Intro to Psychology Flashcards
Early pioneers
Science of mental life
Behaviorists
Scientific study of observable behavior
Freudian
Emphasis on unconscious thought processes and emotional responses to childhood experiences
Humanistic psychologists
Stress on people’s growth potential
Cognitive psychologists
Scientific exploration of how information is perceived, processed, and remembered
Cognitive neuroscientists
Interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with mental activity
Psychology
Science of behavior and mental processes
Behavior
Any action that can be observed and recorded
Mental processes
Internal states that are inferred from behavior
Neuroscience
How the body and brain enable emotions, memories, and sensory experiences
Evolutionary
How the natural selection of traits passed down from one generation to the next has promoted the survival of genes
Behavior genetics
How our genes and our environment influence our individual differences
Psychodynamic
How behavior springs from unconscious drives and conflicts
Behavioral
How we learn observable responses
Cognitive
How we encode, process, store and retrieve information
Social-cultural
How behavior and thinking vary across situations and cultures
Eclectic approach
Focus on different parts of different perspectives
Clinical psychologist (PhD)
Studies, assesses, and treats using psychotherapy
Psychiatrist (MD)
Drugs and and psychotherapy to treat
Forensic psychologist
Apply psychology’s principles and methods in the criminal justice system; may consult on witnesses, or testify about a defendant’s state of mind and future risk
Big idea 1
Critical thinking is smart thinking
Big idea 2
Behavior is a biopsychosocial event
Big idea 3
We operate with a two-track mind
Big idea 4
Psychology explores human strengths as well as challenges
Critical thinking
Thing that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions
Biopsychosocial approach
Views human behavior from three levels: biological, psychological, social-cultural; each level’s viewpoint provides valuable insight into a behavior or mental process
Dual processing
The principle that the mind processes at the same time on separate conscious and unconscious tracks
Positive psychology
Suggests that happiness is a by-product of a pleasant, engaged, and meaningful life
Nature
Inherited characteristics that influences personality, physical and intellectual growth, and social interactions
Nurture
Environmental factors such as parental styles, physical surroundings, and economic issues
Theory
A broad explanation that organizes and predicts behavior or events
Hypothesis
Testable prediction, often implied by a theory
Operational definition
Carefully worded statement of the exact procedures used in a research study
Replication
Repeating the essence of a research study to see whether the basic finding can be reproduced
Case studies
Examine one individual or group in depth
Naturalistic observations
Technique of observing and recording behavior in a natural environment
Surveys
Techniques for obtaining self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a group
Wording effect
Subtle changes in the wording of a question can have major effects of the survey crowd`
Random sample
Sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion
Correlation
Measure of the extent to which two events vary together; measure of how well either one predicts the other
Correlation coefficient
Mathematical expression of the relationship; ranges from -1.00 to +1.00: 0 indicates no relationship
Positive correlation (above 0 to +1.00)
Indicates a direct relationship; two things increase together or decrease together
Negative correlation (below 0 to -1.00)
Indicates an inverse relationship; as one thing increases, the other decreases
Weak correlation
Coefficient near zero; indicates little or no relationship
Experiment
A method in which researchers vary one or more factors to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process
Random assignment
Assigning participants to experimental and control groups by chance, thus minimizing any preexisting differences between the groups
Experimental group
Group exposed to the treatment, that is, to one version of the independent variable
Control group
Group not exposed to the treatment; serves as a comparison with the experimental group for judging the effect of the treatment
Double-blind procedure
A procedure in which both the participants and the research staff are ignorant about who has received the treatment or a placebo
Placebo
Inactive substance or condition that is given to those in a control group in place of the treatment given to the experimental group
Placebo effect
Results caused by expectations alone
Independent variable
Factor that is manipulated; variable whose effect is being studied
Confounding variable
Factor other than the factor being studied that might influence a study’s results
Dependent variable
Factor that is measured; variable that may change when the independent variable is manipulated
Descriptive
To observe and record behavior
Correlational
To detect naturally occurring relationships; to assess how well one variable predicts another
Experimental
To explore cause and effect
