Understanding Psychology (10th Ed)

fi xed-ratio schedule

 
A schedule by which rein-
forcement is given only after a specifi c number 
of responses are made (Module 18).

fl ashbulb memories

 
Memories centered on a 
specifi c, important, or surprising event that are 
so vivid it is as if they represented a snapshot of 
the event (Module 21).

fl uid intelligence

 
Intelligence that refl ects 
information-processing capabilities, reasoning, 
and memory (Module 26).

formal operational stage

 
According to Piaget, 
the period from age 12 to adulthood that is char-
acterized by abstract thought (Module 37).

free will

 
The idea that behavior is caused 
primarily by choices that are made freely by the 
individual (Module 3).

frequency distribution

 
An arrangement of 
scores from a sample that indicates how often a 
particular score is present (Module 56).

frequency theory of hearing

 
The theory that 
the entire basilar membrane acts like a micro-
phone, vibrating as a whole in response to a 
sound (Module 12).
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Glossary G-5

introspection

 
A procedure used to study the 
structure of the mind in which subjects are 
asked to describe in detail what they are experi-
encing when they are exposed to a stimulus 
(Module 2).