Midterm Vocab Flashcards
empiricism
the idea that what we know comes from experience, and that observation and experimentation enabled scientific knowledge
structuralism
early school of though promoted by Wundt and Titchener; used introspection to reveal the structure of the human mind
functionalism
early school of though promoted by James and influenced by Darwin; explored how mental and behavioral processes function– how they enable the organism to adapt, survive, and flourish
experimental psychology
the study of behavior and thinking using the experimental method
behaviorism
the view that psychology 1.) should be an objective science that 2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes. Most research psychologists today agree with 1 but not 2
cognitive neuroscience
the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition
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. Todays science see them arising from the interaction of nature and nurture
natural selection
the principle that, among the range of inherited trial variations, those contributing to reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations
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 on analysis
behavioral psychology
how we learn observable responses
biological
How the body and brain enable emotions, memories, and sensory experiences; how genes combine with environment to influence individual differences
cognitive
how we encode, process, store, and retrieve information
evolutionary
how the natural selection of traits has promoted the survival of genes
humanistic
ow we meet our needs for love acceptance and achieve self fulfillment
psychodynamic
how behavior spring from unconscious drives and conflicts
social culture
how behavior and thinking vary across situation and cultures
psychometrics
the scientific study of the measurement of human abilities, attitudes and traits
basic research
pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base
developmental psychology
a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span
educational
the study of how psychological processes affect and can enhance teaching and learning
personality
the study of an individuals characteristic pattern of thinking, feelings, and acting
social psychology
the scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another
applied research
scientific study that aims to solve practical problems
industrial organizational
the application of psychological concepts and methods to optimizing human behavior in workplaces
human factors
o And I/O psychology subfield that explores how people and machines interact and how machines and physical environments can be made safe and easy to use
counseling
o A branch of psychology that assists people with problems in living (often related to school, work, or marriage_ and in achieving greater well-being
clinical psychology
o A branch that studies assesses, and treats people that have psychological disorders
psychiatry
o A branch of medicine dealing with psychological disorders; practiced by physicians who sometimes provide medical treatments as well as psychological therapy
postive
o The scientific study of human functioning, with the goals of discovering and promoting strengths and virtues that help individuals and communities to thrive
community
o A branch of psychology that studies how people interact with their social environment and how social institutions affect individuals and groups
hindsight bias
the tendency to believe you could have predicted and event after seeing it.
critical thinking
thinking that does not accept arguements and conclusions blindly but must have evidence through examinations of assumptions, assesess, the source, discerns hidden calues, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions
theory
an explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes observations and predicts behaviors or events
operational definition
o A carefully worded statement of the exact procedures used in a research study
replication
o Repeating the essence of a research study, usually with different participants in different situations, to see whether the basic finding extends to other participants and circumstances
case study
o A descriptive technique in which one individual or group is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles
naturalistic observations
o Observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation
• Does not explain behavior
It describes it
survey
o A technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a particular group, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of the group
• Questions have to be asked
The way we word them can have huge impact on how things go
sampling bias
o A flawed sampling process that produces an unrepresentative sample
population
o All those in a group being studies, from which samples may be drawn
random sample
o A sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion
correlation
o A measure of the extent to which two variables change together, and thus of how well either variable predicts the other
correlation coefficient
o A statistical index of the relationship between two variables
scatterplot
o A graphed cluster of dots, each of which represents the value of two variables. The slope of the points suggests the direction of the relationship between the two variables. The amount of scatter suggests the strengths of the correlation
illusory correlation
o The perception of a relationship where none exists
experiment
o A research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factors to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process
experimental group
o In an experiment, the group exposed to the treatment, that is, to one version of the independent variable
control group
o The group not exposed to the treatment; contrasts with the experimental group and serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment
random assignment
o Assigning participants to experimental and control groups by chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between the different groups
double blind procedure
o An experimental procedure in which both the research participants and the research staff are ignorant about whether the research participants have received the treatment or a placebo.
placebo effect
o Experimental results caused by expectations alone; any effect on behavior caused by the administration of an inert substance or condition, which the recipient assumes is an active agent
independent variable
o The experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable who’s effect is being studied
confounding
o A factor other than the independent variable that may produce an effect in an experiment
dependent variable
o The outcome factor; the variable that may change in response to manipulations of the independent variables
validity
o The extent to which a test or experiment measure or predicts what it is supposed to
descriptive statistics
o Numerical data used to measure and describe characteristics of groups. Includes measures of central tendency and measures of variation
histogram
o A bar graph depicting a frequency distribution
mode
• The most frequently occurring score in a distribution
mean
• The arithmetic average of a distribution, obtained by adding the scores and then dividing by the number of scores
median
• The middle score in a distribution; half the scores are above it and half are below it
skewed distribution
o A representation of scores that lack symmetry around their average value
variation
o How similar or diverse the scores are
range
o The difference between the highest and lowest scores in a distribution
standard deviation
o A computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean score.
normal curve
o Symmetrical, bell shaped curve that describes the distributions of many types of data
inferential statistics
o Numerical data that allow one to generalize –to infer from sample data the probability of something being true of a population
statistical significance
o A statistical statement of how likely it is that an obtained result occurred by chance
culture
o The enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next
informed consent
o An ethical principle that research participants be told enough to enable them to choose whether they wish to participate
debriefing
o The post experimental explanation of a study, including its purpose and any deceptions, to its participants
memory
o The persistence of learning over time through the encoding, storage, and retrieval of information
encoding
o Get information into our brain
storage
o Retain that information
retrieval
o Later get the information back out
parallel processing
o The processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brains natural mode of information processing for many functions
sensory memory
Split second holding tank for ALL sensory information
short term memory
the immediate, very brief recording of sensory information in the memory system
long term memory
the relativity permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system
working memory
• It is a newer understanding of short term memory that focuses on conscious, active processing of incoming auditory and visual-spatial information, and information retrieved from long-term memory
explicit memory
o The facts and experiences we can consciously know and declare
effortful processing
encoding that requires attention and conscious effort
automatic processing
unconscious encoding of incidental information, such as space, time, and frequency, and of well-learned information, such as word meaning
implicit memory
retention independent of conscious recollection
iconic memory
o a fleeting sensory memory of a visual stimuli
echoic memory
o auditory echoes tend to linger for 3 or 4 seconds
• what you hear
chunking
o organizing items into familiar, manageable units’ often occurs automatically
• occurs so naturally that we take it for granted
Mnemonics
o Memory aids, especially those techniques that use vivid imagery and organizational devices
• Use vivid imagery
spacing effect
the tendency for distributed study or practice to yield better long term retention than is achieved through massed study or practice
testing effect
enhanced memory after retrieving, rather than simply rereading, information
shallow processing
encoding on a basic level based on the structure or appearance of words
deep processing
encoding semantically, based on the meaning of thew words; tends to yield the best retention
hippocampus
a neural center located in the limbic system; helps process explicit memories for storage
flashbulb memory
o A clear memory of an emotionally significant moment or event
• Where you were for 9/11
long term potentiation
• Provides a neural basis for learning and remembering associations
recall
a measure of memory in which the person must retrieve information learned earlier, as on a fill in the blank test
recognition
a measure of memory in which the person need only identify items previously learned, as on a multiple choice test
relearning
a measure of memory that assesses the amount of time saved when learning material again
priming
• The activation, often unconsciously, of particular associations in memory
mood congruent
The tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with ones current good or bad mood
• Good mood then see things as good
• Bad mood then see things as bad
serial position effect
• Our tendency to recall best the last and first item in a list
Like when learning names you rehearse the names more of those first met then those more recently met
• Also remember last because it is most most recent
anterograde amnesia
o An inability to form new memories
retrograde amnesia
o An inability to retrieve information from ones past
proactive interference
o The disruptive effect of prior learning to new learning
• Like a password to a Facebook account may be confused with your newly learned copy machine code
retroactive interference
o The disruptive effect of new learning on the recall of old information
• Like if someone sings new lyrics to the tune of an old song, you may have trouble remembering the original words
Like a second stone tossed in a pond, disrupting the waves rippling out from the first
repression
the basic defense mechanism that bashes from consciousness anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories
misinformation effect
Incorporating misleading information into one’s memory of an event
source amnesia
Attributing to the wrong source an event we have experienced, heard about, read about, or imagined
deja vu
That eerie sense that “I’ve experienced this before.” Cues from the current situation may unconsciously trigger retrieval of an earlier experience.
