Ch.1 Flashcards
Overconfidence effect
tendency to be to sure in what we know such that we are unreasonably confident we are correct
confirmation bias
tendency to highlight and believe evidence that support what we already confidently believe/know
summative
cumulative/always growing
psychological knowledge is summative (always growing)
what is the scientific/research approach to psychology?
- understand the normative experience people have
- involves experimental studies of perception, thought, emotion and behaviour
who created the scientific approach to psychology?
Wilhelm Wundt and William James (Germany)
what is the clinical approach to psychology?
psychological disorders. seek to understand abnormal behaviours
psychotherapy, psychiatry, and a clinical/medical practice (treat psychological disorders like chronic anxiety, depression, etc)
who founded the clinical approach to psyc?
Sigmund Freud
**both the clinical and scientific branches have merged (research informs clinical)
pseudoscience
makes claims apparently based on science but are not supported by reliable scientific evidence
empirical evidence
founded on sound observation and accurate measurement (via technology for example)
*best form of evidence
what are some empirically-based scientific tools?
- questionnaires
- functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which measures brain functions by looking at changes in oxygen levels in the blood flowing through the brain
monism
a theory that states that the mind exists in the physical world/body
located in the brain
Some psychologists note that much of the existing knowledge base in psychology is based on WEIRD samples
research participants from: Western Educated Industrialized Rich Democratic backgrounds
what is the evolutionary perspective?
what behavioural aspect are a result of evolution
cultural perspective
seeks to identify how culture affects ppls thoughts and preferences
culture
the rules, values, customs, and beliefs that exist within a group of ppl who share a common language and environment
emotional perspective
**different than the cognitive perspective (Look at PSYC 101 notes)
used to understand how our capacity to feel, express, and perceive emotions plays an important role in decision making, behaviour, and social relationships.
does unconscious processes play a role in human behaviour?
Yes! Sometimes our conscious choices get in the way of unconscious preferences that are better at knowing what we want
biological neuroscience perspective
tries to understand the biology behind how we think, act and behave.
neuroscience
the study of how nerves and cells send and receive information from the brain, body and spinal cord
What research tool is best suited to the biological-neuroscience perspective?
brain imaging techniques (fMRI): measure brain activity
Personality psychologists/the personality perspective
try to understand traits of behaviours that are relatively consistent/stable over time and situations
social psychologist
subfield of psychology
- studies the causes and consequences of interpersonal behaviour (how people interact; persuasion, stereotypes, etc)
- consider how immediate social contexts influence thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, independent of personality.
developed by Kurt Lewin
what is a growth mindset?
believing that personality ad behaviour can change
sticking to goals when experiencing set backs = growth
what is positive psychology?
a movement that emphasizes the factors that make people happy, healthy and help manage stress
the scientific study of important human experiences, such as hope, faith, courage, and creativity
three components of positive psychology
- positive emotion + pleasure
- engagement with life
3 good relationships + history of accomplishment
is introspection using critical thinking
no! thinking about yourself is not relying on evidence
all processes are biological
The brain is central to psychology, and it also underlies all biological processes.
The biological–neuroscience perspective focuses on the interactions between biology and mind and behavior.
