Environmental Pollution, Problems and Control Measures Essay

A. Introduction and definition of environmental pollution – We know that, a living organism cannot live by itself. Organisms interact among themselves. Hence, all organisms, such as plants, animals and human beings, as well as the physical surroundings with whom we interact, form a part of our environment. All these constituents of the environment are dependent upon each other. Thus, they maintain a balance in nature. As we are the only organisms try to modify the environment to fulfill our needs; it is our responsibility to take necessary steps to control the environmental imbalances. The environmental imbalance gives rise to various environmental problems. Some of the environmental problems are pollution, soil erosion leading to floods, salt deserts and sea recedes, desertification, landslides, change of river directions, extinction of species, and vulnerable ecosystem in place of more complex and stable ecosystems, depletion of natural resources, waste accumulation, defores tation, thinning of ozone layer and global warming. The environmental problems are visualized in terms of pollution, growth in population, development, industrialization, unplanned urbanization etc. Rapid migration and increase in population in the urban areas has also lead to traffic congestion, water shortages, solid waste, and air, water and noise pollution are common noticeable problems in almost all the urban areas since last few years. Environmental pollution is defined as the undesirable change in physical, chemical and biological characteristics of our air, land and water. As a result of over-population, rapid industrializations, and other human activities like agriculture and deforestation etc., earth became loaded with diverse pollutants that were released as by-products. Pollutants are generally grouped under two classes: (a) Biodegradable pollutants – Biodegradable pollutants are broken down by the activity of micro-organisms and enter into the biogeochemical cycles. Examples of such pollutants are domestic waste pr oducts, urine and faucal matter, sewage, agricultural residue, paper, wood and cloth etc. (b) Non- Biodegradable pollutants – Non-biodegradable pollutants are stronger chemical bondage, do not break down into simpler and harmless products. These include various insecticides and other pesticides, mercury, lead, arsenic, aluminum, plastics, radioactive waste etc. B. Classification of Environmental Pollution – Pollution can be broadly classified according to  the components of environment that are polluted. Major of these are: Air pollution, Water pollution, Soil pollution (land degradation) and Noise pollution. Details of these types of pollutions are discussed below with their prevention measures. (1) Air Pollution: Air is mainly a mixture of various gases such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen. These are present in a particular ratio. Whenever there is any imbalance in the ratio of these gases, air pollution is caused. The sources of air pollution can be grouped as under (i) Natural; such as, forest fires, ash from smoking volcanoes, dust storm and decay of organic matters. (ii) Man-made due to population explosion, deforestation, urbanization and industrializations. Certain activities of human beings release several pollutants in air, such as carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), hydrocarbons (HC), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), lead, arsenic, asbestos, radioactive matter, and dust. The major threat comes from burning of fossil fuels, such as coal and petroleum products. Thermal power plants, automobiles and industries are major sources of air pollution as well. Due to progress in atomic energy sector, there has been an increase in radioactivity in the atmosphere. Mining activity adds to air pollution in the form of particulate matter. Progress in agriculture due to use of fertilizers and pesticides has also contributed towards air pollution. Indiscriminate cutting of trees and clearing of forests has led to increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in atmosphere. Global warming is a consequence of green house effect caused by increased level of carbon dioxide (CO2). Ozone (O3) depletion has resulted in UV radiation striking our earth. Harmful Effects of air pollution – (a) It affects respiratory system of living organisms and causes bronchitis, asthma, lung cancer, pneumonia etc. Carbon monoxide (CO) emitted from motor vehicles and cigarette smoke affects the central nervous system. (b) Due to depletion of ozone layer, UV radiation reaches the earth. UV radiation causes skin cancer, damage to eyes and immune system. (c) Acid rain is also a result of air pollution. This is caused by presence of oxides of nitrogen and sulfur in the air. These oxides dissolve in rain water to form nitric acid and sulfuric acid respectively. Various monuments, buildings, and statues are damaged due to corrosion by acid present in the rain. The soil also becomes acidic. The cumulative effect is the gradual degradation of soil and a decline in forest and agricultural productivity. (d) The green house gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) trap the heat radiated from earth. This leads to an increase in earth’s temperature. (e) Some toxic metals and pesticides also cause air pollution. [For more refer Industrial Dust, Air Pollution and Related Occupational Diseases ] (2) Water Pollution: Water is one of the prime necessities of life. With increasing number of people depend on this resource; water has become a scarce commodity. Pollution makes even the limited available water unfit for use. Water is said to be polluted when there is any physical, biological or chemical change in water quality that adversely affects living organisms or makes water unsuitable for use. Sources of water pollution are mainly factories, power plants, coal mines and oil wells situated either close to water source or away from sources. They discharge pollutants directly or indirectly into the water sources like river, lakes, water streams etc. The harmful effects of water pollution are: (a) Human beings become victims of various water borne diseases, such as typhoid, cholera, dysentery, hepatitis, jaundice, etc. (b) The presence of acids/alkalies in water destroys the microorganisms, thereby hindering the self-purification process in the rivers or water bodies. Agriculture is affected badly due to polluted  water. Marine eco-systems are affected adversely. (c) The sewage waste promotes growth of phytoplankton in water bodies; causing reduction of dissolved oxygen. (d) Poisonous industrial wastes present in water bodies affect the fish population and deprives us of one of our sources of food. It also kills other animals living in fresh water. (e) The quality of underground water is also affected due to toxicity and pollutant content of surface water. (2.1) Water pollution by industries and its effects – A change in the chemical, physical, biological, and radiological quality of water that is injurious to its uses. The term â€Å"water pollution† generally refers to human-induced changes to water quality. Thus, the discharge of toxic chemicals from industries or the release of human or livestock waste into a nearby water body is considered pollution. The contamination of ground water of water bodies like rivers, lakes, wetlands, estuaries, and oceans can threaten the health of humans and aquatic life. Sources of water pollution may be divided into two categories. (i) Point-source pollution, in which contaminants are discharged from a discrete location. Sewage outfalls and oil spills are examples of point-source pollution. (ii) Non-point-source or diffuse pollution, referring to all of the other discharges that deliver contaminants to water bodies. Acid rain and unconfined runoff from agricultural or urban areas falls under this category. The principal contaminants of water include toxic chemicals, nutrients, biodegradable organics, and bacterial & viral pathogens. Water pollution can affect human health when pollutants enter the body either via skin exposure or through the direct consumption of contaminated drinking water and contaminated food. Prime pollutants, including DDT and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), persist in the natural environment and bioaccumulation occurs in the tissues of aquatic organisms. These prolonged and persistent organic pollutants are transferred up the food chain and they can reach levels of concern in fish species that are eaten by humans. Moreover, bacteria and viral pathogens can pose a public health risk for those who drink contaminated water or eat raw shellfish from polluted water bodies. Contaminants have a significant impact on aquatic ecosystems. Enrichment of water bodies with nutrients (principally nitrogen and phosphorus) can result in the growth of algae and other aquatic plants that shade or clog streams. If wastewater containing biodegradable organic matter is discharged into a stream with inadequate  dissolved oxygen, the water downstream of the point of discharge will become anaerobic and will be turbid and dark. Settleable solids will be deposited on the streambed, and anaerobic decomposition will occur. Over the reach of stream where the dissolved-oxygen concentration is zero, a zone of putrefaction will occur with the production of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), ammonia (NH3), and other odorous gases. Because many fish species require a minimum of 4–5 mg of dissolved oxygen per liter of water, they will be unable to survive in this portion of the stream. Direct exposures to toxic chemicals are also a health concern for individual aquatic plants and animals. Chemicals such as pesticides are frequently transported to lakes and rivers via runoff, and they can have harmful effects on aquatic life. Toxic chemicals have been shown to reduce the growth, survival, reproductive output, and disease resistance of exposed organisms. These effects can have important consequences for the viability of aquatic populations and communities. Wastewater discharges are most commonly controlled through effluent standards and discharge permits. Under this system, discharge permits are issued with limits on the quantity and quality of effluents. Water-quality standards are sets of qualitative and quantitative criteria designed to maintain or enhance the quality of receiving waters. Criteria can be developed and implemented to protect aquatic life against acute and chronic effects and to safeguard humans against deleterious health effects, including cancer. [ For more refer ‘Water Conservation – Need-of-the-day for our very survival’ ] (3) Soil pollution (Land degradation): Land pollution is due to (i) Deforestation and (ii) Dumping of solid wastes. Deforestation increases soil erosion; thus valuable agricultural land is lost. Solid wastes from household and industries also pollute land and enhance land degradation. Solid wastes include things from household waste and of industrial wastes. They include ash, glass, peelings of fruit and vegetables, paper, clothes, plastics, rubber, leather, brick, sand, metal, waste from cattle shed, night soil and cow dung. Chemicals discharged into air, such as compounds of sulfur and lead, eventually come to soil and pollute it. The heaps of solid waste destroy the natural beauty and surroundings become dirty. Pigs, dogs, rats, flies, mosquitoes visit the  dumped waste and foul smell comes from the waste. The waste may block the flow of water in the drain, which then becomes the breeding place for mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are carriers of parasites of malaria and dengue. Consumption of polluted water causes many diseases, such as cholera, diarrhea and dysentery. [ For more refer Solid Waste Disposal -A Burning Problem To Be Resolved To Save Environment ] (4) Noise pollution : High level noise is a disturbance to the human environment. Because of urbanization, noise in all areas in a city has increased considerably. One of the most pervasive sources of noise in our environment today is those associated with transportation. People reside adjacent to highways, are subjected to high level of noise produced by trucks and vehicles pass on the highways. Prolonged exposure to high level of noise is very much harmful to the health of mankind. In industry and in mines the main sources of noise pollution are blasting, movement of heavy earth moving machines, drilling, crusher and coal handling plants etc. The critical value for the development of hearing problems is at 80 decibels. Chronic exposure to noise may cause noise-induced hearing loss. High noise levels can contribute to cardiovascular effects. Moreover, noise can be a causal factor in workplace accidents. C. Fundamentals of prevention and control of air pollution: As mentioned above, air pollutants can be gaseous or particulate matters. Different techniques for controlling these pollutants are discussed below: a. Methods of controlling gaseous pollutants – 1. Combustion – This technique is used when the pollutants are in the form of organic gases or vapors. During flame combustion or catalytic process, these organic pollutants are converted into water vapor and relatively less harmful products, such as CO2. 2. Absorption – In this technique, the gaseous effluents are passed through scrubbers or absorbers. These contain a suitable liquid absorbent, which removes or modifies one or more of the pollutants present in the gaseous effluents. 3. Adsorption – The gaseous effluents are passed through porous solid adsorbents kept in suitable containers. The organic and inorganic constituents of the effluent gases are trapped at the interface of the solid adsorbent by physical adsorbent. b. Methods to control particulate emissions – 1. Mechanical devices generally work on the basis of the following: (i) Gravity: In this process, the particles settle down by gravitational force. (ii) Sudden change in direction of the gas flow. This causes the particles to separate out due to greater momentum. 2. Fabric Filters: The gases containing dust are passed through a porous medium. These porous media may be woven or filled fabrics. The particles present in the gas are trapped and collected in the filters. The gases freed from the particles are discharged. 3. Wet Scrubbers: Wet scrubbers are used in chemical, mining and metallurgical industries to trap SO2, NH3, metal fumes, etc. 4. Electrostatic Precipitators: When a gas or an air stream containing aerosols in the form of dust, fumes or mist, is passed between two electrodes, then, the aerosol particles get precipitated on the electrode. c. Other practices in controlling air pollution -Apart from the above, following practices also help in controlling air pollution. (i) Use of better designed equipment and smokeless fuels, hearths in industries and at home. (ii) Automobiles should be properly maintained and adhere to recent emission-control standards. (iii) More trees should be planted along road side and houses. (iv) Renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar energy, ocean currents, should fulfill energy needs. (v) Tall chimneys should be installed for vertical dispersion of pollutants. d. General air pollution control devices / equipments for industries – The commonly used equipments / process for control of dust in various industries are (a) Mechanical dust collectors in the form of dust cyclones; (b) Electrostatic precipitators – both dry and wet system; (c) particulate scrubbers; (d) Water sprayer at dust generation points; (e) proper ventilation system and (f) various monitoring devices to know the concentration of dust in general body of air. The common equipments / process used for control of toxic / flue gases are the (a) process of desulphurisation; (b) process of denitrification; (c) Gas conditioning etc. and (d) various monitoring devices to know the efficacy of the systems used. e. Steps, in general, to be taken for reduction of air pollution – To change our behavior in order to reduce AIR POLLUTION at home as well as on the road, few following small steps taken by us would lead to clean our Environment. At Home: 1. Avoid using chemical pesticides or fertilizers in your yard and garden. Many fertilizers are a source of nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Try organic products instead. 2. Compost your yard waste instead of burning it. Outdoor burning is not advisable, as it pollutes air. Breathing this smoke is bad for you, your family and your neighbors. Plus, you can use the compost in your garden. 3. If you use a wood stove or fireplace to heat your home, it would be better to consider switching to another form of heat which does not generate smoke. It is always better to use sweater or warm clothing than using fireplace. 4. Be energy efficient. Most traditional sources of energy burn fossil fuels, causing air pollution. Keep your home well-maintained with weather-stripping, storm windows, and insulation. Lowering your thermostat can also help – and for every two degrees Fahrenheit you lower it, you save about two percent on your heating bill. 5. Plant trees and encourage other to plant trees as well. Trees absorb and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and filter out air pollution. During warmer days, trees provide cool air, unnecessary use of energy on air conditioning is avoided, hence the air pollution. 6. Try to stop smoking; at home, at office or at outside. Tobacco smoking not only deteriorates self’s health, it affects others health too. On the Road: 7. Keep your vehicle well maintained. A poorly maintained engine both creates more air pollution and uses more fuel. Replace oil and air filters regularly, and keep your tires properly inflated. 8. Drive less. Walking, bicycling, riding the bus, or working from home can save you money as well as reducing air pollution. 9. Don’t idle your vehicle. If you stop for more than 30 seconds, except in traffic, turn off your engine. 10. Don’t buy more car than you need. Four-wheel drive, all-wheel drive, engine size, vehicle weight, and tire size all affect the amount of fuel your vehicle uses. The more fuel it uses the more air pollution it causes. D. Water pollution prevention and control: Water is a key resource for our quality of life. It also provides natural habitats and eco-systems for plant and animal species. Access to clean water for drinking and sanitary purposes is a precondition for human health and well-being. Clean unpolluted water is essential for our ecosystems. Plants  and animals in lakes, rivers and seas react to changes in their environment caused by changes in chemical water quality and physical disturbance of their habitat. Water pollution is a human-induced change in the chemical, physical, biological, and radiological quality of water that is injurious to its existing, intended, or potential uses such as boating, waterskiing, swimming, the consumption of fish, and the health of aquatic organisms and ecosystems. Thus, the discharge of toxic chemicals from a pipe or the release of livestock waste into a nearby water body is considered pollution. The contamination of ground water, rivers, lakes, wetlands, estuaries, and oceans can threaten the hea lth of humans and aquatic life. Contaminants have a significant impact on aquatic ecosystems. for example, enrichment of water bodies with nutrients (principally nitrogen and phosphorus) can result in the growth of algae and other aquatic plants that shade or clog streams. Direct exposures to toxic chemicals such as pesticides, is also a health concern for individual aquatic plants and animals. Without healthy water for drinking, cooking, fishing, and farming, the human race would perish. Clean water is also necessary for recreational interests such as swimming, boating, and water skiing. a. Sources of Water Pollution – Sources of water pollution are generally divided into two categories. The first is point-source pollution, in which contaminants are discharged from a discrete location. Sewage outfalls and oil spills are examples of point-source pollution. The second category is non-point-source or diffuses pollution, referring to all of the other discharges that deliver contaminants to water bodies. Numerous manufacturing plants pour off undiluted corrosives, poisons, and other noxious byproducts to water streams. The construction industry discharges slurries of gypsum, cement, abrasives, metals, and poisonous solvents. The mining industry also presents persistent water pollution problems. In yet another instance of pollution, hot water discharged by factories and power plants causes so-called ‘thermal pollution’ by increasing water temperatures. Such increases change the level of oxygen dissolved in a body of water, thereby disrupting the water’s ecological balance, killing off some plant and animal species while encouraging the overgrowth of oth ers. Towns and municipalities are also major sources of water pollution. In many public water systems, pollution exceeds safe levels. One reason for this is that much groundwater has been  contaminated by wastes pumped underground for disposal or by seepage from surface water. When contamination reaches underground water tables, it is difficult to correct and spreads over wide areas. Discharge of untreated or only partially treated sewage into the waterways threatens the health of their own and neighboring populations as well. Along with domestic wastes, sewage carries industrial contaminants and a growing tonnage of paper and plastic refuse. Although thorough sewage treatment would destroy most disease-causing bacteria, the problem of the spread of viruses and viral illness remains. Additionally, most sewage treatment does not remove phosphorus compounds, contributed principally by detergents. b. Dangers of Water Pollution – Virtually all water pollutants are hazardous to humans as well as lesser species; sodium is implicated in cardiovascular disease, nitrates in blood disorders. Mercury and lead can cause nervous disorders. Some contaminants are carcinogens. DDT is toxic to humans and can alter chromosomes. Along many shores, shellfish can no longer be taken because of contamination by DDT, sewage, or industrial wastes. c. Prevention and Control of Water Pollution – Sewage should be treated before it is discharged into the river or ocean. This is possible through modern techniques. Sewage is first passed through a grinding mechanism. This is then passed through several settling chambers and neutralized with lime. Up to this stage, the process is called primary treatment. The sewage still contains a large number of pathogenic and non-pathogenic or ganisms, and also sufficient quantity of organic matter. The neutralized effluents are sent to UASB (up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket). It is a reactor. In this, the anaerobic bacteria degrade the biodegradable material present in the waste water. This removes foul odor and releases methane, which can be used elsewhere. In this system, the pollution load is reduced upto 85 percent. After this, water is sent to aeration tanks where it is mixed with air and bacteria. Bacteria digest the organic waste material. This is called biological or secondary treatment. Even after the treatment, water is not yet fit for drinking. The harmful microorganisms need to be killed. The final step (tertiary treatment) is, therefore, a disinfection process, to remove final traces of organics, bacteria, dissolved inorganic solids, etc. For tertiary treatment, methods, such as chlorination, evaporation, and exchange absorption may be employed. These depend upon the required quality  of the final treatment. Apart from the above, you should also adopt the following practices: (i) Waste food material, paper, decaying vegetables and plastics should not be thrown into open drains. (ii) Effluents from distilleries, and solid wastes containing organic matter should be sent to biogas plants for generation of energy. (iii) Oil slicks should be skimmed off from the surface with suction device. Sawdust may be spread over oil slicks to absorb the oil components. E. Soil erosion and its prevention: Soil erosion by water, wind and tillage affects both agriculture and the natural environment. Soil loss, and its associated impacts, is one of the most important (yet probably the least well-known) of today’s environmental problems. It is mostly due to poor land use practices, which include deforestation, overgrazing, unmanaged construction activity and road or trail building. Soil is a complex mixture of living and non-living mater ials. It provides anchorage and sustenance to plants. Natural agents like water and wind, constantly tend to remove the top soil and cause erosion. Rain falling upon the unprotected top soil, washes it down into the streams. Due to the absence of plant covering, eroded soil cannot hold water. Water rushes into the rivers and overflows as flood. Dust storm also causes soil erosion. The particles of top soil are picked up in such quantities that they form clouds of dust. Human beings also cause soil erosion. The growing human habitation and expansion of urban areas lead to removal of vegetation. Once vegetation is removed, the naked soil gets exposed to wind and water. Improper tillage is another cause of soil erosion. Farmers often loosen the top soil for removing weeds and preparing seed beds. They also leave agricultural fields lying fallow for long time. These practices expose the top soil to the wind and cause erosion. Soil erosion is always a result of mankind’s unwise actions, such as overgrazing or unsuitable cultivation practices. These leave the land unprotected and vulnerable. Accelerated soil erosion by water or wind may affect both agricultural areas and the natural environment, and is one of the most widespread of today’s environmental problems. Soil erosion is just one form of soil degradation. Other kinds of soil degradation include salinisation, nutrient loss, and compaction. Prevention of soil erosion – Plants provide protective cover on the land and prevent soil erosion for the reasons: (a) plants slow down water as it flows over the land (runoff) and this allows  much of the rain to soak into the ground; (b) plant roots hold the soil in position and prevent it from being washed away; (c) plants break the impact of a raindrop before it hits the soil, thus reducing its ability to erode; (d) plants in wetlands and on the banks of rivers are of particular importance as they slow down the flow of the water and their roots bind the soil, thus preventing erosion. Preventing soil erosion requires technical changes to adopt. Aspects of technical changes include: (i) use of contour ploughing and wind breaks; (ii) leaving unploughed grass strips between ploughed land;  (iii) making sure that there are always plants growing on the soil, and that the soil is rich in humus (decaying plant and animal remains). This organic matter is the â€Å"glue† that binds the soil particles together and plays an important part in preventing erosion; (iv) avoiding overgrazing and the over-use of crop lands; (v) allowing indigenous plants to grow along the river banks instead of ploughing and planting crops right up to the water’s edge; (vi) encouraging biological diversity by planting several different types of plants together; (vii) conservation of wetlands. We can check soil erosion by adopting the following additional practices: 1. Intensive cropping and use of proper drainage canals. 2. Terracing on the sloping fields. This retards the speed of the flowing water. 3. Planting trees and sowing grasses. 4. Extensive aforestation practices to be carried out. [ For more refer Soil Erosion Combating is Essential ] F. Mitigation of Noise pollution: Reducing noise pollution by muffling the sounds at the source is one of the best methods in industry and for urban living. Protective equipment is generally mandatory when noise levels exceed 85 dB(A) in industry. Creation of green cover adjacent to municipal roads and in mines is the way to mitigate noise pollution. It has been observed that noise level reduces by 10 decibels per every 10m wide green belt development. Apart, redesigning industrial equipment, shock mounting assemblies and physical barriers in the workplace are also for reduction and  exposure of unwanted industrial noise. High way noise pollution can be mitigated by constructing noise barriers. Artificial noise barriers are solid obstructions built between the highway and the residential areas along a highway. They block major portion of noise produced by passing vehicles on a highway. Effective noise barriers typically reduce noise levels by as much as half or more. The construction of noise barrier may be built in the form of earth mounds, vertical wall along the highways for creation of blockage of sound generated by heavy vehicles. Creation of greenbelt in the space between the residences and highways also reduces the noise nuisance. G. Conservation and protection of environment: By now, all of us have realized how important it is to protect the environment for our own survival. The term ‘conservation’ of environment relates to activities which can provide individual or commercial benefits, but at the same time, prevent excessive use leading to environmental damage. Conservation may be distinguished from preservation, which is considered to be â€Å"maintaining of nature as it is, or might have been before the intervention of either human beings or natural forces.† We know that natural resources are getting depleted and environmental problems are increasing. It is, therefore, necessary to conserve and protect our environment. Following practices help in protecting our environment. 1. Rotation of crops. 2. Judicious use of fertilisers, intensive cropping, proper drainage and irrigation. 3. Treatment of sewage, so that it does not pollute the rivers and other water bodies. 4. Composting organic solid waste for use as manure. 5. Planting trees in place of those removed for various purposes. 6. National parks and conservation forests should be established by the government. 7. Harvesting of rain water. Some action points to protect or improve the environment – (i) Dispose the waste after separating them into biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste material. (ii) Start a compost heap or use a compost bin. This can be used to recycle waste food and other biodegradable materials. (iii) Avoid unnecessary or wasteful packaging of products. (iv) Reuse carry bags. (v) Plant trees. They will help to absorb excess carbon dioxide. (vi) Observe World Environment Day on 5th June. (vii) Never put any left over chemicals, used oils down the drain, toilet or dump them on the ground or in water or burn them in the garden. If you do so, it will cause pollution. (viii) Don’t burn any waste, especially plastics, for the smoke may contain polluting gases. (ix) Use unleaded petrol and alternate sources of energy, and keep the engine properly tuned and serviced and the tyres inflated to the right pressure, so that vehicle runs efficiently. (x) Avoid fast starts and sudden braking of automobiles. (xi) Walk or cycle where it is safe to do so – walking is free; cycling can help to keep you fit. (xii) Use public transport wherever you can, or form a car pool for everyday travel. (xiii) Send your waste oil, old batteries and used tyres to a garage for recycling or safe disposal; all these can cause serious pollution. References: 1. http://environmentengineering.blogspot.com/2008/03/fundamentals-of-our-environment-and.html 2. http://environmentengineering.blogspot.com/2008/03/soil-erosion-and-its-prevention.html 3. http://environmentengineering.blogspot.com/2008/03/water-pollution-its-prevention-and.html 4. http://environmentengineering.blogspot.com/2008/03/fundamentals-of-prevention-and-control.html 5. http://environmentengineering.blogspot.com/2008/03/conservation-and-protection-of.html 6. http://environmentengineering.blogspot.com/2008/02/noise-barriers-are-to-mitigate-highway.html 7. http://knol.google.com/k/partha-das-sharma/fundamentals-of-our-environment/oml631csgjs7/18# 8. http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/ewco/2006/07/NL0607029I.htm 9. http://environmentengineering.blogspot.com/2008/03/water-pollution-by-industries-and-its.html

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl When I had heard that New York Times’ Crime Columnist, Marilyn Stasio, had written about former Entertainment Weekly critic, Gillian Flynn’s newest thriller, the best-selling crime novel of the summer, Gone Girl, I was compelled to see what she had written. Stasio begins by setting Flynn’s newest piece on a pedestal of literary genius. Her use of the English language made it as tempting as bait to a fish: â€Å"Gillian Flynn’s latest novel of psychological suspense will confound anyone trying to keep up with her quicksilver mind and diabolical rules of play. She goes on later in the article to comment of her fearless ability to strip dense pretenses from her characters and lay them bare across the pages of the novel for all her readers to see. I was sold at â€Å"psychological. † The article commends the author on her clever usage of a double narration technique. This, ties in with Flynn’s supposed unique abi lity which allows us, the readers, to closely view the elaborate maze of a book that she has created. If you don’t pay attention to where everything is headed, you’ll be lost before you can flip the page.The specific uses of the two narrators (who are also the main characters) are one of the only things that I agree upon with Stasio. One of the narrators gives us his confused perspective of the main plot which only leads us to a red herring. We are fed a selective amount and quality of information that creates a neon sign in our head that says, â€Å"HE KILLED HER. † The other narrator, just as useful, gives us disturbing accounts of events that, as Stasio says, are â€Å"instances of marital discord [that] might flare into a homicidal rage. If nothing else reeled me in, the words â€Å"homicidal† and â€Å"rage† definitely led me to believe the story would inevitably lead to a climactic ending that mirrored something that could only be found in a Saw movie. I was left as a man is left disappointed at an altar. I felt as if I had wasted a good portion of my life on something that didn’t deserve to scrape dirt off the bottom of my shoes. The story turned out to be one of those classic rich girl abductions where she is returned unharmed as if nothing ever happened.And as an added twist, she turns out to be an attention craving psychopath with problems that stem from her perfect parents who are successful writers. The subject of every one of their stories is based off their daughter. Anything she does wrong, the subject of their book does correctly. This is one of many things that should have led to a gut-wrenching finish, but instead led to one homicide and a cliff hanger that could mean absolutely anything: â€Å"I really truly wish he hadn’t said that.I keep thinking about it. I can’t stop. / I don’t have anything else to add I just wanted to make sure I had the last word. I think I’ve ear ned that† (Gone Girl 430). After finishing the first chapter of the novel, I realized that Stasio had summarized all of it in the second paragraph of her article. This epiphany was followed by another brutal five chapters of pre-examined reading. Stasio might not realize it but, she has taken away the only pleasure one could have from reading this novel.The beginning is so innocently written that you would think that our main character could never kill his wife, no matter all the evidence that piled up. It would be possible to ignore the smile he gives the press when they told them about his wife. It would be possible to ignore him increasing his wife’s life insurance before she disappears. It would be possible to ignore his young and pretty girlfriend. But you simply cannot ignore Stasio’s plot spoiling review. â€Å"Diabolical†¦underhanded†¦trickery†¦devilish way† are all words Stasio uses to describe Flynn’s new novel.The only word I can come up with to describe Stasio’s article is â€Å"hypocrite! † Stasio’s perspective on the novel seems filled with excitement and satisfaction, but the truth is upon closer inspection, you can tell that she really couldn’t find anything kind to say, (not that I blame her). My problem with it was how she led me to believe the book would be worth spending valuable time reading. Truth be told, I would rather jump off a bridge. It would definitely be more thrilling than Gone Girl. Maybe Stasio could lead them to believe someone pushed me.

American Civic Values Essay Example for Free

American Civic Values Essay In America our society has always been a morals run country, from our domestic everyday lives. Our society, groups with different civic values with who have a lot of power on our lives that we live everyday which includes schools and religious groups. There are some individuals who hold our civic values to a higher standard than those who have no regard for other members in their community. When it comes to undermining American civic values our media has a lot to be blame for as they promote and glamorize violence and illegal activities and does not show how communities can help each other adhere to civic policies. It is important for large groups to have set behaviors to adhere to, and civic values are important in keeping America a peaceful place that is safe for us as well as children. America has become a haven for special interest groups. If people don’t like something you say or do, plan on your freedom turning inwards and being used against you. Our society is no longer based off a country and its people as a whole, but by individual groups. The American civic values have dropped as special interest groups are in favor of political ground. There are several penalties that fail to adhere to the civic value such as â€Å"blue laws† these laws regulate behavior and restrict activities or the sale of goods on a Sunday to accommodate religious means. For an example in parts of one county here in North-East Florida we are not allowed to purchase alcohol on Sunday this day is constituted for religious matters. Another example of a blue law is the law in Pennsylvania where hunting is prohibited on Sunday’s as this day is recognized for a day of rest according to the religious groups. American Civic Values. (2017, Feb 21).

The Role of Women in the Late 19th Century Essay

The Role of Women in the Late 19th Century - Essay Example The progressive era and the oppressive ideas prevalent The late 19th century can be thought of as an era where rapid business and economic changes occurred, progression in terms of the legal rights and professional attitudes of women occurred. The image of San Francisco in the early twentieth century in the public areas is well portrayed by Jessica to be â€Å"one comprising of substantial stone clad buildings, visible down Market Street with a lively mixture of people which comprised of women in long dresses and hats and working women in business suits† (Jessica, 2011, pg 11). The women in the late 19th century faced much oppression in the work place especially in male dominated areas. Sexism or gender discrimination was at its peak in this era as female workers in highly proficient jobs faced opposition from both sexes. The major role of the women in the late 19th century was that of a housekeeper and caretaker of the children. The women from wealthy families hosted parties for business reasons and charity raising purposes. Working women faced a huge opposition from their family, society and at the work place. The women in the 19th century were involved in many reform movements like the women’s rights to suffrage, feminism to pacifism, temperance to abolitionism which changed the American history and gained many rights for the women (Kathleen, Therese, 1996, pg 25). There were many informal community groups involved to bring about a change in the neighborhood, the state, the society and ultimately in the nation. Women began to enter into all fields like journalism, photography, law, medicine and engineering. The publications like newspapers and magazines played a major role in the upliftment of the women (Kathleen, Therese, 1996, pg XVII). The right to vote was given to women in the 19th century by the joint effort of many women’s right movements active at that time. Discussion The book the Russian Hill murders by Shirley portrays the bac kground found in the late 19th century well in relation to how the women were treated, expected to behave and the general culture over the period of time. The book is a murder mystery set in the 19th century and the incident occurs at San Francisco. The female lead in the book is Sarah Woolson who is an attorney at law in the late 1880’s, inspired by her father who was a Judge (Shirley, 2005, pg 15). The firm in itself is a major obstruction for her as she is taken into the firm reluctantly and in every manner possible the firm tries to push her down from her professional practice. The women in the 19th century had demanding work, much more tough than practicing criminal law in terms of the physical effort they had to spend â€Å"I find it strange that practicing law in a comfortable well-heated office is considered too demanding an occupation for women†¦.† (Shirley, 2005, pg 6). Sarah overcomes the numerous oppositions she faces with a helpful few while following the female etiquette demanded from women during the late 19th century. Conclusion In the book Russian hill murders (Shirley, 2005) the social status of women in the late 19th century is well analyzed. The characters are all well portrayed and the background description fits in well with what existed in reality in the late 19th century. The lead character Sarah gives us an idea of how women in male dominated fields were treated in the 19th centur

Discussion Board Post Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 23

Discussion Board Post Response - Essay Example Provision of safe care is one of the main aims of quality care. In my course project, a balanced scorecard is focused on reducing clinic wait times. In this regard, a balanced scorecard is used as a basis for quality improvement in all aspects of healthcare. There are many performance tools that can be used to monitor and manage quality improvements. I agree that performance prism is one of the performance measures. The needs of stakeholders are largely focused on quality. Utilizing performance tools links performance measures (Kaplan and Norton, 1992) and a result help identify problems areas that need improvement. I also agree with your discussion that performance prism combines processes, strategies, and capabilities and aligns them appropriately to meet the needs of all stakeholders. As postulated by the Balanced Scorecard (2012), quality improvement tools allows healthcare leaders or managers to view or look at their business in a range of perspectives. In your discussion, stakeholders perspective is clearly illustrated. In regard to stakeholders perspective, I concur that achieving a higher percentage of defect-free charts twenty four hours before surgery is of

Impacts and Strategies of Seasonality in the Tourism Industry Dissertation

Impacts and Strategies of Seasonality in the Tourism Industry - Dissertation Example Seasonality has been mostly found to affect the businesses of the tourist enterprises. It has been obtained that seasonality is mostly caused by the changing climatic conditions depending on different times of the year. Thus while during the summer months, the number of visitors at a particular locations might be recorded to be at its peak; the results might be just the opposite during the other months of the year. This factor has led to significant problems in the industry since business is hampered effectively during those months when visitors are less. This particular study has thus been focused on understanding the primary causes and effects of seasonality on the tourism industry. The study tries to determine that realizing the demands of the tourists; tourist enterprises can plan their maintenance and tourist infrastructures accordingly. Also, there are strategies and models that if followed, can enable the tourist enterprises to reduce the impacts of seasonality on the industry as a whole. Title: Impacts and Strategies of Seasonality in the Tourism Industry Abstract: Seasonality is a highly essential factor as far as the tourism industry across the world is concerned. There are several tourist destinations across the world and in every country the issue of seasonality has become a matter of significant concern. Seasonality has been mostly found to affect the businesses of the tourist enterprises. ... According to Butler (1994) seasonality is defined as the cyclical non - permanent imbalance in tourism which can be quantified in terms of demand of sleeping facilities, number of visitors, employment opportunity variations and expenditure by visitors (Butler, 1994). This concept of seasonality is not peculiar to the tourism industry, but is also experience in many sectors especially the agriculture and manufacturing (Bar On, 1975, Hylleberg, 1992). It is deemed as the main reason why private equity investiture in the tourism sector is very low due to the fluctuating returns on investment over seasons (Hinch and Jackson, 2000). It also leads to the difficulty in obtaining and holding staff on a permanent bases and also leads to overuse of tourist facilities during the in season and underutilization during off peak periods (Butler, 2001). Due to this phenomenon, many industry experts have tried to tackle the problem of seasonality by first trying to understand the causative factors an d how they can be minimized or controlled and also by coming out with both qualitative and quantitative approaches to how this problem can be addressed. There is another school of thought which see some advantages in having seasonality occur, the nature or ecological lovers believe that the off season affords the environment to recover from the masses that visit nature sites during the in season (Cannas, 2012). This school of thought shall however not be included in this research. The concept of seasonality with respect to tourism has been found to of a temporal and spatial concern for the industry. The concept can be focused both in terms of finance as well as the number of visitors to particular tourist destinations. Natural seasonality may result

Counterterrorism and Intelligence Framework Essay

Counterterrorism and Intelligence Framework - Essay Example uct a counterterrorism and Intelligence Framework that will create the most â€Å"robust† intelligence system and strategically efficient counterterrorism operations, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Central Intelligence Agency, and the Defense Intelligence Agency must co-work to help combat terrorism. As much as this may not seem an easy task, it may be accomplished by setting new policies to govern the single body of different agencies, which will in turn govern the integrated agencies. Discussed below, are the anti-terrorism agencies, how they work and their functions. The FBI or the Federal Bureau of Investigation is a major branch on the United States department of justice. It is and intelligence-driven and a threat-focused national security organization that comprises of Federal Criminal Investigations and internal intelligence agency or counterintelligence responsibilities. Their mission is to protect and defend the United States of American against the terrorist attack and foreign intelligence threats. Additionally, they ensure that the criminal laws of the United States are implemented. Moreover, it gives leadership and criminal justice to society. The second agency is the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), which is an independent US Government agency that provides national security intelligence to senior US policymakers. Its sole mission is to eliminate threats and enhance national security objectives by safeguarding the secrets that help keep the U.S. nation safe. With an agency that works solely for the president, it analyzes information from all sources as directed by the president. The agency is portioned into five major departments of divisions. Finally, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) is a counterterrorism agency that gives intelligence to military warfighters, defense policymakers, and force planners in the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community. In addition, it offers support to U.S. in military planning and operations

Brain development from infancy to the age of two Research Paper

Brain development from infancy to the age of two - Research Paper Example Positive in that the infant’s brain is open to learning new things and acquiring new skills as well as enriching influences. However, the young brain is prone to developmental problems especially when the environment is un-nurturing or impoverished. Research shows that the environment of an infant’s early years can have effects affecting the infant throughout life. Muehlenbein, (2010) further says that due to advanced technology, effects relating to early brain development and the environment are now easier to study and understand. Patterns in brain activity that seem to be related to some types of negative early experiences can now be identified by neuroscientists. However, some scholars argue that even before the brain scanning tools allowing this study, some behaviors stemming from early stress, poverty, maltreatment and neglect could be seen even before technology. The evidence provided by neuroscientists is of essence and should be paid attention to since it is crucial in helping people understand how exactly the environment affects brain development. Such knowledge will help children who are at risk and to reverse where possible the consequences of early adversity. Neuroscientists may also aid in our efforts to learn when experiences affect children. Understanding the patterns of specific periods of vulnerability is a better way of improving efforts towards intervention. Brain development begins in the first three weeks after a child is conceived. At conception, it is the egg and the sperm that meet forming a single cell that determine the potential of the genes. Over 55% of the genes carry out the work of brain development. Cells in a thin layer develop on the embryo (Brestan & Lee, 2009). The cells merge to form a tube filled with liquid which is the foundation of the brain and the spinal cord. At this stage, the embryo produces neurons also called nerve cells and in the first month, the cells multiply to produce

Al-Qaeda and Hezbollah Terrorist Organizations Research Paper

Al-Qaeda and Hezbollah Terrorist Organizations - Research Paper Example The consequences of terror campaigns are about all the time catastrophic. Individuals or groups, which commend these crimes, are known as terrorists. Terrorists are present all over the globe. There are a small number of terrorists who operate unaccompanied, but generally they are fraction of one or many global terrorist organizations. Terrorism has been approximately since the commencement of time. It has caused realms to go up and to fall, and allowed certain people to obtain immensely destructive power. Terrorism by nature is difficult to define, roughly it could be said that â€Å"Terrorism as a word in its usual usage has a connotation of evil, indiscriminate violence or brutality.† (Lutz, 2008, p.7). Some groups those are not in any ways committing brutal acts but voicing out randomly for the commoners or for freedom of nation are also labeled as terrorist groups. This is really condemnable, because â€Å"People and organizations are degraded when labeled as terrorists, and political or religious movements can lose followers and funding as a result of the label† (Griset & Mahan, 2003, p. xiii). Terrorism involves ferocious and gruesome actions such as bombing, assassination of important people, mass killing or massacres, taking hostages by hijacking etc. Terrorism is directed towards the military sections, rather for religious or political entities. Several terrorist groups have shaken the world with their violent and horrible attacks and threatened the entire mankind repeatedly in all the parts of the world. Some infamous terrorist groups are working by encompassing global networking system, like Al Qaeda, Hezbollah, Chechens, Hizbool Mujahideen, Taliban etc. They have succeeded to terrorize the entire world. Al Qaeda and Hezbollah are extremely active terrorist groups that have created their unique history of terror throughout the globe. Al Qaeda is the most prominent and matured global terrorist organization in the global history of

Ultrasound portfolio Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Ultrasound portfolio - Research Paper Example Scientists have to scrutinize on the compression and decompression of ultrasound in the transmitting medium, such as water or air. This is only done successfully when the velocity of the traveling sound is constant while in the transmitting medium. Therefore, a simple explanation denotes that around is the epitome of longitudinal waves considered to be in an oscillating movement, which goes back and forth. The oscillation is considered to be in the same direction as the traveling sound waves, thereby encompassing successive zones of compression (Gent 1997). Similarly, the indulgence of successive zones of compression leads to rarefaction. Fig. 1 Courtesy of Hendrick, W., Hykes, D. and Stachman D. (2005) Ultrasound Physics and Instrumentation. New York: Elsevier-Mosby. In the figure above, it is evident that there is a consistent flow of waves, as reflected from the compression and transverse waves. In this figure above, the top waves denote the compression wave, while the bottom deno tes the transverse wave. This is a consistent flow of sound waves, used in the physical examination of the principles underlying sound waves. The audible frequency in this diagram is considered to be in a kind of consistent frequency, which is used as one of the physical principles of ultra sound. ... Movement in Doppler ultrasound is detected when there is a change in the sound frequency. The sound frequency change is evidently seen as the movement reflects visible change. When sound is exposed to different mediums, it is duly reflected, depending on the reflecting surface. After a reelection, the surface will detect the direction of the sound. In addition to this, the reflecting surface will dictate change in the frequency of sound, thereby changing its frequency over time. Transducers have the ability of generating electric charges when there is an applied mechanical stress or energy to their physics. Therefore, when there id a continuous operation mode in a transducer, then the voltage will have a directly proportional sound wave. However, this only depends on one principle. The basic principle in this part is that, the voltage should never be turned off. In the end, the voltage on a transducer will generate an equal sound wave. On the other hand, some transformers are not ope rated in a continuous mode. This is the pulsed mode, where the frequency has change over time. When the pulses are introduced to the transducer, it produces different wave lengths, depending on the pulsed frequency. In moist cases, the wavelength produced by ringing a transducer is doubled by the thickness. One physical principle underlying ultrasound is that, sound travels around corners. Evidently, human beings and animals have the ability to hear sounds, even when the sound is at a far distance and around corners. This evidently shows that the basic physical principle of sound is negotiating corners. This is scientifically referred to sound diffraction (Bates, 2004). However, there is a

Animal Experimentation Essay Example for Free

Animal Experimentation Essay After deep consideration and research about animal testing issues, this problem heated public opinions and took them to debates on media, news, etc. Animals were not experimented in order to find out potential treatments for patients, scientists also used them for testing cosmetic or explore their functions. Because opponents believe animal testing is cruel and ill-gotten and a lot of fight, protests, reasons against it, so everyone try to decrease the number of animals used in studies and finding alternatives. But proponents indicated the long list of medical advances made achievable with the help of animal research. They assumed that technological advances will never be able to reliably replicate all of the uses of laboratory mice and other creatures. First off lets get through a few basic facts. Animal testing costs over $136 billion dollars annually for the American public, so animal testing is actually very expensive. There are almost 400 known alternatives for animal testing being considered. Only 2% of human diseases are recorded inside of the animal kingdom. Everyone, whether they are for or against animal testing, are very biased about their ideas but I will also tell you about the valuable things that are generated from animal testing. Many things such as cleaners, pesticides, and herbicides are tested on animals to make sure they are safe as well. There are many different kinds of tests for different things. For example dogs are used for cardiovascular work. Now lets move on to all of the awful things coming from animal testing. I feel that animal testing is definitely giving us information but it is not worth it for all the pain the animals are experiencing. Some of the animals are not properly anesthetized. In fact, almost ten percent arent and 9 % of the ones who are die. I believe that these laboratories are not using the animals to the full extent anyway because all of the drugs that pass through animal testing either harm or kill humans 61% of the time. Is that the kind of results that should be coming out of this, especially since 33 animals die in a laboratory every second? Some scientists even will say that they believe that rats and mice dont matter because they dont live very long anyway, but I believe that they shouldnt take what little life they have away from them. We can not be completely sure if animal testing is very efficient either because 83% of tested products are found to e metabolized differently with humans and animals. Also a group of scientists tested on animals to see if they got lung cancer from smoking and they didnt, so is it safe to use them for our tests. It is also proven that cats are allergic to Advil. Animals also generate high levels of depression and stress from being contained inside of small cages. Did you know that 5 to 25 % of all drugs that come from animal tests that pass and then are later found to be bad are thrown away. Is it really fair for the animals if they have to give their lives and then we just throw away everything that comes out of it? A lot of scientists have come to the conclusion that animal testing is outdated anyway and they should consider more modern testing. They believe that we should be looking more into computer programs especially since you dont have to wait nearly as long for results and it is much cheaper. Animals must feel the same amount of pain we humans do; some might say otherwise because they dont understand that the animals may be more intelligent and emotional than it seems. Most scientists feel that they get better results and they can be more confident from the amount of data that arrives after a human based test. Even though scientists feel this way I still dont think that we should allow human tests either. It is also a proven fact that most scientists who do animal tests have very high levels of guilt and sorrow even though animal facilities work very hard to make sure the scientists dont become emotionally connected with the animals. Some people, including me, might even say that animals have become the slaves of our generation and we need to fix that. Just because they are inferior doesnt mean we should pick on them. In fact you dont see the smart people in America picking on the dumber or poorer people by subjecting them to tests. About 99% of all physicians have agreed that animal testing has played a great roll in medical advancements. About 97% of those physicians support animal testing. So if all of these very well educated people believe that we should keep it, should we really get rid of it? After all, animal testing does help us find out answers for our medically related questions without us having to harm humans but we shouldnt have to harm animals either especially since there are so many alternatives. But that is a big problem for some countries were they feel it is immoral or it has been made illegal to use a drug without it having been tested on an animal. In some countries they have to be tested on two different types of mammals. Most people who are against animal testing, including me, say that animals are not very much like us internally. The people for animal testing could argue that they mostly just test the living patterns that occur when taking a certain drug that is being tested instead of going deep into the body where it actually would make a difference. As proof, animal testing has given us cures for Polio, Herpes Simplex, Hepatitis B, Rabies, Malaria and Mumps. Dont get the impression that the humans are selfish and they only use they results for themselves, scientists also use the results for medical advancements on animals. Also, we probably wouldnt be able to get as much information without animal testing. I believe that this is true, and computer programs will not give as many results, but they display results more quickly. Therefore, given time, computer programs may be just as effective. They also argue that the scientists try as hard as they can to make their experiments the least painful as possible. Many large organizations including a British organization called RDS have filed tests to find out about the claims against animal testing and they have found some of them to be false. Though the information in the above paragraphs give a strong argument I still believe that it should be abolished. I have found animal testing to be cruel and wrong. I hope that you have too, because without the peoples permission animal testing will never be properly stopped. I hope that you will make the right decision so that we can take a step towards establishing a more peaceful America and getting rid of one dreadful thing at a time.

Ap Psychology Review Packet Essay Example for Free

Ap Psychology Review Packet Essay Absolute Threshold:  the minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time. 2. Accommodation:  the process by which the eyes lens changes shape to focus near or far images on the retina. 3. Acetylcholine:  neurotransmitter that enables muscle action, learning and memory. 4. Achievement Motivation:  desire for accomplishment. 5. Achievement Test:  an exam designed to test what a person has earned. 6. Acoustic Encoding:  encoding of sound, especially words. 7. Acquisition:  the initial stage when one links a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus. 8. Action Potential:  a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon. 9. Activation Synthesis:  theory that REM sleep triggers neural firing that evokes random images, which our sleep brain weaves into stories. 10. Adaptation Level Phenomenon:  tendency to form judgements relative to a neutral level defined by our prior experience. 11. Adrenal Glands:  a pair of endocrine glands that sit just above the kidneys and secrete hormones that help arouse the body in times of stress. 12. Algorithm:  a methodical, logical rule that guarantees solving a particular problem. 3. Alpha Waves:  the relatively slow brain waves of an awake, relaxed state. 14. Amnesia:  loss of memory. 15. Amphetamines:  drugs that stimulate neural activity, causing speeded-up body functions and associated energy and mood changes. 16. Amygdala:  two lima bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion. 17. Aphasia:  impairment of language caused by left hemisp here damage to Brocas area, impairing speaking, or Wernickes area, impairing understanding. 18. Applied Research:  scientific study that aims to solve practical problems 19. Aptitude Test:  designed to predict a persons future performance. 20. Association Areas:  areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary or sensory functions but in higher mental functions. 21. Associative Learning:  learning that certain events occur together. 22. Automatic Processing:  unconscious encoding of incidental information. 23. Autonomic Nervous System:  the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs. 24. Availability Heuristic:  estimating the likelihood of events based on their availability in memory. 5. Axon:  the extension of a neuron, ending in branching terminal fibers, through which messages pass to other neurons or to muscles and glands. 26. B. F. Skinner:  a leading behaviorist; rejected introspection and studied how consequences shape behavior. 27. Babbling Stage:  begins at 4 months; stage of speech development in which infant spontaneously utters various sounds. 28. Barb ituates:  drugs that depress the activity of the central nervous system,  reducing anxiety  but impairing memory and judgement. 29. Basal Metabolic Rate:  bodys resting rate of energy expenditure. 30. Basic Research:  pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base 31. Behavior Genetics:  the study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior. 32. Behavioral Medicine:  integrates behavioral and medical knowledge to apply to health and disease. 33. Behaviorism:  the view that psychology should be an objective science that studies behavior without reference to mental process. 34. Belief Perseverance:  clinging to ones initial conceptions after the basis has been discredited. 35. Binocular Cues:  depth cues such as retinal disparity that depend on using two eyes. 36. Bio-Feedback:  electronically recording, amplifying and feeding back information regarding a subtle physiological state. 37. Biological Psychology:  a branch of psychology concerned with the links between biology and behavior. 38. Biopsychosocial Approach:  an integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological, and social-cultural levels of analysis. 39. Blind Spot:  the point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a blind spot because no receptor cells are located there. 40. Bottom-Up Processing:  analysis that starts with the sensory receptors and works up to the brains integration of sensory information. 1. Brocas Area:  controls language expression; area of the frontal lobe of the left hemisphere. 42. Cannon-Baird Theory:  emotion arousing stimulus triggers physiological response and subjective experience of emotion. 43. Case Study:  an observational technique in which one person id studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal princi ples. 44. Central Nervous System:  the brain and spinal cord. 45. Cerebellum:  the little brain at the rear of the brainstem; processes sensory input and coordinates movement output and balance. 46. Cerebral Cortex:  the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres; the bodys ultimate control and information-processing center. 47. Change Blindness:  failing to notice changes in the environment 48. Charles Darwin:  argued that natural selection shapes behaviors as well as bodies. 49. Chunking:  organizing items into familiar, manageable units; often occurs automatically. 50. Circadian Rhythm:  the biological clock; regular bodily rhythms that occur on a 24-hour cycle 51. Classical Conditioning:  one learns to link two or more stimuli and anticipate future events. 2. Clinical Psychology:  a branch of psychology that studies, assesses, and treats psychological disorders. 53. Cochlea:  a coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear through which sound waves trigger neural impulses. 54. Cochlear Implant:  device for converting sounds into electrical signals and stimulating the auditory nerve through electrodes threaded throug h the cochlea. 55. Cognition:  Mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering and communicating. 56. Cognitive Map:  mental representation of the layout of ones environment. 57. Cognitive Neuroscience:  the interdisciplinary study of brain activity linked with cognition. 58. Cognitive Perspective:  how we encode, process, store, and retrieve information. 59. Color Constancy:  perceiving familiar objects as having consistent color either if changing illumination alters the wavelengths reflected by the object. 60. Complementary Alternative Medicine:  unproven healthcare treatments intended to supplement conventional medicine. 61. Conditioned Reinforcer:  a stimulus that gains reinforcing power through its association with the primary reinforcer. 62. Conditioned Response:  the learned response to a previously neutral stimulus. 63. Conditioned Stimulus:  an originally irrelevant stimulus that, after association with US, triggers a response. 64. Conduction Hearing Loss:  hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea. 65. Cones:  retinal receptor cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina and function in daylight of well-lit conditions. 66. Confirmation Bias:  a tendency to search for information that backs ones own beliefs. 67. Consciousness:  our awareness of ourselves and our environment. 68. Content Validity:  extent to which a test samples the behavior that is of interest, 69. Continuous Reinforcement:  reinforcing a desired response every time it occurs. 70. Control Group:  the group that is not exposed to the treatment in an experiment. 71. Coping:  alleviating stress using emotional, cognitive, or behavioral methods. 72. Corpus Callosum:  axon fibers connecting the two cerebral hemispheres. 73. Correlation:  a measure of the extent to which two factors vary together, and thus of how well either factor predicts the other. 74. Correlation Coefficient:  a statistical index of the relationship between two things (from -1 to +1) 75. Counseling Psychology:  a branch of psychology that assists people with problems in living and in achieving greater well-being. 76. Critical Thinking:  thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. 77. Culture:  the enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one culture to the next. 78. Delta Waves:  the large, slow brain waves associated with deep sleep. 79. Dendrite:  the bushy, branchy extensions of a neuron that receive message and conduct impulses towards the cell body. 0. Dependent Variable:  the outcome factor; the variable that may change in response to the manipulation of the independent variable. 81. Depressants:  drugs that reduce neural activity and slow body functions. 82. Difference Threshold:  the minimum difference between stimuli required for detection 50% of the time. 83. Discrimination:  learned ability to distinguish between CS and stimuli that do not signal a US. 84. D issociation:  a split in consciousness, which allows some thoughts and behaviors to occur simultaneously with others. 85. Dopamine:  neurotransmitter that influences movement, learning, attention and emotion. 86. Double-Blind Procedure:  an experimental procedure in which both the research participants and the research staff are ignorant as to whether the group has received a treatment or a placebo. 87. Drive-Reduction Theory:  physiological need; creates an aroused tension state, a drive, that motivates an organism to satisfy the need. 88. Dual Processing:  the principle that information is simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks 89. Echoic Memory:  momentary sensory memory of an auditory stimuli. 0. Ecstasy (MDMA):  a synthetic stimulant and a mild hallucinogen. Produces Euphoria and social intimacy, but with short-term health risks and longer-term harm to serotonin-producing neurans and to mood and cognition. 91. Edward Titchener:  father of structuralism. 92. Effortful Processing:  encoding that requires attention and conscious effort. 93. Electroencepha logram (EEG):  an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brains surface. 94. Emotion:  response of the whole organism involving psychological arousal, expressive behavior and conscious experience. 95. Emotion-Focused Coping:  Attempting to alleviate stress by avoiding or ignoring a stressor and attending to emotional needs relating to ones stress. 96. Encoding:  the processing of information into the memory system by extracting meaning. 97. Endocrine System:  the bodys slow chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream. 98. Endorphins:  morphine within natural, opiatelike neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure. 99. Environment:  every non-genetic influence. 100. ESP:  claim that perception can occur apart from sensory input. 101. Estrogen:  the primary female sex hormone. 102. Evolutionary Psychology:  the study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection. 103. Experiment:  a research method in which an investigator manipulates one of more factors to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process. 104. Experimental Group:  the group that is exposed to the treatment in an experiment. 105. Explicit Memory:  memory of facts and experiences that one can consciously know and declare; stored in hippocampus. 106. Extinction:  diminishing of CR; occurs in classical conditions when US does not follow CS. 07. Extrinsic Motivation:  desire to perform to receive rewards or avoid punishment. 108. Factor Analysis:  a statistical procedure that identifies clusters of related items, called factors, on a test. 109. Feature Detectors:  nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus, such as shape, angle or movement. 110. Feel-Good Do-Good Phenomena:  tendency to be helpful when already in a good mood. 111. Figure-Ground:  organization of visual field into objects that stand out from their surroundings. 112. Fixation:  inability to see a problem from a new perspective. 113. Fixed-Interval Schedule:  reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified amount of time has elapsed. 114. Fixed-Ratio Schedule:  reinforcement schedule that reinforces only after specified number of responses. 115. Flashbulb Memory:  a clear memory of an emotionally significant moment or event. 116. Flow:  a completely involved, focused state of consciousness resulting from optimal engagements of ones skills. 117. fMRI:  a technique for revealing bloodflow and, therefore, brain activity shows brain function. 118. Fovea:  the central focal point in the retina, around which the eyes cones cluster. 19. Framing:  the way an issue is posed. 120. Fraternal Twins:  twins who develop from separate fertilized eggs. They are genetically no closer than a brother or sister. 121. Frequency:  the number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time. 122. Frequency Theory:  in hearing, the theory that the rate of neural impulses traveling u p the auditory nerve matches the frequency of a tone, thus enabling us to sense its pitch. 123. Freuds Wish-fulfillment:  theory that dreams provide a psychic safety valve for expressing otherwise unacceptable feelings. 124. Frontal Lobes:  portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking, muscles movement, making plans and judgement. 125. Functional Fixedness:  the tendency to think of things only in their usual function. 126. Functionalism:  a school of psychology that focused on how our mental and behavioral processes function how they enable us to adapt, survive and flourish. 127. GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid):  a major inhibitory neurotransmitter. 128. Gate-Control Theory:  theory that spinal cord contains a neurological gate that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass to the brain. 29. Gender Identity:  our sense of being male or female. 130. Gender Role:  a set of expectations for either males or females. 131. Gender Typing:  the acquisition of a traditional male or female role. 132. General Adaptation Syndrome:  Selyes concept of bodys adaptive response to stress; alarm, resistance, exhaustion. 133. General Intelligence:  general intell igence factor, according to Spearman, underlies specific mental abilities and is measured by every task on an intelligence test. 134. Generalization:  tendency after response has been conditioned for similar stimuli to elicit similar responses. 135. Genome:  the complete instructions for making an organism. 136. Gestault:  organized whole; tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes. 137. Glial Cells:  cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons. 138. Glutamate:  a major excitatory neurotransmitter involved in memory. 139. Grouping:  perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups based on proximity, similarity, continuity and connectedness. 140. Hallucinations:  false sensory experiences. 141. Hallucinogens:  drugs taht distort perception and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input. 142. Health Psychology:  sub-field of psychology; provides psychologys contribution to behavioral medicine. 143. Heritability:  the proportion of variation among individuals that we can attribute to genes. 144. Heuristic:  a simple thinking strategy that often allows us to make strategies and solve problems quickly. 145. Hierarchy of Needs:  Mazlows pyramid of human needs; begins with physiological needs which must be met before higher goals can be attained. 146. Higher-Order Conditioning:  procedure where conditioned stimulus in one experience is paired with a new, neutral stimulus, creating a new Conditioned Stimulus. 47. Hindsight Bias:  the tendency to believe that, after learning the outcome, one would have foreseen it. 148. Hippocampus:  a neural center that is located in the limbic system and helps process explicit memories for storage. 149. Homeostasis:  tendency to maintain a state of balance. 150. Hormones:  chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endo crine glands. 151. Hue:  the dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of the light. 152. Humanistic Psychology:  historically significant perspective that emphasized the growth potential of healthy people and the individuals potential for personal growth. 53. Hypothalamus:  a neural structure lying below the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities, helps govern the endocrine system, and is linked to emotion and reward. 154. Hypothesis:  a testable prediction. 155. Iconic Memory:  a momentary sensory memory of a visual stimuli; a photographic memory lasting no more than a few tenths of a second. 156. Identical Twins:  twins who develop from a single fertilized egg that splits into two, creating two genetically identical organisms. 157. Illusory correlation:  the perception of a relationship where none exists. 158. Implicit Memory:  retention independent of conscious recollection; stored in cerebellum. 159. Inattentional Blindness:  failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere 160. Incentive:  a positive or negative environmental stimulus. 161. Independent Variable:  the experimental factor which is directly manipulated. 162. Industrial Organizational Psychology:  using psychological concepts to optimize behavior in work places. 163. Information Processing:  theory that dreams help us sort out the days events and consolidate our memories. 164. Infradian Rhythm:  long-term cycle; greater than a day 65. Inner Ear:  the inner most part of the ear, containing the cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs. 166. Insight:  sudden and novel realization of the solution to a problem. 167. Insomnia:  recurring problems in falling or staying asleep. 168. Instinct:  a complex behavior rigidly patterned throughout the species and is unlearned. 169. Int ensity:  the amount of energy in a light or sound wave, which we can perceive as brightness or loudness, as determined by the waves amplitude. 170. Interaction:  the interplay that occurs when the effect of one factor depends on another. 171. Interneurons:  neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between the sensory inputs and the motor outputs. 172. Intrinsic Motivation:  desire to perform for its own sake. 173. Intuition:  effortless, immediate feeling or thought. 174. Iris:  a ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye around the pupil and controls the size of the pupil opening. 175. James-Lange Theory:  emotion is awareness of physiological responses to emotion-arousing stimuli. 176. Kinesthesis:  system for sensing the position and movement of individual body movements. 77. Latent Content:  according to Freud, the underlying meaning of a dream. 178. Latent Learning:  learning that occurs but is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it. 179. Law of Effect:  Thorndikes principle that behavior followed by favorable consequences become more likely and behaviors followed by negative consequences become less likely. 180. Len s:  the transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina. 181. Lesion:  destruction of the brain tissue. 182. Levels of Analysis:  the differing complementary views for analyzing any iven phenomenon. 183. Limbic System:  neural system located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives. 184. Lingusitic Determinism:  Whorfs hypothesis that language determines the way we think. 185. Long-Term Memory:  relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system. 186. Long-Term Potentiation (LTP):  increase in synapse-s firing potential after rapid stimulation; the neural basis for learning and memory. 187. LSD:  a powerful hallucinogenic drug; alsdo known as acid. 188. Lymphocytes:  the two types of white blood cells that are part of the immune system. 189. Manifest Content:  according to Freud, the remembered story line of a dream. 190. Mean:  the arithmetic average of a distribution. 191. Median:  the middle score in a distribution. 192. Medulla:  the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing. 193. Mental Age:  measure of test performance devised by Binet; chronological age that typically correlates with a given age. 194. Mental Set:  tendency to approach a problem in a particular way, often one that has been successful. 195. Methamphetamine:  a powerfully addictive drug that stimulates the central nervous system and appears to drop base dopamine levels over time. 96. Middle Ear:  the chamber between the eardrum and the cochlea containing three tiny bones (hammer, anvil and stirrup) that concentrate the vibrations of the eardrum on the cochleas oval window. 197. Mirror Neurons:  frontal lobe neurons that fire when performing certain actions or when performing another doing so; this may enable imitation or empathy. 198. Misinformation Effect:  incorporating misleading information into ones memory. 199. Mnemonics:  memory aids. 200. Mode:  the most frequently occurring score(s) in a distribution. 201. Modeling:  observing and imitating a specific behavior. 202. Monocular Cues:  depth cues available to either eye alone. Includes relative height, relative size, interposition, linear perspective, light and shadow, and relative motion. 203. Mood Congruent Memory:  tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with ones current mood. 204. Morpheme:  the smallest unit that carries meaning. 205. Motivation:  a need or desire that energizes and directs behavior. 206. Motor Cortex:  an area at the rear if the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements. 207. Motor Neurons:  neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands. 208. MRI:  a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images of soft tissue. 209. Mutation:  a random error in gene replication that leads to a change. 210. Myelin Sheath:  a layer of fatty tissue segmentally encasing the fibers of many neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed. 211. Narcolepsy:  a sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks. The sufferer may lapse directly into REM sleep, often at inopportune times. 212. Natural Selection:  inherited trait variations contributing to survival and reproduction will be passed on to succeeding generations. 13. Naturalistic Observation:  observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate or control the situation. 214. Nature-Nurture issue:  controversy over contributions of genes vs. experience 215. Near-death Experience:  an altered state of consciousness reported after a close brush with death; often similar to dru g-induced hallucinations. 216. Negative Reinforcement:  increasing behaviors by stopping a negative stimuli. 217. Neo-Freudian Theory:  theory that dreams can be used as a coping mechanism to deal with past events. 218. Nerves:  bundled axons that form neural cables connecting the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs. 219. Nervous system:  the bodys speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems. 220. Neurogenesis:  the formation of new neurons. 221. Neuron:  a nerve cell; the basic building block of he nervous system. 222. Neurotransmitters:  chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons. 223. Night Terrors:  a sleep disorder characterized by high arousal and an appearance of being terrified. 24. Norepinephrine:  neurotransmitter that helps control alertness and arousal. 225. Normal Curve:  a symmetrical, bell-shaped curve that describes the distribution of many types of data. 226. Observational Learning:  learning by observing others. 227. Occipital Lobes:  portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes areas that receive informatio n from the visual fields 228. One-Word Stage:  from age 1 to 2; when a child speaks in single words. 229. Operant Behavior:  Behavior that operates on the environment, producing consequences. 230. Operant Chamber:  a chamber / Skinner Box containing a bar that an animal can manipulate to obtain water or food. 231. Operant Conditioning:  type of learning in which behavior is strengthened followed by a reinforcer or diminished followed by a punisher. 232. Operational Definition:  a statement of the procedures used to define research variables. 233. Opiates:  opium and its derivatives, such as morphine and heroin; they depress neural activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety. 234. Opponent-Process Theory:  the theory that opposing retinal processes (red-green, yellow-blue, white-black) enable color vision. 35. Optic Nerve:  the nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain. 236. Organizational Psychology:  part of IO Psychology; examines psychological influences o worker satisfaction and productivity. 237. Overconfidence:  tendency to be more confident than correct. 238. Parallel Processing:  the processing of many aspects of a problem simu ltaneously. 239. Parapsychology:  study of paranormal phenomena. 240. Parasympathetic Nervous System:  the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy. 241. Parathyroids:  help regulate the level of calcium in the blood 242. Parietal Lobes:  portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top/rear of the head; receives sensory input for touch and body position. 243. Partial/Intermittent Reinforcement:  Reinforcing a response only part of the time. 244. Perception:  the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events. 245. Perceptual Adaptation:  in vision, the ability to adjust to an artificially displaced or inverted visual field. 246. Perceptual Set:  mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another. 247. Peripheral Nervous System:  the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body. 248. Personnel Psychology:  focuses on recruitment, selection and placement of employees. 249. PET Scan:  a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task. 250. Phoneme:  the smallest distinctive sound unit. 251. Physical Dependence:  a physiological need for a drug, marked by unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when the drug is discontinued 252. Pitch:  a tones experienced highness or lowness; depends on frequency. 53. Pituitary Gland:  the endocrine gland systems most influential gland. Under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands. 254. Place Theory:  in hearing, the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochleas membrane is stimulated. 255. Placebo Effect:  experimental results caused b y expectation alone. 256. Plasticity:  the brains ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage of by building new pathways based on experience 257. Polygraph:  lie detector machine; measures responses to emotion. 58. Pons:  part of the brainstem that helps coordinate movements. 259. Population:  all the cases in a group being studied, from which samples can be drawn. 260. Positive Reinforcement:  increasing behaviors by presenting positive stimuli. 261. Posthypnotic Suggestion:  a suggestion, made during a hypnotic session, to be carried out after the subject is no longer hypnotized. 262. Predictive Validity:  the success with which a test predicts the behavior it is designed to predict. 263. Primary Reinforcer:  an innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need. 264. Priming:  the activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing ones perception, memory, or response. 265. Pro-Social Behavior:  positive, constructive behavior. 266. Proactive Interference:  the disruptive effect of prior learning on the recall of new information. 267. Problem-Focused Coping:  attempting to alleviate stress by changing the stressor or how we interact with that stressor. 268. Prototype:  a mental image or best example of a category. 269. Pshchological Dependence:  a psychological need to use a drug, such as to relieve negative emotions. 270. Psychiatry:  a branch of medicine dealing with psychological disorders. 271. Psychoactive Drug:  a chemical substance that alters perceptions and moods. 272. Psychodynamic Perspective:  how behavior springs from unconscious drives and conflicts 273. Psychology:  the study of behavior and mental processes. 274. Psychoneuroeimmunology:  study of how psychological, neural, and endocrine processes affect the immune system. 275. Psychophysics:  the study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity, and our psychological experience of them. 276. Psychophysiological Illness:  mind-body illness; any stress-related physical illness, including hypertension. 277. Pupil:  the adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters. 278. Random Assignment:  assigning participants to experimental and control groups by chance, thus minimizing pre-existing differences between the two groups. 279. Random Sample:  a sample that fairly represents a given population. 280. Range:  The difference between the highest and lowest scores in a distribution. 281. Recall:  measure of memory in which the person must retrieve information learned earlier. 82. Recognition:  measure of memory in which the person only identifies items previously learned. 283. Reflex:  a simple, autonomic response to a sensory stimulus. 284. Rehearsal:  conscious repetition of information, either for maintenance or encoding. 285. Reinforcer:  an event that strengthens behavior. 286. Relative Deprivation:  perception that one is worse off relative to those you compare yourself to. 287. Relearning:  a measure of memory that assesses the amount of time saved when learning material for a second time. 288. Reliability:  extent to which a test yields consistent results. 89. REM Rebound:  the tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation. 290. REM sleep:  rapid eye movement sleep, a recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occur. 291. Replication:  repeating the essence of a research study to see whether the basic findings extend to other participants and circumstances. 292. Representativeness Heuristic:  judging the likelihood of things in terms of how well they seem to represent particular prototypes. 293. Respondent Behavior:  occurs as automatic response to some stimulus. 294. Reticular Formation:  a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal. 295. Retina:  the light-sensitive inner surface of the eye. 296. Retinal Disparity:  a binocular cue for perceiving depth by comparing the images of the retinas from the two eyes. 297. Retrieval:  process of getting information out of storage. 298. Retroactive Interference:  the disruptive effect of new learning on the recall of old information. 299. Reuptake:  a neurotransmitters reabsorption by the sending neuron. 300. Rods:  retinal receptors that detect black, white and gray. 301. Savant Syndrome:  condition in which a person is limited in mental ability but has exceptional specific skill. 302. Scatterplots:  a graphed cluster of dots, the slope of which helps predict the direction of the relationship between the two variables. 303. Selective Attention:  the focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimuli 304. Semantic Encoding:  encoding of meaning. 305. Semantics:  set of rules by which we derive meaning from morphemes, words and sentences. 306. Sensation:  the process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment. 07. Sensorineural Hearing Loss:  hearing loss caused by damage to the cochleas receptor cells or to the auditory nerves. Also called nerve deafness. 308. Sensory Adaptation:  diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation. 309. Sensory Cortex:  area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensa tions. 310. Sensory Interaction:  principle that one sense may influence another; smell of food influences its taste. 311. Sensory Memory:  immediate, very brief recording of sensory information in the memory. 12. Sensory Neurons:  neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord. 313. Serial Position Effect:  the tendency to recall best the last and first items in a list. 314. Serotonin:  neurotransmitter that affects mood, hunger, sleep and arousal. 315. Set Point:  the point where someones weight thermostat. 316. Shaping:  an operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior closer and closer to the desired behavior. 317. Short-Term Memory:  activated memory that holds a few items briefly. 318. Sigmund Freud:  Austrian neurologists who founded psychoanalysis. 319. Signal Detection Theory:  a theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus (signal) amid background noise. Assumes there is no single absolute threshold and that detection depends partly on a persons experience, expectations, motivation and level of fatigue. 320. Sleep Apnea:  a sleep disorder characterized by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and repeated momentary awakenings. 321. Social Leadership:  group oriented leadership that builds teamwork and offers support. 322. Social Learning Theory:  the theory that we learn social behavior by observing and imitating and by being rewarded and punished. 323. Social-cultural Perspective:  how behavior and thinking vary across situations and cultures 324. Somatic Nervous System:  the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the bodys skeletal muscles. 325. Source Amnesia:  attributing the wrong source to an event we have experienced; at the heart of many false memories. 326. Spacing Effect:  tendency for distributed study or practice to yield better retention that massed study or practice. 327. Split Brain:  a condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brains two hemispheres by cutting the fibers connecting them. 328. Spontaneous Recovery:  Reappearance after a pause of an extinguished CR. 329. Standard Deviation:  a computed measure of how much the scores vary around the mean score. 330. Stanford-Binet:  widely used American revision of Binets original intelligence test. 331. Statistical Significance:  a statistical statement of how likely it is that an obtained result occurred by chance. 332. Stereotype Threat:  self-confirming concern that one will be evaluated based on negative stereotypes. 333. Stimulants:  drugs that excite neural activity and speed up body functions. 334. Storage:  retention of encoded information. 335. Stress:  how we perceive and respond to stressors that we appraise as threatening or challenging. 336. Structuralism:  an early school of psychology that used introspection to explore the structural elements of the human mind. 337. Structured Interviews:  asking the same questions of all applicants and rating on the standard scale. 338. Subjective Well-Being:  self-perceived happiness or satisfaction with life. 339. Subliminal:  below ones absolute threshold for conscious awareness. 340. Survey:  a technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes of behaviors of a group. 341. Sympathetic Nervous System:  the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations. 342. Synapse:  the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron. 343. Syntax:  rules for combining words into sensible sentences. 344. Task Leadership:  goal oriented leadership that sets standards, organizes leadership and focuses on goals. 345. Telegraphic Speech:  early speech stage where child speaks like a telegram; uses nouns and verbs. 46. Temporal Lobes:  portion of the cerebral cortex lying above the ears; receives auditory information 347. Testosterone:  the most important of male sex hormones. Both males and females have it, but the additional testosterone in males stimulates the growth of the male sex organs in the fetus and the development of the male sex char acteristics during puberty. 348. Thalamus:  the brains sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstem. 349. THC:  the major active ingredient in marijuana; triggers a variety of effects, including mild hallucinations. 350. Theory:  an explanation that organizes behavior and predicts future outcomes. 351. Threshold:  the level of stimulation necessary to trigger a neural impulse. 352. Thyroid Gland:  affects metabolism, among other things 353. Tolerance:  the diminishing effect with regular use of the same dose of a drug, requiring the user to take larger and larger doses of the drug before experiencing the drugs effects. 354. Top-Down Processing:  information processing guided by higher level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations. 55. Transduction:  conversion of one form of energy into another. 356. Two_Word Stage:  beginning at age 2; child speaks in 2 word statements. 357. Two-Factor Theory:  called Schachter-Singer Theory; to experience emotion, one must be physically aroused and cognitively label the arousal. 358. Type A:  competitive, hard-driving, impatient. 359. Type B:  easy-going, relaxed people. 360. Ultradian Rhythm :  short-term cycle; less than a day 361. Unconditioned Response:  the unlearned naturally occurring response to the unconditioned stimulus. 362. Unconditioned Stimulus:  a stimulus that unconditionally triggers a response. 363. Validity:  extent to which a test measures what its supposed to measure. 364. Variable-Interval Schedule:  reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response after random number of responses. 365. Variable-Ratio Schedule:  reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses. 366. Vestibular Sense:  sense of body movement and position including balance. 367. Visual Cliff:  lab device for testing depth perception in infants and young animals. 368. Visual Encoding:  encoding of picture images. 369. Watson and Rayner:  famous for their Little Albert experiment. 370. Wavelength:  the distance from the peak of one light or sound wave to the peak of the next. 371. Webers Law:  the principle that, to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage. 372. Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale:  most widely used intelligence test; contains verbal and non-verbal sub-tests. 373. Wernickes Area:  controls language reception; a brain area involved in language comprehension and expression in left temporal lobe. 74. Wilhelm Wundt:  known as father of experimental psychology; established the first psychology laboratory. 375. Withdrawal:  the discomfort and distress that follow discontinuing the use of an addictive drug. 376. Working Memory:  a newer understanding of short-term memory that focuses on conscious, active processing of incoming auditory and visual spatial information and of informa tion retrieved from long-term memory. 377. X-Chromosome:  the sex chromosome found in both men and women. 378. Y-Chromosome:  the sex chromosome found only in men. 379. Young-Helmholtz Trichromatic Theory:  the theory that the retina contains three different color receptors red, green and blue. absolute threshold:   The minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50 percent of the time. 2. accommodation:   The process by which the eyes lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina. 3. accommodations:   Adapting ones current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information. 4. acetylcholine:   A neurotransmitter that, among its functions, triggers muscle contraction. 5. acoustic encoding:   The encoding of sounds, especially the sound of words. . acquisition:   The initial stage in classical conditioning; the phase associating a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus comes to elicit a conditioned response. In operant conditioning, the strengthening of a reinforced response. 7. action potential:   A neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down a n axon. The action potential is generated by the movement of positively charged atoms in and out of channels in the axons membrane. 8. activation synthesis hypothesis:   Theory to describe dreaming that explains dreaming as being random neural activity hat the brain tries to make sense of. 9. acuity:   The Sharpness of vision. 10. addictions:  dependency to drugs comes about from potentially one use of the substance were the body can build up dependence to the substance. 11. adolescence:   The transition period from childhood to adulthood, extending from puberty to independence. 12. adrenal glands:   A pair of endocrine glands just above the kidneys. The adrenals secrete the hormones epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (nonadrenaline), which help to arouse the body in times of stress. 13. ll or nothing law:   Increasing the stimulus above the threshold will not increase the action potential intensity. The neurons action is an all or nothing response; it either wi ll fire or it will not. The strength of the stimulus does not effect action potentials speed. 14. alpha waves:   The relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state. 15. alzheimers disease:   A progressive and irreversible brain disorder characterized by gradual deterioration of memory, reasoning, language, and, finally physical functioning. 16. amnesia:   The loss of memory 17. mygdala:   Two almond-shaped neural clusters that are components of the limbic system and are linked to emotion. 18. assimilation:   Interpreting ones new experience in terms of ones existing schemas. 19. association areas:   Areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions; rather, they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking. 20. associative learning:   Learning that certain events occur together. The events may be two stimuli (as in classical conditioning) or a response and its consequences (a s in operant conditioning). 1. attachment:   An emotional tie with another person; shown in young children by their seeking closeness to the caregiver and showing distress on separation. 22. audition:   The sense of hearing 23. automatic nervous system:   The part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart). Its sympathetic division arouses; its parasympathetic division calms. 24. automatic processing:   Unconscious encoding of incidental information, such as space, time, and frequency, and of well-learned information, such as word meanings. 25. xon:   The extension of a neuron, ending in branching terminal fibers, through which messages pass to other neurons or to muscles or glands. 26. barbiturates:   Drugs that depress the activity of the central nervous system, reducing anxiety but impairing memory and judgement. 27. basiler membrane:  within the cochlea of the inner ear is a stiff structural element that separates two liquid-filled tubes that run along the coil of the cochlea, the scala media and the scala tympani. 28. behavioral genetics:   The study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior. 29. Behavioral Psychology:  a branch of psychology that focuses on how we learn from observable responses. An individuals response to different environment stimuli shapes our behaviors. 30. Behaviorism:  The view that psychology should be an objective science that studies behavior without reference to mental processes. Most research psychologists today agree that psychology should be an objective science but do not think that it should be without reference to mental processes. 31. behaviorism:   The view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes. For example, intelligence may be operationally defined as what an intelligence test measures. 193. opiates:   Opium and its derivatives, such as morphine and heroin; they depress neural activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety. 194. opponent-process theory:   The theory that opposing retinal processes (red-green, yellow-blue, white-black) enable color vision. For example, some cells are stimulated by green and inhibited by red; others are stimulated by red and inhibited by green 195. optic nerve:   The nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain. 96. parallel processing:   The processing of several aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brains natural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision. Contrasts with the step-by-step (serial) processing of most computers and of conscious problem solving. 197. parallel processing:   The processing of several aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brains natural mode of informatio n processing for many functions, including vision. Contrasts with the step-by-step (serial) processing of most computers and of conscience problem solving. 198. Parasympathetic nervous system:   The division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy. 199. parietal lobes:   The portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; includes the sensory cortex. 200. Peripheral nervous system:   The sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system (CNS) to the rest of the body. 201. PET:   A visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task. 202. Phenotype:   An organisms physical characteristics is its phenotype.