Chapter 1 Flashcards
What is the definition of psychology?
“The scientific study of behaviour and mental processes.” It uses the scientific method.
What are the four goals of Psychology?
- Description: The “what”, observations become data
- Explanation: The “why”, understanding the causes to create a theory (always falsifiable)
- Prediction: Specific the conditions where behaviour is likely to occur
- Influence: Prevent unwanted occurrences &/or bring about desired outcomes
What are the descriptive research methods?
- Naturalistic observation: Observe and record in natural setting without interfering. Very authentic but is time consuming and there is observer bias.
- Laboratory observation: There’s more control and precision but not genuine
- Case Study: In depth study of one or few participants. Great for uncommon disorders.
- Survey: Provide information of large groups about beliefs and attitudes but people lie. Selection of sample must be representative.
What do the correlational coefficients refer to?
They measure degree of relationship between two variables but do not imply cause and effect. Strong correlation is closest to I1I.
+1.0 a perfect positive correlation.
-1.0 a perfect negative correlation.
0 correlation indicates no correlation
Potential problems in experimental research that you must control for.
Experimental research is used to determine cause-effect.
- Selection bias: use random assignment
- Placebo effect: use control groups
- Experimenter bias: use double-blind technique
What is the difference between validity and reliability?
Validity is when a test measures what has been intended to measure while reliability is if the test is consistent and yields nearly the same score every time.
Who founded psych.?
Wilhelm Wundt, he wrote the Principles of Physiological Psychology and was interested in searching for the structure of conscious experience.
Titchener coined the term
Structuralism
What is structuralism?
The structure of conscious experience (reaction time and attention span) as well as introspection (reports of feelings and sensations). Studying the components of the human mind.
What is functionalism?
How the mind functions to adapt and evolve to environment. This included behaviour and cognition.
“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts” is from what school of thought?
Gestalt
What is the Phi phenomenon?
Motion by a succession of still images. How we perceive wholes or patterns, not collection of separate and independent sensations.
Why Behaviourism?
It emphasizes the role of environmental factors in influencing behaviour. We learn new behaviour by classical conditioning (Ivan Pavlov) or operant conditioning (learning through reinforcement or punishment) (B.F. Skinner). Behaviour is observable, measurable, objective and scientific.
What is psychoanalysis?
It is the theory of personality and therapy.
Differences between the ID, ego and super-ego.
The ID is the aggressive and sexual drive, the super ego the moral and the ego is the realistic that balances them out. These are unconscious forces that drive us.
