Chapter 1 Flashcards
what is psychology
the scientific study of the mind, brain, and behavior
levels of analysis
rungs on a ladder of analysis, with lower levels tied most closely to biological influences and higher levels tied most closely to social influences
scientific theory
explanation for a large number of findings in the natural world
hypothesis
testable prediction derived from a scientific theory
confirmation bias
tendency to seek out evidence
that supports our beliefs and deny, dismiss, or distort evidence that contradicts them
belief perseverance
tendency to stick to our initial beliefs even when evidence contradicts them
metaphysical claim
assertion about the world that’s not testable
pseudoscience
set of claims that seems scientific but isn’t
ad hoc immunizing hypothesis
escape hatch or loophole that defenders of a theory use to protect their theory from falsification
patternicity
the tendency to perceive meaningful patterns in their absence
terror management theory
theory proposing that our awareness of our death leaves us with an underlying sense of terror with which we cope by adopting reassuring cultural worldviews
critical thinking
set of skills for evaluating all claims in an open-minded and careful fashion
correlation–causation fallacy
error of assuming that because one thing is associated with another, it must cause the other
variable
anything that can vary
falsifiable
capable of being disproved
replicability
when a study’s findings are able to be duplicated, ideally by independent investigators
decline effect
fact that the size of certain psychological findings appears to be shrinking over time
functionalism
school of psychology that aimed to understand the adaptive purposes of psychological characteristics
natural selection
principle that organisms that possess adaptations survive and reproduce at a higher rate than do other organisms
behaviorism
school of psychology that focuses on uncovering the general laws of learning by looking largely at observable behavior
cognitive psychology
school of psychology that proposes that thinking is central to understanding behavior
cognitive neuroscience
relatively new field of psychology that examines the relation between brain functioning and thinking
psychoanalysis
school of psychology, founded by Sigmund Freud, that focuses on internal psychological processes of which we’re unaware
evolutionary psychology
discipline that applies Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection to human and animal behavior
basic research
research examining how the mind works
applied research
research examining how we can use basic research to solve real-world problems
