron transduces the stimulus energy into neurochemical energy and fires, sending the resulting neural code up the sensory fibers to the appropriate reception area in the brain.

The second component of human memory that receives information from the sensory memory, stores it and works on it for 15 to 30 seconds, and passes it on to long term memory.

The first component of human memory that stores a veridical (true, unprocessed) copy of a sensory stimulus for approximately .25 to .50 of a second and passes it on to short term memory.

The branch of psychological theorists who scientifically studied everything that went into the brain (stimuli) and everything that came out of the brain (responses) to learn what went on in between.

The second component of human memory that receives information from the sensory memory, stores it and works on it for 15 to 30 seconds, and passes it on to long term memory.

Too much of some stimulus.

Central nervous system (~CNS) damage which reprograms or deprograms a psychological repertoire; one of the 3 natural determinants of psychology.