Key Terms

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anorexia nervosa: eating disorder characterized by an individual maintaining body weight that is well below average through starvation and/or excessive exercise

bariatric surgery: type of surgery that modifies the gastrointestinal system to reduce the amount of food that can be eaten and/or limiting how much of the digested food can be absorbed

basolateral complex: part of the brain with dense connections with a variety of sensory areas of the brain; it is critical for classical conditioning and attaching emotional value to memory

binge eating disorder: type of eating disorder characterized by binge eating and associated distress

bisexual: emotional, romantic, and/or erotic attraction to those of the same gender or to those of another gender

body language: emotional expression through body position or movement

bulimia nervosa: type of eating disorder characterized by binge eating followed by purging

Cannon-Bard theory of emotion: physiological arousal and emotional experience occur at the same time

central nucleus: part of the brain involved in attention and has connections with the hypothalamus and various brainstem areas to regulate the autonomic nervous and endocrine systems’ activity

cognitive-mediational theory: our emotions are determined by our appraisal of the stimulus

components of emotion: physiological arousal, psychological appraisal, and subjective experience

cultural display rule: one of the culturally specific standards that govern the types and frequencies of emotions that are acceptable

distorted body image: individuals view themselves as overweight even though they are not

drive theory: deviations from homeostasis create physiological needs that result in psychological drive states that direct behavior to meet the need and ultimately bring the system back to homeostasis

emotion: subjective state of being often described as feelings

excitement: phase of the sexual response cycle that involves sexual arousal

extrinsic motivation: motivation that arises from external factors or rewards

facial feedback hypothesis: facial expressions are capable of influencing our emotions

gender dysphoria: diagnostic category in DSM-5 for individuals who experience enduring distress as a result of their gender identity not aligning with their sex assigned at birth

gender identity: individual’s sense of being male, female, neither of these, both of these, or another gender

habit: pattern of behavior in which we regularly engage

heterosexual: emotional, romantic, and/or erotic attractions to opposite-sex individuals

hierarchy of needs: spectrum of needs ranging from basic biological needs to social needs to self-actualization

instinct: species-specific pattern of behavior that is unlearned

intrinsic motivation: motivation based on internal feelings rather than external rewards

James-Lange theory of emotion: emotions arise from physiological arousal

leptin: satiety hormone

metabolic rate: amount of energy that is expended in a given period of time

morbid obesity: adult with a BMI over 40

motivation: wants or needs that direct behavior toward some goal

obese: adult with a BMI of 30 or higher

orgasm: peak phase of the sexual response cycle associated with rhythmic muscle contractions (and ejaculation)

overweight: adult with a BMI between 25 and 29.9

plateau: phase of the sexual response cycle that falls between excitement and orgasm

polygraph: lie detector test that measures physiological arousal of individuals as they answer a series of questions

refractory period: time immediately following an orgasm during which an individual is incapable of experiencing another orgasm

resolution: phase of the sexual response cycle following orgasm during which the body returns to its unaroused state

satiation: fullness; satisfaction

Schachter-Singer two-factor theory of emotion: emotions consist of two factors: physiological and cognitive

self-efficacy: individual’s belief in their own capabilities or capacities to complete a task

set point theory: assertion that each individual has an ideal body weight, or set point, that is resistant to change

sexual orientation: emotional, romantic, and/or erotic attraction to other people or no people

sexual response cycle: divided into 4 phases including excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution

transgender hormone therapy: use of hormones to make one’s body look more like a different sex or gender

Yerkes-Dodson law: simple tasks are performed best when arousal levels are relatively high, while complex tasks are best performed when arousal is lower