Chapter 1: The Science Of Psychology Flashcards
Psychology
The scientific study of behavior and mental processes
Science
the use of systematic methods to observe the natural world, including human behavior and to draw conclusions
Behavior
Everything we do that can be directly observed
Mental processes
The thoughts, feelings, and motives that people experience but cannot be observed directly
Critical thinking
The process of thinking deeply and actively, asking questions and evaluating evidence
Empirical method
Gaining knowledge through observation of events, the collection of date, and logical reasoning
Wundt
Structuralism
Structuralism
Wundt’s approach to discovering the basic elements, structures, or mental processes
James
Functionalism
Functionalism
James’ approach to mental processes, emphasizing the functions and purposes of the mind and behavior in the individuals adaptation to the enviroment
Biological approach
An approach to psychology focusing on the body, especially the brain and nervous system
Neuroscience
The study of the structure, function, development, genetics, and biochemistry of the nervous system, emphasizing that the brain and nervous system are central to understanding thought, behavior, and emotion
Behavioral approach
An approach to psychology emphasizing the scientific study of observable behavioral responses and their environmental determinants
Psychodynamic approach
An approach to psychology emphasizing unconscious thought, the conflict between biological drives (such as sex drive) and society’s demands, and early childhood experiences
Humanistic approach
An approach to psychology emphasizing a person’s positive qualities, the capacity for positive growth, and the freedom to choose any destiny
Cognitive approach
An approach to psychology emphasizing the mental processes involved in knowing how we direct our attention, perceive, remember, think and solve problems
Evolutionary approach
An approach to psychology centered on evolutionary ideas such as adaptation, reproduction, and natural selection as the basis for explaining specific human behaviors
Sociocultural approach
An approach to psychology that examines the ways in which social and cultural environments influence behavior
Culture
The shared knowledge, practices, and attitudes of groups of people and can include language, customs and beliefs about behavior is appropriate and inappropriate
Biopsychosocial approach
A perspective on human behavior that asserts that biological, social, and psychological factors are all significant ingredients in producing behavior all of these levels are important to understanding human behavior
Variable
Anything that can change
Theory
A broad idea or set of closely related ideas that attempts to explain observations and to make predictions about future observations
Hypothesis
A testable prediction that derives logically from a theory
Operational definition
A definition that provides an objective description of how a variable is going to be measured and observed in a particular study
Replication
The process in which a scientist to reproduce a study to see if the same results emerge
Descriptive research
Involves finding out the basic dimensions of some variable (ex. Case study)
Case study
An in depth look at a single individual
Correlational research
Research that examines the relationship between variables, whose purpose is to examine whether, and how two variable change each other
Correlation coefficient
A number often indicated by “r” to determine the magnitude of how two variable correlate to one another. Always falls between -1.00 and +1.00. A “-“ indicates that as one variable increases, the other decreases, while a “+” indicates that two variables increase together. A number closer to 0 indicates no correlation
Third variable problem
The circumstance where a variable that has not been measured accounts for the relationship between two other variables third variables are also known as confounding variables.
Longitudinal designs
A specific type of systemic observation, used by correlational researchers, that involves obtaining measurements of the variables of interest in multiple waves over time
Experiment
A carefully regulated procedure in which the researcher manipulates one or more variables that are believed to influence some other variable
Random assignment
Researchers’ assignment of participants to groups by chance, to reduce the likelihood that an experiments results will be due to preexisting differences between groups
Independent variable
A manipulated experimental factor, the variable the experimenter changes to see what its effects are
Dependent variable
The outcome; the factor that can change in an experiment in response to changes in the independent variable
Experimental group
The participants in an experiment who receive the drug or other treatment under study- that is, those who are exposed to the changes that the independent variable represents
Control group
The participants in an experiment who are as much like the experimental group as possible and who are treated in every way like the experimental group except for a manipulated factor, the independent variable
Placebo effect
The situation where participant expectations, rather than the experimental treatment produce and experiment outcome
Placebo
In a drug study, a harmless substance that has no physiologic effect, given to participants in a control group so that they are treated identically to the experimental group, except for the active agent
Population
The entire group about which the researcher wants to draw conclusions
Sample
The subset of the population by the investigator for study
Random sample
A sample that gives every member of the population an equal chance of being selected
Naturalistic observation
The observation of behavior in a real world setting
