Chapter 1 Flashcards
Psychology
Scientific study of mind, brain, and human behavior
Confirmation bias
Seeking out evidence that supports beliefs, ignoring anything that contradicts
Belief Perseverance
Sticking to initial beliefs even when contradict
Biases protected by scientific method
Confirmation bias
Belief oerseverance
Characteristics of study of psych
Behavior is multiply determined
People are different
People influence others
Behavior is shaped by culture
Naive realism
Belief that we see the world exactly as it is when we actually don’t: we see it through subjective lens
Pseudoscience
Claims that seem scientific but aren’t
Lacks safeguards against confirmation bias and belief perseverance
Patternicity
Our minds make connections across unrelated events
Bias blind spot
We see biases in others but not ourselves
Dangers of pseudoscience
Opportunity cost - forgo opportunities that seek effective treatments
Direct harm - pseudoscientific treatments can physically hurt you
Inability to think critically - principles of scientific thinking important for basic decision making
Hypothesis
Testable prediction derived from a scientific theory
Theory
Explanation for a large number of findings in the natural world
Wundt
First psychology lab in Germany
Structuralism
Structuralism
Wundt
Relied on introspection (mental experiences)
Basic elements or structures of human experience
Too subjective didn’t consider unconscious thought
Functionalism
William James - introduced psych as a science
Evolution
