Intro To Psych Flashcards
Psychology
The scientific study of behaviour and mental processes
Mental processes
A persons thoughts and feelings that are personal and cannot be observed
Behaviour
External actions made by any living thing that can be observed
Psychologist
Studies psychology for four years at a university and may do additional studying or supervised practise
Psychiatrist
Completes a medical degree and specialises in psychiatry, able to prescribe medications and perform medical procedures
Empirical Evidence
Data collected directly by observation or experimentation
Replication
Conducting a study again to establish if results can be duplicated, ensuring reliability
Pseudoscience
False science that claim to be scientific but lacks empirical evidence and replication
Sports Psychologist
Concerned with athlete performance and identifying factors influencing it
Forensic Psychologist
Applies psychological principles in the legal system
Clinical Psychologist
Focuses on assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of psychological and general health problems
Counselling Psychologist
Assists individuals, couples, and families with personal problems
Organisational Psychologist
Studies factors influencing productivity in workplaces
Educational Psychologist
Studies factors influencing the learning process from childhood to adulthood
Neuropsychologist
Studies the biological basis of behaviour and the impact of brain dysfunction on thinking and behaviour
Community Psychologist
Assists communities by implementing programs to support members wellbeing
Health Psychologist
Focuses on the prevention and treatment of physical illnesses
Differences between Psychologist and a Psychiatrist
- Psychologists studies four years of psychology at a university and can do two years of extra studying or two years of supervised practicing. Whereas a psychiatrist does a medical degree and then can do a specialist of psychiatry.
- A psychologist cannot perform medical procedures or prescribe medication whereas a psychiatrist can perform medical procedures and prescribe medications.
- A psychologist work in all types of specialist areas whereas a psychiatrist focus on prevention, diagnosis and treatment of mental
health problems
Similarities between Psychologist and Psychiatrist
- Psychologists and Psychiatrists both study at a University
- Psychologusts and Psychiatrists are both able to diagnose their patients
- Both are trained to understand how your brain works, how you think and how you behave
Differences between Pseudoscience and Science
- With psychology, more and more information is learnt meaning that it improves over time whereas pseudoscience nothing new is learnt so it lacks progress
- Psychology relies on empirical evidence while Pseudoscience relies on personal anecdotes as evidence
- Psychology uses a clearly defined hypothesis that can be tested under controlled environments whereas Pseudoscience has a hypothesis that is too vague to be tested or they avoid having a hypothesis being tested
Scientific Method
- Identify Research Problem
- Formulate a Hypothesis
- Design the Method
- Collect the Data
- Analyse the Data
- Interpret the Results
- Report the Findings
Aim
A broad statement outlining the goal of a research investigation
Sentence Structure for an Aim
“To investigate the effect of IV on DV”
Independent Variable
The variable manipulated by the researcher to observe it’s effects on the dependent variable; the cause variable
Dependent Variable
The variable measured to assess the impact of changes in the independent variable; the effect variable
Extraneous Variable
Any variable apart from the independent variable that can influence the dependent variable and potentially affect the experiment results.
Confounding Variable
Variables other than the independent variable that unintentionally affect the dependent variable, threatening the validity of the experiment
Hypothesis
A prediction about the expected outcome of a research study based on existing knowledge and research
Population
The entire group from which a sample is selected for a study
Sample
A subset of the population used in a research study
Random Sampimg
A method of selecting a sample where each member of the population has an equal chance of being chosen
Stratified Sampling
Dividing the population into subgroups and then selecting participants from each subgroup in proportion to their representation in the population
Random Allocation
Assigning participants randomly to either the experimental or control group to ensure equal chance of being in either group
Experimental Group/Condition
The group that is exposed to the independent variable in an experiment
Control Group/Condition
The group not exposed to the independent variable, used as a baseline for comparison in an experiment
Between Subjects Design
Participants are randomly allocated to either the experimental or control group in a research study
Within Subjects Design
Participants experience both the experimental or control conditions in a research study
Qualitative Data
Descriptive data that characterises qualities or attributes
Quantitative Data
Data that is measured and expressed in numerical form
Mean
The average value of a set of data
Median
The middle value in a dataset when arranged in order to
Mode
The value that appears most frequently in a dataset
Withdrawal Rights
Involves a participants being able to discontinue their involvement in an experiment, at any time during or after the experiment, without any consequence. This right should be outlined in the informed consent process
Deception
When knowing the true purpose of an experiment may affect the behaviour of the participants whilst in the study, an experimenter may choose to not inform the participants about the true purpose of the study. Must correct any resulting harmful. Ethics committee must approve research using deception
Protection from harm
Involves actively avoiding causing harm. The benefits of the research must outweigh the harm or discomfort caused to the participant
Debriefing
Ensures that at the end of the experiment, the participants leaves understanding the aim, results and conclusions. The participants questions are addressed
Informed Consent
Informed: participants are given information about the research, their ethical rights and any risks involved.
Consent: must obtain written consent form participants
Voluntary Participation
An individual is not forced or pressured to participate in an experiment
Confidentiality
The privacy, protection and security of a participants personal information
