Glossary of terms used on this site

physiological arousal and emotional experience occur at the same time

lack of muscle tone or muscle weakness, and in some cases complete paralysis of the voluntary muscles

changes in one variable cause the changes in the other variable; can be determined only through an experimental research design

brain and spinal cord

part of the brain involved in attention and has connections with the hypothalamus and various brainstem areas to regulate the autonomic nervous and endocrine systems’ activity

sleep disorder with periods of interrupted breathing due to a disruption in signals sent from the brain that regulate breathing

hindbrain structure that controls our balance, coordination, movement, and motor skills, and it is thought to be important in processing some types of memory

surface of the brain that is associated with our highest mental capabilities

long strand of genetic information

organizing information into manageable bits or chunks

biological rhythm that occurs over approximately 24 hours

learning in which the stimulus or experience occurs before the behavior and then gets paired or associated with the behavior

observational research study focusing on one or a few people

area of psychology that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders and other problematic patterns of behavior

opiate with relatively low potency often prescribed for minor pain