Exam 1 Flashcards
Psychology is…
A scientific discipline.
Why is psychology necessary?
We “already understand” people; are overconfident; and are fooled by errors of randomness.
Parts of the scientific method are?
Theory, hypothesis, and experimentation
Theory
An idea that must have testable predictions.
Hypothesis
A prediction about variables.
Experimentation
How variables are studied.
Descriptive studies
Observe
Correlational studies
Predict
Experimental studies
Explain
Operational definitions
Precise procedural explanations of variables in a study; very specific explanation.
Correlations
Statistical measurement; how closely two variables vary together.
Positive correlation
As one goes up, the other goes up.
Negative correlation
As one goes up, the other goes down.
No/none correlation (null)
As one goes up, the other is random.
If two variables are correlated, does that mean one causes the other?
No! Correlation does not mean causation.
Independent variable
What you manipulate.
Dependent variable
What you measure.
Confounding variables
Uncontrolled factors that might affect the dependent variable.
P-value
P < 0.5 hypothesis accepted
P > 0.5 hypothesis rejected
T-test
Compares dv scores across research groups.
Phrenology
(Not true at all) the brain grows and shrinks, which causes the skull and scalp to change shape.
Tools of discovery
Case study, stimulation, lesion (intentially damaging the brain), and record activity (brain scans).
Resection
Surgical removal of part of the brain.
Phineas Gage
Removed frontal tissue of his brain; lost ability to control impulses.
Cerebellum
Motor coordination and movement; very dense.
Hippocampus
Memory consolidation and internal GPS.
Amygdala
Emotional perception and expression.