Chapter 1

Question 1

Critical thinking

Answer 1

Thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions, assesses the source, uncovers hidden values, weights evidence, and assesses conclusions.

Question 2

Structuralism

Answer 2

An early school o thought promoted by Wundt that focused on the structure of the human mind.

Question 3

Functionalism

Answer 3

An early school of thought promoted by James and influenced by Darwin that focused on how the mind functions.

Question 4

Behaviorism

Answer 4

The view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes. Most psychologists today agree with (I) but not (2).

Question 5

Humanistic psychology

Answer 5

A historically important perspective that emphasized human growth potential.

Question 6

Cognitive psychology

Answer 6

The study quintal processes, such as occur when we perceive, learn, remember, think, communicate, and solve problems.

Question 7

Cognitive neuroscience.

Answer 7

The interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with mental activity (including perception, thinking, memory, and language.

Question 8

Psychology

Answer 8

The science of behavior mental processes.

Question 9

Seven current perspectives of psychology

Answer 9

Neuroscience. Evolutionary. Behavior genetics. Psychodynamic. Behavioral. Cognitive. Social-Cultural.

Question 10

Biopsychosocial perspective

Answer 10

An approach that integrates different but complementary views from biological, psychological, and social-cultural viewpoints.

Question 11

Hindsight bias

Answer 11

The tendency to believe, after learning an out come, that we could have predicted it. Aka the i-knew-lt-all-along phenomenon,

Question 12

Overconfidence

Answer 12

Thinking we know more than we do

Question 13

Perceiving order in random events

Answer 13

Finding patterns even in random, unrelated data, because we are eager to make sense of our world. Random sequences often don’t appear random

Question 14

Theory

Answer 14

An explanation using principles that organize observatives and predict bchanoss or events

Question 15

Hypothesis

Answer 15

A testable prediction often implied by a theory

Question 16

Operational definition

Answer 16

A carefully worded statement of the exact procedures (operations) used in a research study

Question 17

Replication

Answer 17

Repeating the essence of a research study, usually with different participants in different situations, to see whether the basic finding can be reproduced

Question 18

Case study

Answer 18

A descriptive technique in which one individual or group is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles

Question 19

Naturalistic observation

Answer 19

A descriptive technique of observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to change or control the situation

Question 20

Survey

Answer 20

A descriptive technique for obtaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a group, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of that group.

Question 21

Population

Answer 21

All those in a group being studied, from which a random sample may be drawn

Question 22

Random sample

Answer 22

A sample that fairly represents a population because each number has an equal chance of inclusion

Question 23

Correlation

Answer 23

A measure of the extent to which two factors vary together, and thus of how well either one predicts the other

Question 24

Positive/negative correlation

Answer 24

Direct/inverse relationship

Question 25

Experiment

Answer 25

A method in which researchers vary one or more factors (independent variables) to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process (the dependent variable)

Question 26

Random assignment

Answer 26

Assigning participants to experimental and control groups by chance, thus minimizing any preexisting differences between the groups.

Question 27

Experimental group

Answer 27

In an experiment, the group exposed to the, treatment, that is, to one version of the independent variable

Question 28

Control group

Answer 28

In an experiment, the group not exposed to the treatment; the control group serves as a comparison with the experimental group for judging the effect of the treatment

Question 29

Placebo _ placebo effect

Answer 29

An inactive substance or condition that is sometimes given to those in a control group in place of the treatment given to the experimental pump.

Question 30

Double-blind procedure

Answer 30

In an experiment, a procedure in which both the participants and the research staff are ignorant about who has received the treatment or placebo

Question 31

Independent, dependent variables

Answer 31

Independent; in an experiment, the factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied. Dependent: the factor that is measured; the variable that may change when the independent variable is manipulated

Question 32

Confounding variable

Answer 32

In an experiment, a factor other than the factor being studied that might influence a study’s results