Glossary C

Glossary C

A cation is a positively charged ion with fewer electrons than protons while an anion is a negatively charged ion with more electrons than protons.

Caudal means toward the rear, away from the head.

Caudate nucleus refers to the nucleus part, a large subcortical structure of the basal ganglia that is involved in carrying the impulses to the thalamus that direct primitive patterns of primitive behavior, such as aggression, sexuality, and bodily excretion

Causal attributions refer to the explanations people make for the events they observe; the explanations for why events occurred. Moreover, Causal attributions are explanations people construct to explain their behavior, which can be situational, dispositional, or interactive. They are conclusions drawn about the underlying causes of our own or another person’s behavior

Causal inferences means how people make judgments about whether something causes something else

Causal laws refer to laws describing causal relationships. Such laws specify the conditions that are necessary and sufficient to produce a certain event. Knowledge of Causal laws allows both the prediction and control of events.

Causal relationship refers to a relationship between variables in which changes in a second variable are due directly to changes in a first variable

Causal theories refer to the theories about the causes of one's own feelings and behaviors; often we learn such theories from our culture (e.g., "absence makes the heart grow fonder")