Understanding Psychology (10th Ed)

developmental psychology

 
The branch of 
psychology that studies the patterns of 
feL82795_glo_G1-G10.indd Page G-3 8/18/10 7:37 PM user-f464
feL82795_glo_G1-G10.indd Page G-3 8/18/10 7:37 PM user-f464

---

G-4 Glossary

group

 
Two or more people who interact with 
one another, perceive themselves as part of a 
group, and are interdependent (Module 53).

group therapy

 
Therapy in which people meet 
in a group with a therapist to discuss problems 
(Module 50).

groupthink

 
A type of thinking in which group 
members share such a strong motivation to 
achieve consensus that they lose the ability to 
critically evaluate alternative points of view 
(Module 53).

habituation

 
The decrease in the response to a 
stimulus that occurs after repeated presenta-
tions of the same stimulus (Module 37).

hair cells

 
Tiny cells covering the basilar 
membrane that, when bent by vibrations 
entering the cochlea, transmit neural messages 
to the brain (Module 12).

hallucinogen

 
A drug that is capable of 
producing hallucinations, or changes in the 
perceptual process (Module 16).

halo effect

 
A phenomenon in which an initial 
understanding that a person has positive traits 
is used to infer other uniformly positive charac-
teristics (Module 52).

hardiness

 
A personality characteristic that 
is associated with a lower rate of stress-related 
illness and consists of three components: 
commitment, challenge, and control 
(Module 43).