 Choose a letter: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z Scroll down to see the "G" terms
g See general intelligence.
GABA (gamma-amino butyric acid) The most widely distributed inhibitory transmitter of the central nervous system.
GAD See generalized anxiety disorder.
gamma-amino butyric acid See GABA.
gamma-band oscillation A particular rhythm of about forty pulses per second; different neurons in different parts of the brain all fire at this rate and in synchrony when they are responding to (different aspects of) the same stimulus.
ganglion A neural control center that integrates messages from different receptor cells and coordinates the activity of different muscle fibers; plural: ganglia.
ganglion cells In the retina, one of the intermediate links between the receptor cells and the brain. The axons of the ganglion cells converge into a bundle of fibers that leave the eyeball as the optic nerve. See also bipolar cells.
garden path A term used to describe sentences that initially lead the listener toward one interpretation but then demand a different interpretation, for example, "Fat people eat accumulates."
gender constancy The recognition that being male or female is to all intents and purposes irrevocable.
gender identity The inner sense of being male or female. See also gender role, sexual orientation.
gender role The set of external behavior patterns a given culture deems appropriate for each sex. See also gender identity, sexual orientation.
gene The unit of hereditary transmission, located at a particular place in a given chromosome. Both members of each chromosome pair have corresponding locations at which there are genes that carry instructions about the same characteristic (e.g., eye color). If one member of a gene pair is dominant and the other is recessive, the dominant gene will exert its effect regardless of what the recessive gene calls for. The characteristic called for by the recessive gene will only be expressed if the other member of the gene pair is also recessive. See also chromosomes.
general intelligence (g) A mental attribute that is hypothesized as being called on in any intellectual task a person has to perform.
generalization gradient The curve that shows the relationship between the tendency to respond to a new stimulus and its similarity to the original conditioned stimulus (CS).
generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) A mental disorder whose primary characteristic is an all-pervasive, "free-floating" anxiety. A member of the diagnostic category "anxiety disorders," which also includes phobias and obsessive-compulsive disorders. See also anxiety disorders.
general paresis A psychosis characterized by progressive decline in cognitive and motor function culminating in death, reflecting a deteriorating brain condition produced by syphilitic infection.
generic memory Memory for items of knowledge as such (e.g., The capital of France is Paris), independent of the occasion on which they are learned.
genetic sex A designation of an organism's sex based entirely on the genetic pattern, whether XY (male) or XX (female). Often contrasted with morphological sex, which is based on anatomical features.
geniculate nucleus See lateral geniculate nucleus.
genital stage In psychoanalytic theory, the stage of psychosexual development reached in adult sexuality in which sexual pleasure involves not only one's own gratification but also the social and bodily satisfaction brought to another person.
genotype The genetic blueprint of an organism which may or may not be overtly expressed by its phenotype. See also phenotype.
geons Primitive geometric figures, such as cubes, cylinders, and pyramids, from which all other shapes are created through combination. In many models of pattern recognition, the organism must first determine which geons are present and then determine what the objects are.
Gestalt An organized whole such as a visual form or a melody.
Gestalt psychology A theoretical approach that emphasizes the role of organized wholes (Gestalten) in perception and other psychological processes.
glands Bodily organs that produce hormones. See also endocrine system.
glial cells Cells in the brain that act as guidewires for growing neurons, provide a supportive scaffolding for mature neurons, and form the myelin sheath and blood-brain barrier.
glove anesthesia A condition sometimes seen in conversion disorders, in which there is an anesthesia of the entire hand with no loss of feeling above the wrist. This symptom makes no organic sense given the anatomical arrangement of the nerve trunks and indicates that the condition has a psychological basis.
glucoreceptors Receptors in the brain (in the area of the hypothalamus) that detect the amount of glucose in the bloodstream.
glucose The form of sugar that is the major source of energy for most bodily tissues. If plentiful, much of it is converted into glycogen and stored.
glutamate The most critical neurotransmitter in the retina, it also appears to be important for long-term memory and the perception of pain.
glycogen A stored form of metabolic energy derived from glucose. To be used, it must first be converted back into glucose.
goal state The situation one is trying to reach or set up when solving a problem.
gonads The body's primary sexual organs — ovaries in the female, testes in the male.
good continuation A factor in visual grouping. Contours tend to be seen in such a way that their direction is altered as little as possible.
gray matter That portion of the brain that appears gray. The color reflects the absence of myelination (which makes neural tissue appear white). The gray matter consists of the cell bodies, dendrites, and unmyelinated axons that comprise the nervous system's microcircuitry.
great-person theory The notion that significant events in history are caused by specific and exceptional individuals, rather than being precipitated largely by surrounding events.
ground The backdrop against which a figure is viewed. See figure-ground organization.
grouping The step in perception in which one determines which elements of the display belong together, as parts of a larger unit, and which do not.
group polarization A pattern often observed in group discussions in which the attitudes of each member of the group become more extreme as a result of the discussion, even though the discussion drew their attention to arguments on the other side of the issue, arguments that plausibly might have moderated their views.
groupthink A pattern of thinking that occurs when a group works on a problem, especially if the group is highly cohesive, faced by some external threat, and closed to outside information or opinions.
guevedoces syndrome A genetic disorder in which the external genitals appear to be female, but, at puberty, develop into normal male genitals.
|
