OCR GCSE Psychology key terms

An offence through which someone gains money or property, such as theft, burglary or fraud.

An experience or situation that triggers a person’s interpretation and subsequent response.

The increased neural activity that generates random signals during sleep in Activation Synthesis Theory.

An explanation of dreaming in which the brain interprets and combines internally generated neural activity into a dream experience.

A biological explanation proposed by Hobson and McCarley in which dreams arise when the cerebral cortex tries to make sense of random neural activity during sleep.

Learning through exploring, investigating and acting on materials rather than only receiving information. Piaget’s educational approach emphasises discovery learning.

Having a function that increases the chances of survival and reproduction in a particular environment.

The transition between childhood and adulthood, involving physical, cognitive, emotional and social changes.

An imbalance in research that favours a particular age group, potentially making the findings inappropriate for other ages.

Typical test results for people of a particular age, used as a reference when interpreting an individual's performance.

A state in which someone sees themselves as carrying out an authority figure’s wishes and regards that authority as responsible for the consequences.

Behaviour intended to harm another person, physically or psychologically.

A statement predicting a difference between conditions or groups, or a correlation between variables.

A loss of memory that can affect memories from before an illness or injury, the formation of new memories, or both.

Loss of interest or pleasure in activities that a person would usually enjoy.

Believing that inanimate objects are alive or have feelings.

An inability to form new long-term memories after the onset of an illness or injury.

Medication used to treat clinical depression by changing neurotransmitter activity involved in mood.

Medication used to reduce psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations and delusions, by altering neurotransmitter activity in the brain.

Behaviour that harms other people or goes against accepted social rules.

Behaviour by a group that harms others or breaks social rules, such as collective violence, vandalism or looting.

A state of physical and mental alertness. High arousal at bedtime can make it difficult to fall asleep.

Interpreting a new experience using an existing schema.

A judgement or belief about a person, group or issue that can affect how someone behaves towards them.

The loss of participants between stages of a study. Attrition can bias findings if those who remain differ systematically from those who leave.

A personality characterised by strong respect for authority, rigid beliefs and intolerance towards others.

A person whose position gives them the power or right to give orders, such as a teacher or police officer.