social facilitation- simple or well-learned tasks exhibit better performance in the presence of others.

cognitive dissonance theory- the theory that we act to reduce the discomfort (dissonance) we feel when two of our thoughts (cognitions) clash. For example, when we become aware that our attitudes and our actions don’t match we may change our attitudes so we feel more comfortable.

I looked up some YouTube videos of lightsaber noises so I could write the sound effects correctly. It’s been a bit since I saw any Star Wars movies. I should do something about that.

foot-in-the-door phenomenon- the tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request.

Anyone who tries to physically block your door from closing is fully responsible for damages resulting to whatever they tried to use as a block, including but not limited to their possessions and body parts.

social psychology- the scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another.

role- set of expectations about a social position, defining how those in a position ought to behave.

I did this one on PowerPoint because I knew I was going to have to redraw the same scene over and over and copy-pasting saved lots of time. It’s also more readable than many of the hand-drawn comics.

repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)- application of repeated pulses of magnetic energy to the brain; used to stimulate or suppress brain activity.

See the fMRI post for magnet-man’s first appearance.

electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)- biomedical therapy for severe depression in which a brief electrical current is passed through the brain of an anesthetized patient.

token economy- operant conditioning procedure in which people earn a token for exhibiting a desired behavior and can later exchange the tokens for treats.

I heard of an experiment where the experimenters tried to teach the concept of money to Capuchin monkeys using a food dispenser triggered by the insertion of metal discs. They not only demonstrated economic behavior typical of humans, but also stole, attempted counterfeiting, and independently invented prostitution. You can read about it here.

systematic desensitization- exposure therapy that associates a relaxed state with gradually increasing, anxiety triggering stimuli.

Indiana Jones then put the remains of the snake in a natural history museum, claiming it belonged there.

exposure therapies-behavioral techniques, such as systematic desensitization and virtual reality exposure therapies, that treat people by exposing them to what they avoid.