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Social Science > Chapter 1 > Flashcards

Chapter 1 Flashcards

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1
Q

what is psychology

A
  • scientific study of behaviour
  • scientific study of mental processes
  • a science since it uses the scientific method
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2
Q

what are the 4 goals of psychology

A
  • description
  • explanation
  • prediction
  • influence
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3
Q

what does description mean

A
  • make notes about behaviours or situations observes
  • observations = data
  • important in early stages of research
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4
Q

what does explanation mean

A
  • requires understanding of conditions
  • understand causes of behaviour
  • understand causes of mental processes
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5
Q

what does prediction mean

A
  • can specify conditions under which behaviour or event is likely to occur
  • understand likelihood of occurrence
  • predict likelihood of occurrence
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6
Q

what does influence mean

A
  • apply principle to prevent unwanted occurrences
  • change condition to prevent unwanted occurrences
  • bring about desired outcomes
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7
Q

what is a theory

A
  • a general principle
  • organizes facts systemically
  • guides scientific research
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8
Q

what is basic research

A
  • seeks new knowledge
  • explores topics of understanding
  • advances scientific understanding
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9
Q

goals of applied research

A
  • applying research to life
  • solving practical problems
  • improving quality of life
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10
Q

descriptive research methods (5)

A
  • naturalistic observation
  • laboratory observation
  • case study method
  • survey research
  • correlational studies
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11
Q

what are naturalistic observations

A
  • observe behaviour in a natural setting
  • record behaviour in natural setting
  • no attempt to influence or control behaviour
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12
Q

advantages and disadvantages to naturalistic observations

A 
advantages:
- study behaviour in normal settings
disadvantages
- must wait for events to occur
- observer bias can distort observations
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13
Q

advantages and disadvantages of laboratory observations

A 
advantages
- more control over environment
- more precise equipment to measure responses
disadvantages
- less spontaneity of behaviour
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14
Q

the case study method

A
  • one or a few participants
  • in-depth study: observation, interviews, psychological testing
  • study uncommon psychological or physiological disorder, brain injury
  • cannot establish cause of behaviours
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15
Q

5 different formats for survey research

A

1 - surveys: representative sample instead of whole population
2 - samples: part of population used (representative samples)
3 - questionnaire: quick and inexpensive
4 - interviews: interviewer’s personal characteristics can influence responses
5 - internet: may or may not be bias issues

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16
Q

advantages and disadvantages of survey research

A

advantages
- can use large numbers of people
- can show changes in attitudes over time
- can show changes in behaviour over time
disadvantages
- can be costly
- can be time-consuming
- need expertise
- respondents may provide inaccurate information

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17
Q

correlational method

A
  • used to determine degree of relationship (correlation) between 2 characteristics, events, or behaviours
  • useful in making predictions
  • cannot determine cause
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18
Q

correlation coefficient

A
  • numerical value
  • indicates degree and direction of relationship between 2 variables
  • +1.00 (perfect positive correlation)
  • -1.00 (perfect negative correlation)
  • like an x,y graph
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19
Q

correlation and prediction

A
  • stronger relationship, better prediction
  • correlation does not equal cause
  • must use experimental method to conclude cause and effect
  • ethical issues in research
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20
Q

correlation does note equal cause

A
  • ex. stress can cause illness, but it does not necessarily always cause illness
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21
Q

advantages to the experimental method

A
  • only research method to identify cause-effect relationships
  • test hypothesis (educated guess)
  • cause-effect relationship between two or more variables
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22
Q

two different experimental variables

A
  • independent variable: IV (treatment) manipulated to determine if causing change in behaviour or condition
  • dependent variable: DV, measured at the end of experiment, varies as IV is manipulated
23
Q

what is an experimental group

A
  • participants exposed to the independent variable
24
Q

what is a control group

A
  • exposed to the same experimental environment but not given the independent variable (treatment)
25
Q

what do experimental and control groups do

A
  • rule out change: controlled setting in a lab

- generalize findings: researchers must replicate/repeat experiment, use different participants

26
Q

what are some problems in experimental research (3)

A
  • selection bias
  • placebo effect
  • experimenter bias
27
Q

what is selection bias

A
  • systematic differences among groups present at beginning of experiment
  • differences at end of experiment may be due to pre-existing differences in groups
  • use random assignment to help
28
Q

what is the placebo effect/a placebo

A
  • placebo effect = improvement from power of suggestion
  • placebo = sugar pill or injection of saline solution
  • use a control group to test whether results are due to treatment or placebo effect
29
Q

what is experimenter bias

A
  • preconceived expectations cause them to find what they expect to find
30
Q

what is self-fulfilling prophecy

A
  • research interpretation supports expectations
31
Q

what is the double-blind technique

A
  • unknown who has the treatment
32
Q

advantages and disadvantages of the experimental method

A

advantages:
- reveal cause-effect relationships
- control over experimental setting
disadvantages:
- less generalizable findings unless using field studies
- ethical limitations of experiments

33
Q

research issues with participants

A
  • avoid ageism, sexism, cultural bias
  • human participants; use of students; generalizing results
  • psychological tests; reliability and validity
  • ethical guidelines in research (humans and animals)
34
Q

what is reliability

A
  • consistency of a test

- same score time after time if same person tested and retested

35
Q

what is validity

A
  • tests ability to measure what it is intended to measure
36
Q

ethics in research according to the canadian psychology association

A
  • participation must be voluntary
  • respect for confidentiality
  • participants may withdraw at any time
  • must be debriefed about full purpose of study and implications
37
Q

when is use of deception justified in research

A
  • value of potential findings
  • information about risks not withheld
  • participants debriefed asap
38
Q

purpose of using animals in research (5)

A
  1. simpler model of processes
  2. more control over animal subjects
  3. wider range of medical and other manipulations can be used
  4. can study lifespan and multiple generations in some species
  5. cheaper, convenient for research
    - bound by canadian code of ethics for psychologists
    - guidelines of canadian council on animal care
    - animal research supported only when reasonable expectation that valuable knowledge will be obtained
39
Q

who was the founder of psychology as an academic discipline

A
  • wilhelm wundt
40
Q

when was the first psychological lab opened and where

A
  • 1879 in Leipzig, Germany
41
Q

who was edward bradford titchener

A
  • introduced psychology to north america
  • analyzed basic elements/structure of conscious mental experience
  • introspection method of self-observation seen as not objective
42
Q

what is functionalism

A
  • william james, the first north american school of psychology
  • use of mental processes adapting to environment
  • broadened the scope of psychology to include the study of behaviour as well as mental processes, and the study of children, people who are mental impaired and animals
  • strong impact from charles darwin’s book on the origin of species by means of natural selection
43
Q

what is gestalt psychology

A
  • whole is more than the sum of its parts
  • leader was max werthelmer who introduced famous experiment demonstrating phi phenomenon
  • gestalt is influential today in psychology as perception
44
Q

what is behaviourism

A
  • john b. watson: observable, measurable, objective, scientific behaviour
  • views observable behaviour rather than internal mental processes as the appropriate subject of psychology. stresses the roles of learning and the environment in determining behaviour
  • environmental factors determine behaviour
  • b.f. skinner’s operant conditioning made behaviourism a major force in modern psychology
45
Q

what is psychoanalysis

A

sigmund freud:

  • unseen, unconscious mental forces key to understanding human behaviour
  • emphasizes the role of unconscious mental foces and conflicts in determining behaviour
  • psychoanalysis and iceberg analogy
  • controversy around emphasis on sexual and aggressive impulses
46
Q

humanistic psychology

A
  • focuses on the uniqueness of human beings and their capacity for choice, growth and psychological health. called the ‘third force in psychology’ (behaviourism and psychoanalysis being the other 2)
  • uniqueness, choice, growth, psychological health, innate goodness, free will
  • abraham maslow’s hierarchy of needs and self-actualization
  • carl roger’s person-centered therapy
47
Q

cognitive psychology

A
  • mental processes: memory, problem solving, concept formation, reasoning, decision making, language
  • humans are active in cognition
  • parallel processing: management of multiple bits of information processing
  • PET scans can observe brain cells carrying out mental processes
48
Q

what is structuralism

A
  • the first formal school of psychology. focuses on analyzing the basic elements of structures of conscious mental experiences through the use of introspection
49
Q

3 current perspectives in psychology today

A
  1. biological
  2. evolutionary
  3. sociocultural
50
Q

what is the biological perspective

A
  • brain and CNS, neurons, neurotransmitters, hormones, genes
  • neuroscience - the study of the brain functioning
  • behavioural and cognitive neuroscience subfields
51
Q

what is the evolutionary perspective

A
  • humans evolved and adapted to survive
  • adaptation of the mind has not progressed at same rapid pace as our social circumstances
  • evolutionary principles common to all humans
52
Q

what is the sociocultural perspective

A
  • social and cultural influences on human behaviour
  • importance of understanding those influences when we interpret behaviour of others
  • need culturally sensitive research
53
Q

different types of psychologists at work

A
  • clinical psychology
  • counselling psychology
  • school and educational psychology
  • applied psychology (forensics, health, sports, industrial/organizational)
54
Q

overall, what are the 7 different modern perspectives in psychology

A
  1. biological
  2. psychoanalytic
  3. behavioural
  4. cognitive
  5. humanistic
  6. evolutionary
  7. sociocultural

Social Science (14 decks)

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