Midterm Flashcards
What is psychology?
The study of human behavior and mental processes
Empirical evidence
Knowledge obtained through systematic observation and experimentation.
Pseudoscience
Claims that appear scientific but lack empirical support (e.g., phrenology).
Operational Definition
A precise definition that specifies how a conceptual variable is measured
Three main research designs
descriptive, correlational, experimental
objective research
free from personal bias or emotions
characteristics of good theories
applied to different outcomes, simplest explanation, predictions can be correct or incorrect
independent variable also known as
manipulated variable
placebo effect
improvement due to expectations rather than treatment
emotion
mental and physiological state that directs attention and behaviour
three components of emotion
biological, cognitive, sociocultural
Primary emotions include
Universal emotions like happiness, sadness, anger, fear, disgust
Facial feedback hypothesis
Facial expressions can influence emotions
Part of the brain crucial for emotional experience
Amygdala
Secondary emotions are
more complex emotions shaped by culture and cognition
What is misattribution of arousal?
When physical arousal is incorrectly labeled as a different emotion.
What is excitation transfer?
The process where arousal from one event amplifies emotions in another event.
What are mirror neurons?
Neurons that fire both when performing an action and when observing others perform it.
Motivation
force that initiates and directs behaviour
What are drive states
Physiological needs that create motivation to act.
What are goals?
Cognitive representations of desired end states.
What is set-point theory?
The idea that body weight is regulated around a genetically determined level.
Role of hypothalamus in hunger
The lateral hypothalamus triggers hunger, while the ventromedial hypothalamus signals satiety.
Stress
The physiological and psychological response to challenging situations.
Eustress
Positive stress that can enhance motivation and performance
Distress
Negative stress that can harm health and well being
HPA axis
System involving the hypothalamus, pituitary, adrenal glands in stress responses
Cortisol
Hormone released in response to stress
Social support
Emotional and practical assistance from others
Role of oxytocin in stress
a hormone that promotes social bonding and reduces stress
mindfulness
mental state achieved by focusing on the present moment
STOP method
technique to pause and manage stress (Stop, Take a breath, Observe, Proceed)
Altruism
Helping others without expecting personal benefit
Burnout
state of emotional mental and physical exhaustion due to prolonged stress
Social psychology
The study of how people influence thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Social norms
Rules that regulate behavior in society
conformity
Changing behavior to align with group norms.
What was Asch’s conformity experiment?
A study demonstrating that people conform to group pressure even when they know it’s wrong.
Obedience
Following orders from an authority figure.
What was Milgram’s obedience study?
A study showing that people will obey authority figures even to the point of harming others.
What is persuasion?
The process of influencing others’ attitudes and behaviors.
What is the scarcity effect?
The tendency to value scarce resources more.
What is the reciprocity effect?
The tendency to return favors.
What is social proof?
The tendency to follow the behavior of others.
What is diffusion of responsibility?
The belief that someone else will take action in a group setting.
Deindividuation
Losing self-awareness in a group.
Implicit Biases
Unconscious prejudices that affect behavior.
What is stereotype threat?
The fear of confirming negative stereotypes
groupthink
Poor decision-making due to group pressure.
Bystander effect
People are less likely to help in a crowd.
Social roles
Expected behaviours in specific situations
What is attraction based on
Proximity, similarity, and physical appearance.
cognitive dissonance
The discomfort from conflicting attitudes or behaviors.
