Understanding Psychology (10th Ed)

parasympathetic division

 
The part of the auto-
nomic division of the nervous system that acts 
to calm the body after an emergency has ended 
(Module 8).

partial (or intermittent) reinforcement sched-
ule

 
Reinforcing of a behavior some but not all 
of the time (Module 18).

passionate (or romantic) love

 
A state of 
intense absorption in someone that includes 
intense physiological arousal, psychological 
interest, and caring for the needs of another 
(Module 55).

perception

 
The sorting out, interpretation, 
analysis, and integration of stimuli by the sense 
organs and brain (Module 10).

perceptual constancy

 
The phenomenon in 
which physical objects are perceived as unvary-
ing and consistent despite changes in their 
appearance or in the physical environment 
(Module 13).

peripheral nervous system

 
The part of the ner-
vous system that includes the autonomic and 
somatic subdivisions; made up of neurons with 
long axons and dendrites, it branches out from 
the spinal cord and brain and reaches the 
extremities of the body (Module 8).

peripheral route processing

 
Message interpre-
tation characterized by consideration of the 
source and related general information rather 
than of the message itself (Module 52).

permissive parents

 
Parents who give their 
children relaxed or inconsistent direction and, 
although they are warm, require little of them 
(Module 37).

personal stressors

 
Major life events, such as 
the death of a family member, that have imme-
diate negative consequences that generally fade 
with time (Module 43).