FRQ Terms Flashcards
Confirmation Bias
a tendency to search for information that supports our preconceptions and to ignore or distort contradictory evidence (p. 362)
Heuristic
A simple thinking strategy that often allows us to make judgements and solve problems efficiently; usually speedier but also more error-prone that algorithms (p. 361)
Representativeness Heuristic
judging the likelihood of things in terms of how well they seem to represent, or match, particular prototypes; may lead us to ignore other relevant information.
Availability Heuristic
estimating the likelihood of events based on their availability in memory; if instances come readily to mind (perhaps because of their vividness), we presume such events are common
Proactive Interference
the disruptive effect of prior learning on the recall of new information (p. 345)
Retroactive Interference
the disruptive effect of new learning on the recall of old information (p. 345)
Habituation
decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation. As infants gain familiarity with repeated exposure to a visual stimulus, their interest wanes and they look away sooner. (pp. 264, 468)
Social Loafing
the tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal (p. 773)
Groupthink
the mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives (p. 775)
Algorithm
a methodical, logical rule or procedure that guarantees solving a particular problem. Contrasts with the usually speedier but also more error-prone use of heruistics
Random Assignment
assigning participants to experimental and control groups by chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between the different groups (p. 51)
Behaviorism
the view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to mental process. Most research psychologists today agree with (1) but not with (2). (pp. 6, 266)
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
an anxiety disorder in which a person is continually tense, apprehensive, and in a state of autonomic nervous system arousal (p. 662)
General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)
Selye’s concept of the body’s adaptive response to stress in three phases - alarm, resistance, exhaustion (p.444)
Normative Social Influence
influence resulting from a person’s desire to gain approval or avoid disproval
Random Selection
a sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion (p. 51)
Dependent Variable
the outcome factor; the variable that may change in response to manipulations of the independent variable (p. 52)
Independent Variable
the experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied (p. 52)
Prefrontal Cortex
the forward part of the frontal lobes that enables judgement, planning, and processing of new memories (an association area, pg. 109)
Sensory Cortex
located in the front of the Parietal Lobe, registers and processes body touch and movement sensations.
Operational Definitions (1)
specify the procedures that manipulate the independent variable or measure the depended variable - (definitions answer the “What do you mean?” question with a level of precision that enables others to repeat the study)
Operational Definitions (2)
a carefully worded statement of the exact procedures (operations) used in research study. For example, human intelligence may be operationally defined as what an intelligence test measures.
Correlational Studies
to detect naturally occurring relationships; to assess how well one variable predicts another (p. 53)
Erik Erikson
contended that each stage of life has its own psychosocial task, a crisis that needs resolution
