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Cardinal trait—defining personality characteristic, in a small number of us, that dominates and shapes our behavior (according to Allport).

Case study—intensive investigation of the behavior and mental processes associated with a specific person or situation.

Catastrophes—stressors that are unpredictable, large-scale disasters which threaten us.

Catatonic schizophrenia—a psychotic disorder characterized by bizarre motor behavior which sometimes takes the form of an immobile stupor and waxy flexibility.

Catharsis—in Freudian psychoanalysis, the release of emotional tension after remembering or reliving an emotionally charged experience from the past; as a coping device for stress, the release of pent up emotions through exercise or other means.

Cell body—also called the cyton or soma, the part of the neuron that contains cytoplasm and the nucleus which directs synthesis of such substances as neurotransmitters.

Central nervous system (CNS)—brain and spinal cord.

Central route of persuasion—according to the elaboration likelihood model, changes attitudes by requiring a person to think critically about an argument; usually results in stable change of attitudes.

Central tendency—average or most typical scores of a set of research data or distribution.

Central trait—a general characteristic that shapes much of our behavior (according to Allport).

Cerebellum—part of the brainstem that controls posture, equilibrium, and movement.

Cerebral cortex—convoluted part of forebrain that is the center for higher order processes such as thinking, planning, judgment; receives and processes sensory information and directs movement.

Chaining—an operant conditioning technique used to teach complex behaviors; a number of behaviors must be done successively before the reward is given.

Chromosome—structure in the nucleus of cells that contains genes determined by DNA sequences.

Chunking—grouping information into meaningful units; expands the capacity of short-term memory beyond seven unrelated bits of information.

Circadian rhythms—daily patterns of changes that cycle approximately every 24 hours such as the sleep/wake cycle.

Classical conditioning—learning which takes place when two or more stimuli are presented together; unconditioned stimulus is paired repeatedly with a neutral stimulus until it acquires the capacity to elicit a similar response.

Client-centered or person-centered therapy—humanistic therapy introduced by Carl Rogers in which the client rather than the therapist directs the treatment process.

Clinical depression—also called major depression, characterized by persistent and severe feelings of sadness (dysphoria) and worthlessness accompanied by changes in appetite, sleeping, and behavior.

Clinical psychologists—psychologists who evaluate and treat mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders.

Cochlea—snail-shaped, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear with hair cells on the basilar membrane that transduce mechanical energy of vibrating molecules to the electrochemical energy of neural impulses.

Cognition—all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, and remembering information.

Cognitive approach—psychological perspective concerned with how we receive, store, and process information; think/reason; and use language.

Cognitive dissonance—according to Festinger, the theory that changes in attitudes can be motivated by an unpleasant state of tension caused by a disparity between a person’s beliefs or attitudes and behavior.

Cognitive illusion—systematic way of thinking that is responsible for an error in judgment.

Cognitive learning—a type of learning that involves mental events, problem solving, and rule formation.

Cognitive map—a mental picture of the layout of one’s environment.

Cognitive restructuring—cognitive therapy in which clients discuss their fears and are led to change their attitudes and beliefs about the situations that frighten them.

Cognitive therapy—therapy that teaches people more adaptive ways of thinking and acting in