Chapter 1 Flashcards
why should we study psychology?
- it is EXTREMELY RELEVANT to one’s life
- helps you learn about yourself and others through various view points
definition of PSYCHOLOGY
a topic that must be taken through an OBJECTIVE/IMPERSONAL LENS
- scientific study of mental activity/behavior, which are based on brain processes
what are the THREE ASPECTS of psychology?
- Psychology investigates mental activity and behavior
- experiences depending on how your process the situation + initial reaction - The field of psychology acknowledges the importance of brain processes
- the BRAIN is responsible for our mental activity/behavior!! - Psychology is a science!
definition of EMPIRICISM
an evidence-based approach to gaining knowledge by conducting research that systemically investigates + measures phenomena of interest
**entails a BROAD INSIGHT of many people, not just one
- remember that not all of our personal thoughts can be supported by SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
- can even CONTRADICT original assumption
“the idea that all learning comes from only experience and observations.”
what is science of learning?
research in psychology & other fields that suggests how you can improve your study skills, learning, & academic performance
what are the major IMPACT strategies?
(I) Improving
(M) Monitoring
(P) Practicing
(A) Attending
(C) Connecting
(T) Thinking Deeply
Improving
the overall indication of a GROWTH MINDSET
- your own personal skills and intelligence are not fixed
- effort to work hard and have good study techniques + helpful feedback from others
Monitoring
the process of SELF-REGULATED LEARNING
- creation of measurable learning goals, study plans, other effective strategies, & check-ins
Practicing
“Practice Makes Perfect” :)
- only truly effective; ACTIVELY trying to remember the material (REPEATED PRACTICE)
- spacing out practices during session or couple of days
Attending
- SELECTIVE ATTENTION:
can only really focus on only so much at one time - HEAVY MEDIA MULTI-TASK:
use of heavy media can have negative effects on attention and memory - maximize your learning turn off the phones !!
Connecting
the brain naturally creates relationships and connections to help remember info!
- relate new ideas to facts and skills you already know!
- gives important CUES to organize new information into our MEMORY!
Thinking Deeply
- learning the right way can be hard work!
ELABORATION: - explaining specific concepts or examples can lead to greater MEMORY and LEARNING
- creation of “MEMORY TRACES” that can be strengthened through deep thinking
definition of CRITICAL THINKING
systemically evaluating information to reach conclusions based on the evidence that is presented
- don’t always accept everything you hear as “FACE VALUE”
what are the critical thinking steps?
STEP ONE: IS THE SOURCE OF THE CLAIM BELIEVABLE?
STEP TWO: IS THERE STRONG EVIDENCE FOR THE CLAIM?
STEP THREE: DO OTHER BELIEVABLE SOURCES AGREE ABOUT CLAIM?
step 1 of critical thinking
STEP ONE: IS THE SOURCE OF THE CLAIM BELIEVABLE?
- determine WHO is providing such information about the claim
- is the source CREDIBLE/BELIEVABLE??
- are there ulterior motives?
step 2 of critical thinking
STEP TWO: IS THERE STRONG EVIDENCE FOR THE CLAIM?
- only EMPIRICAL RESEARCH is acceptable evidence (Psychology is a science remember!)
**describes the participants, research designs, ethical issues, and conclusions
- evidence can be tainted with intuitions, beliefs, and opinions
step 3 of critical thinking
STEP THREE: DO OTHER BELIEVABLE SOURCES AGREE ABOUT CLAIM?
- be SKEPTICAL to sources without any supporting or competing claims
- has CONSISTENT EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE
how can psychology improve your life PERSONALLY?
- understand your own personal traits
- better sleep :)
- reducing stress/anxiety
- learn more about others and improve relationships
(through their own motivations, likes/dislikes, other social influences)
how can psychology improve your life PROFESSIONALLY/through your job?
- helps consider career options
- understand people’s thinking/behaviors/personalities
- extremely VITAL to grasp interconnections between the brain, thoughts, feelings and behaviors
1879 Experiment
- 1879: first experimental psychology within Germany; studied completion of certain mental tasks
what are the FIVE DOMAINS OF PSYCHOLOGY?
- BIOLOGICAL DOMAIN
- brain + body activity? - COGNITIVE DOMAIN
- mental activity? - DEVELOPMENTAL DOMAIN
- change in life? age? - SOCIAL/PERSONALITY DOMAIN
- social/personal characteristics? - MENTAL/PHYSICAL HEALTH DOMAIN
- mental/physical health?
**all domains are INTERCONNECTED with each other and creates INTERDISCIPLINARY WORK/APPROACHES
psychology and diversity
- greater range of experiences and people create greater amounts of psychologists
- wider array of participants; conclusions can be applied as wildly as possible
definition of DIVERSITY
any difference between people that becomes apparent in a specific context
what are some benefits of diversity?
- social and educational benefits for students
- improvement of group problem solving
- greater adaptation, flexibility, and creativeness
how has psychologists changed in terms of diversity?
- greater array needed with the help of supportive professional organizations
- old notion just focused on white men supremacy
MARY WHITON CALKINS:
- first female graduate in psychology
- first female president of the American Psych. Asso.
FRANCIS CECIL SUMMER
- first black graduate with a Doctorate Degree in Psych.
- 2019: over 70% of psychologists are women :)
how has psychology and its participants changed in terms of diversity?
- over 96% of participants are WESTERN (even if 12% of world population live in the USA)
- ex. Pandemic responses
[MALE] Fight or Flight Response
[FEMALE] Tend & Befriend Response - ex. Muller-Lyer Illusion
(line test) - results can vary depending in CULTURE
how has psychology and its students changed in terms of diversity?
- greater need for more support training for POC to earn psych. degrees
- 2019; 79% of graduates (women) earned Bachelors degree in psych :)
definition of ETHICS
the accepted standards of right and wrong that guide people’s behavior
- helps protect the participant’s physical + emotional well-being
definition of INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARDS
group of people responsible for reviewing proposed research, making sure it follows the accepted ethical standards
what are the FOUR ETHICAL PRINCIPLES of psychology?
- Privacy
- can observe people in public, but not in private - Confidentiality
- SECRETS!! no link to actual partcipant - Informed Consent
- choice to join or not, understand what’s going on - Protection from harm
- risk/benefit ratio
what are the psychological study goals? how does one achieve these study goals?
- DESCRIBING what happens
- PREDICTING what happens
- CONTROLLING what causes it to happen
- EXPLAINING why it happens
- achieved through the SCIENTIFIC METHOD!
definition of SCIENTIFIC METHOD
continuous 5-step process that allows systemic observation + measurement of phenomena to reach goals
what are the FIVE STEPS of the SCIENTIFIC METHOD?
- Formulate a Theory
- Develop a Hypothesis
- Test w/ a Research Method
- Analyze the Data
- Share results/conduct more research
STEP ONE of the scientific method
- FORMULATION OF A THEORY
THEORY:
series of interconnected ideas/concepts that explains what is observed in research and makes predictions about future events
- can be further refined with own contextual research and exploration of articles
STEP TWO of scientific method
- DEVELOP TESTABLE HYPOTHESIS
- HYPOTHESIS:
specific testable prediction of what should be observed in study if a theory is correct
(targets study goals –describing, predicting etc…)
STEP THREE of the scientific method
- TEST W/ a RESEARCH METHOD
we have 3 types of research methods
1. DESCRIPTIVE
- describing something?
2. CORRELATIONAL
- predicting b/w A & B
3. EXPERIMENTAL
- controlling what causes an outcome
type of research method depends on your own goal + hypothesis + variables (something that varies–can be either manipulated or measured/both)
STEP FOUR of scientific method
- ANALYZE the DATA
quickly summarize raw data + and see if there’s any differences
- is there any significant effects :O??
STEP FIVE of scientific method
- SHARE RESULTS/CONDUCT MORE RESEARCH
make sure to REPORT ALL DATA + INTERPRETATION
- don’t cherry-pick dawg >:(
- Share results through scientific conferences/peer-reviewed journals
- REPLICATION:
repetition of a research study to confirm or contradict results
(greater confidence in findings and finding any issues in the experiment)
definition of DESCRIPTIVE METHODS + what are the THREE TYPES OF DESCRIPTIVE METHODS?
DESCRIPTIVE METHODS:
research methods that provide a SYSTEMATIC + OBJECTIVE SNAPSHOT of what is occurring at a certain point in time
- seen often during early research stages
- DESCRIBES beliefs or behaviors
THREE TYPES:
1. case studies
2. observational studies
3. self-reports
definition of CASE STUDIES
DESCRIPTIVE research method that involves intensive examination of a person or organization (or both)
- PROS; lots of data
- CONS; very subjective; could have preexisting bias from researcher
definition of OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES
involves the observing/classifying behavior, either w/o or w/ intervention (across specific time intervals)
*REACTIVITY - change in behavior due to being observed
- PROS; valuable during early research stages
- CONS; can have observer bias due to own personal expectations
definition of SELF-REPORTS
asking questions to research participants - field number of options
- PROS; easy, saves money, and quick
- CONS; self-report bias
definition of CORRELATIONAL METHODS
examines how variables are naturally RELATED to the real world without alteration of VARIABLES without also altering one factor that causes changes in another
*or measuring 2 or more naturally occurring variables to determine STRENGTH of relationship
- PROS; real world setting/natural relationships
- CONS; directionalty/third-variable problem
*can use stats to rule these problems out
*correlation is not casuality
what is the DIRECTIONALITY PROBLEM (CORRELATIONAL METHOD)?
not knowing which factor drives the other factor
- can never tell what causes a particular outcome
( A <———-> B)
what is the THIRD VARIABLE PROBLEM (CORRELATIONAL METHOD)?
third factor that can drive the relationship **typically a hidden factor
definition of EXPERIMENTAL METHODS
reveals CASUALTY by manipulating independent variables and measuring effects on the dependent variable
- PROS; provides control over manipulated independent variable (NO DIRECTIONAL PROBLEM)
- CONS; can have confounds that affect the dependent variable - inaccurate results
what are the VARIABLES in an EXPERIMENT?
- INDEPENDENT V.
variable MANIPULATED to examine the impact on dependent v. - DEPENDENT V.
variable MEASURED to determine how it was affected by the manipulation of the independent v.
*also have operational definitions
what are the GROUPS in an EXPERIMENT?
groups are important in proving that there is indeed significant manipulation due to the independent v.
- CONTROL GROUPS
group that receives NO TREATMENT; baseline manipulation–compared to EXPERIMENTAL GROUP - EXPERIMENTAL GROUPS
group that receives TREATMENT of interest
definition of BETWEEN GROUP DESIGN/WITHIN SUBJECT DESIGN
BETWEEN-GROUP DESIGN
different groups receive different treatments
WITHIN SUBJECT DESIGN
same people receive all treatments but in different orders
definition of CONTROL and why is it needed?
- CONTROL is necessary in order to determine CASUALITY
- CONTROL:
steps taken to minimize possibility that anything other than the independent v. affects the experiment
definition of CONFOUND
anything that affects a dependent variable and vary the experiment’s condition; reaches toward third-variable problem
definition of RANDOM SAMPLE
sample of participants that fairly represent the population–equal chance of being included
- makes sure experiment results can be applied to as many people as possible
definition of RANDOM ASSIGNMENT
placing participants into experiment conditions where everyone has an equal chance of being assigned to any level of independent v.
- makes sure confound is not possible; some people may have different characteristics/abilities that affect groups
