Understanding Psychology (10th Ed)

norms

 
Standards of test performance that per-
mit the comparison of one person’s score on a 
test with the scores of other individuals who 
have taken the same test (Module 26).

obedience

 
A change in behavior in response to 
the commands of others (Module 53).

obesity

 
Body weight that is more than 20% 
above the average weight for a person of a par-
ticular height (Module 30).

object permanence

 
The awareness that 
objects—and people—continue to exist even if 
they are out of sight (Module 37).

observational learning

 
Learning by observing 
the behavior of another person, or model 
(Module 19).

obsession

 
A persistent, unwanted thought or 
idea that keeps recurring (Module 47).

obsessive-compulsive disorder

 
A disorder 
characterized by obsessions or compulsions 
(Module 47).

Oedipal confl ict

 
A child’s sexual interest in his 
or her opposite-sex parent, typically resolved 
through identifi cation with the same-sex parent 
(Module 40).

operant conditioning

 
Learning in which a vol-
untary response is strengthened or weakened, 
depending on its favorable or unfavorable con-
sequences (Module 18).

operational defi nition

 
The translation of a 
hypothesis into specifi c, testable procedures 
that can be measured and observed (Module 4).

opponent-process theory of color vision

 
The 
theory that receptor cells for color are linked in 
pairs, working in opposition to each other 
(Module 11).