Chapter 1- Mind, Behavior, And Psychological Science Flashcards
What is psychology?
A broad field, with many specialties, but fundamentally the science of behavior and mental processes
According to statistics, where do most psychologists work after school?
Universities, colleges, and medical schools
What are the three categories of psychologists?
- Research
- Teachers
- Applied
What do research psychologists do?
Created new psychological knowledge
What do applied psychologists do?
Clinical and counseling, school, industrial and organizational, sports, forensic
How is psychology different than psychiatry?
Psychology is a broad field of study as opposed to being a medical speciality. It holds a PhD instead of an MD. Trained in research methods instead of treating metal problems. Most cannot prescribe medications
Psychology is based on…
Objective, verifiable, and scientific evidence
Psychology covers…
both internal mental processes and external, observable behaviors
What is pseudo-psychology?
Erroneous assertions or practices set forth as being scientific psychology
Ex: horoscopes, palm readings, fortune telling
What are the three types of biases?
- Emotional
- Confirmation
- Expectancy
Explain emotional bias.
Making judgements based on attitudes and feelings rather than on the basis of rational analysis of the evidence
Explain confirmation bias.
Attending to evidence that complements and confirms our beliefs or expectations, while ignoring evidence that does not
Explain expectancy bias.
Allowing expectations to affect perceptions of the outcome
What are the 6 main perspectives of psychology?
- Biological
- Cognitive
- Behavioral
- Developmental
- Sociocultural
- Whole-person
Explain the biological perspective.
That there is a distinction between the spiritual mind and the physical body.
Explain the cognitive perspective.
That methods of science used to measure and study the natural world can be used to study the mind and body
Explain the behavioral perspective.
Psychology should be limited to the study of observable behavior and environmental stimuli that shape behavior
Explain the developmental perspective.
People change in predictable ways as the influences of heredity and environment unfold over time
Explain the sociocultural perspective.
The social and cultural situation in which the person is embedded can sometimes overpower all other factors that influence behavior
Explain the whole-person perspective.
Personality and mental disorders arise mainly from processes in the unconscious mind, outside of our awareness
How do psychologists develop new knowledge?
Psychologists, like all other scientists, use the scientific method to test their ideas empirically.
What is the scientific method?
A 4-step process for empirical investigation of a hypothesis under conditions designed to control biases and subjective judgements
What is an empirical investigation?
An approach to research that relies on sensory experience and observation as research data
What is a theory?
A testable explanation for a set of facts or observations, not just a speculation or a guess
What are the 4 steps of the scientific method?
- Developing a hypothesis.
- Gathering objective data.
- Analyzing the results.
- Publishing, criticizing, and replicating the results.
What questions can the scientific method not answer?
Any questions about ethics, values, morality, preferences, aesthetics, existential issues, religion, or law
What is a hypothesis?
A statement predicting the outcome of a scientific study or the relationship among variables in a study
Scientific findings are…
Always tentative and always subject to revision
What are the 5 types of psychological research?
- Experiments
- Correlational studies
- Surveys
- Naturalistic observations
- Case studies
What is the only method that can determine cause-effect relationships?
Experiments
What are correlational studies?
Studying the relationship between variables without experimentally manipulating the independent variable
What are the three types of correlations?
Positive, negative, and no correlation
TRUE OR FALSE: Correlation = Causation
FALSE!
What are survey’s used for?
Getting people’s responses to a prepared set of verbal or written items
They’re quick and easy and inexpensive, but vulnerable to biases
What are naturalistic observations?
Research assessing behavior of people or animals in their natural surroundings
What are case studies?
Research involving a single individual or a few individuals
