History, Approaches, and Research Methods Flashcards
Structuralism
an early school of psych that used introspection to explore the structural elements of the human mind
Functionalism
a school of psychology that focused on how our mental and behavioral processes function - how they enable us to adapt, survive, and flourish
Behaviorism
the view that psychology should (1) be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes. Most research psychologists today agree with (1) but not (2)
Humanistic Psychology
historically significant perspective that emphasized the growth potential of healthy people and the individual’s potential for personal growth
Cognitive Neuroscience
the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language)
Psychology
the science of behavior and mental processes
Nature-Nurture Issue
the longstanding controversy over the relative contributions that genes and experience make to the development of psychological traits and behaviors. Today’s science sees traits and behaviors arising from the interaction of nature and nurture
Levels of Analysis
the differing complementary views, from biological to psychological to social-cultural, for analyzing any given phenomenon
Biopsychosocial Approach
an integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological, and social-cultural levels of analysis
Basic Research
pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base
Applied Research
scientific study that aims to solve practical problems
Counseling Psychology
a branch that assists people with problems in living and in achieving a greater wellbeing
Clinical Psychology
a branch that studies, assesses, and treats people with psychological disorders
Psychiatry
a branch of medicine dealing with psychological disorders; practiced by physicians who sometimes provide medical (drug) treatments as well as psychological therapy
Empiricism
the view that knowledge originates in experience and science should rely on observation and experimentation
Natural Selection
the principle that, among the range of inherited trait variations, those contributing to the reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations
Hindsight Bias
the tendency to believe after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it
Critical Thinking
thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions
Theory
an explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes observations and predicts behavior or events
Hypothesis
a testable prediction, often implied by a theory
Operational Definition
a statement of the procedures (operations) used to define research variables
Replication
repeating the essence of a research study, usually with different participants in different situations, to see whether findings match
Case Study
an observation technique in which one person is studied in depth in hopes of revealing universal principles
Survey
a technique used for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes, or behaviors of a particular group, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of a group
Random Sample
a sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion
Naturalistic Observation
observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation
Correlation
a measure of the extent to which two factors vary together
Scatter Plots
a graphed cluster of dots showing correlation
Experiment
a research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more independent variables to observe the effects on the dependent ones
Double-Blind Procedure
both the research participants and the staff are ignorant about whether the participants have received the treatment or placebo
Placebo Effect
experimental results caused by expectations alone
Experimental Group
group exposed to treatment
Control Group
group exposed to placebo, not treatment
Standard Deviation
a computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean score
Normal Curve
a symmetrical, bell-shaped curve that describes the distribution of many types of data
Statistically Significant
a statistical statement of how likely it is that an obtained result occurred by chance
Descriptive Statistics
summarizes numerical data (mean, median, mode)
Inferential Statistics
used for decision making and generalizing from small samples (statistical significance)
