A Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) is an individual who perceives and processes sensory information intensely, exhibits profound emotional responses, demonstrates heightened empathy, requires periods of seclusion for relief, and typically avoids distressing situations.
In classical conditioning, higher-order conditioning, otherwise known as second-order conditioning, is a procedure in which the conditioned stimulus of one experiment acts as the unconditioned stimulus of another.
Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory proposes that two sets of factors influence job satisfaction: hygiene factors and motivators. Hygiene factors, like salary and working conditions, don’t motivate but can cause dissatisfaction if inadequate. Motivators, like achievement, recognition, and growth, can create satisfaction and enhance motivation when present.
Henry Gustav Molaison, known as Patient H.M., is a landmark case study in psychology. After a surgery to alleviate severe epilepsy, which removed large portions of his hippocampus, he was left with anterograde amnesia, unable to form new explicit memories, thus offering crucial insights into the role of the hippocampus in memory formation.
Held and Hein (1963) demonstrated that kittens actively exploring their environment developed normal visually guided behavior, while passively moved kittens did not, despite receiving the same visual stimulation. This seminal study highlighted the crucial role of self-produced movement and active interaction with the environment in the development of visual perception and coordination, challenging the prevailing notion that passive exposure to visual stimuli was sufficient for normal development.
The Hawthorne Effect is a psychological phenomenon where individuals improve or modify their behavior in response to their awareness of being observed. This concept is often relevant in research studies, affecting the validity of results due to changes in participants’ behavior under observation.
In Harlow’s experiment, baby monkeys preferred a soft, cloth “mother” over a wire one, even when the wire “mother” provided food. This demonstrated the importance of comfort and affection in attachment, beyond just basic needs like nourishment.
The halo effect refers to the cognitive bias where positive attributes or qualities in one aspect of a person (such as physical attractiveness) influence the perception of their other traits (such as intelligence or kindness), even without evidence supporting those assumptions.
Gyri (singular: gyrus) and sulci (singular: sulcus) are the raised and folded structures, respectively, on the cerebral cortex of the brain.
Groupthink in psychology is a phenomenon where the desire for group consensus and harmony leads to poor decision-making. Members suppress dissenting viewpoints, ignore external views, and may take irrational actions that devalue independent critical thinking.