chapter 1 Flashcards
what is psychology?
the scientific study of behavior and mental processes
what is the scientific attitude?
curiosity, skepticism, humility
what is critical thinking?
thinking that does not automatically accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions, appraises the source, discerns hidden biases, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions.
what were psychologys first schools of thought
structuralism and functionalism
what is structuralism
an early school of thought promoted by Wundt and Titchener; used introspection to reveal the structure of the human mind
what is functionalism
an early school of thought promoted by James and influenced by Darwin; explored how mental and behavioral processes function—how they enable the organism to adapt, survive, and flourish
what is cognitive neuroscience
the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating)
what is the nature-nurture issue?
the longstanding controversy over the relative contributions that genes and experience make to the development of psychological traits and behaviors. Today’s science sees traits and behaviors arising from the interaction of nature and nurture
what is natural selection
Darwins principle of inherited traits that better enable an organism to survive and reproduce in a particular environment will (in competition with other trait variations) most likely be passed on to subsequent generations
what is evolutionary psychology
the study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection
what are behavior genetics?
the study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior
what is culture
shared ideas and behaviors that one generation passes on to the next
what is positive psychology
the scientific study of human flourishing, with the goals of discovering and promoting strengths and virtues that help individuals and communities to thrive
what are the three main levels of psychological analysis
biological, psychological, social-cultural
what is the biopsychosocial approach
an integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological, and social-cultural levels of analysis
what are psychologys perspectives
neuroscience
evolutionary
behavior genetics
psychodynamic
behavioral
cognitive
social-cultural
what is basic research
pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base.
what is applied research
scientific study that aims to solve practical problems
what is counseling psychology
a branch of psychology that assists people with problems in living (often related to school, work, or relationships) and in achieving greater well-being
what is clinical psychology
a branch of psychology that studies, assesses, and treats people with psychological disorders.
what is psychiatry
a branch of medicine dealing with psychological disorders; practiced by physicians who provide medical (for example, drug) treatments as well as psychological therapy.
what is community psychology
a branch of psychology that studies how people interact with their social environments and how social institutions (such as schools and neighborhoods) affect individuals and groups
what is hindsight bias
the tendency people have to assume that they knew the outcome of an event after
the outcome has already been determined
(survey in class w paper strips)
what is overconfidence and assumption
where confidence is greater than accuracy * We assume things are as they should be
what is intuition
effortless feeling or thought
what are random sequences
Events that are random sometimes seem to have patterns
what is the scientific method
a self-correcting process for evaluating ideas with observation and analysis
what is a theory
an explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes observations and predicts behaviors or events
what is a hypothesis
a testable prediction, often implied by a theory.
what is an operational definition
a carefully worded statement of the exact procedures (operations) used in a research study. For example, human intelligence may be operationally defined as what an intelligence test measures.
what is replication
repeating the essence of a research study, usually with different participants in different situations, to see whether the basic finding can be reproduced.
how do psychologists observe and describe behavior?
case studies, naturalistic observation, surveys
what are case studies
in-depth analyses of individuals or groups
what is naturalistic observation?
observing behavior in its natural setting
what are surveys/interviews
asking people questions (must be worded correctly to prevent wording bias)
how is the story of freud and little hans a weakness of case studies
Freud and little Hans Sigmund Freud’s case study of 5-year-old Hans’ extreme fear of horses led Freud to his theory of childhood sexuality. He conjectured that Hans felt unconscious desire for his mother, feared castration by his rival father, and then transferred this fear into his phobia about being bitten by a horse
Individual cases can suggest fruitful ideas. What’s true of all of us can be glimpsed in any one of us. But to find those general truths, we must employ other research methods.
what is a random sample?
a sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion
what is a population
all those in a group being studied, from which random samples may be drawn. (Note: Except for national studies, this does not refer to a country’s whole population.)
what is an experiment
a research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factors (independent variables) to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process (the dependent variable). By random assignment of participants, the experimenter aims to control other relevant factors
what is an experimental group
in an experiment, the group exposed to the treatment, that is, to one version of the independent variable
what is a control group
in an experiment, the group not exposed to the treatment; contrasts with the experimental group and serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment
what does it mean to randomly assign
assigning participants to experimental and control groups by chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between the different groups
what are single- blind and double-blind experiments
The participants are often blind (uninformed) about what treatment, if any, they are receiving. If the study is using a double-blind procedure, neither the participants nor those who administer the drug and collect the data will know which group is receiving the treatment.
what is the placebo effect
Just thinking you are getting a treatment can boost your spirits, relax your body, and relieve your symptoms. This placebo effect is well documented in reducing pain, depression, anxiety, and auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia
what is an independent variable
in an experiment, the factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied
what is a confounding variable
in an experiment, a factor other than the factor being studied that might influence a study’s results
what is a dependent variable
in an experiment, the outcome that is measured; the variable that may change when the independent variable is manipulated
