Psych CP Terms 1

Question 1

Critical Thinking

Answer 1

thinking that does not accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions, assesses the source, uncovers hidden values, weighs evidence, and assesses conclusions.

Question 2

Structualism

Answer 2

an early school of thought promoted by Wundt that focused on the structure of the human mind.

Question 3

Functionalism

Answer 3

an early school of thought promoted by James and influenced by Darwin that focused on how the mind functions.

Question 4

Behaviorism

Answer 4

the view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to metal processes. Most psychologists today agree with (1) but not with (2).

Question 5

Humanistic Psychology

Answer 5

a historically important perspective that emphasized human growth potential.

Question 6

Cognitive Psychology

Answer 6

the story of mental processes, such as occur when we perceive, learn, remember, think, communicate, and solve problems.

Question 7

Cognitive Neuroscience

Answer 7

the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with mental activity (including perception, thinking, memory, and language).

Question 8

Psychology

Answer 8

the science of behavior and mental processes.

Question 9

Biopsychosocial Approach

Answer 9

an approach that integrates different but complementary views from biological, psychological, and social-cultural viewpoints.

Question 10

Culture

Answer 10

the enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, and traditions shared by a group of people and handed down from one generation to the next.

Question 11

Nature-nurture Issue

Answer 11

the age-old controversy that the relative influence of genes and experience in the development of psychological traits and behaviors. Today’s psychological views sees traits and behaviors arising from the interaction of nature and nurture.

Question 12

Dual Processing

Answer 12

the principle that our mind processes information at the same time on separate conscious and unconscious tracks.

Question 13

Counseling Psychology

Answer 13

a branch of psychology that assists people with problems in living (often related to school, work, or relationships) and in achieving greater well-being.

Question 14

Clinical Psychology

Answer 14

a branch of psychology that studies, assesses, and treats people with psychological disorders.

Question 15

Psychiatry

Answer 15

a branch of medicine dealing with psychological disorders; practiced by physicians who sometimes provide medical (for example, drug) treatments as well as psychological therapy.

Question 16

Community Psychology

Answer 16

a branch of psychology that studies how people interact with their social environments and how social institutions (such as schools and neighborhoods) affect individuals and groups.

Question 17

Positive Psychology

Answer 17

the scientific study of human flourishing, with the goals of discovering and promoting strengths and virtues that help individuals and communities to thrive.

Question 18

Hindsight Bias

Answer 18

the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that we could have predicted it. (Also known as the I-knew-it-all-along phenomenon.)

Question 19

Theory

Answer 19

an explanation using principles that organize observations and predict behaviors or events.

Question 20

Hypothesis

Answer 20

a testable prediction, often implied by a theory.

Question 21

Operational Definition

Answer 21

a carefully worded statement of the exact procedures (operations) used in a research study. For example, human intelligence may be operationally defined as what an intelligence test measures.

Question 22

Replication

Answer 22

repeating the essence of a research study, usually with different participants in different situations, to see whether the basic finding can be reproduced.

Question 23

Preregistration

Answer 23

publicly communicating planned study design, hypothesis, data collection, analyses.

Question 24

Case Study

Answer 24

a descriptive technique in which one individual or group is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles.

Question 25

Naturalistic Observation

Answer 25

a descriptive technique of observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to change or control the situation.

Question 26

Survey

Answer 26

a descriptive technique for obtaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a group, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of that group.

Question 27

Population

Answer 27

all those in a group being studied, from which random samples may be drawn. (Note: Except for national studies, this does not refer to a country’s whole population.)

Question 28

Random Sample

Answer 28

a sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion.

Question 29

Correlation

Answer 29

a measure of the extent to which two factors vary together, and thus of how well either one predicts the other. The correlation coefficient is the mathematical expression of the relationship, ranging from -1 to +1, with 0 indicating no relationship.

Question 30

Experiment

Answer 30

a method in which researchers vary one or more factors (independent variables) to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process (the dependent variable). By random assignment of participants, researchers aim to control other factors.

Question 31

Random Assignment

Answer 31

assigning participants to experimental and control groups by chance, thus minimizing any preexisting differences between the groups.

Question 32

Experimental Group

Answer 32

in an experiment, the group exposed to the treatment that is, to one version of the independent variable.

Question 33

Control Group

Answer 33

in an experiment, the group not exposed to the treatment; the control group serves as a comparison with the experimental group for judging the effect of the treatment.

Question 34

Placebo [pluh-SEE-bo]

Answer 34

an inactive substance or condition that is sometimes given to those in a control group in place of the treatment given to the experimental group.

Question 35

Double-blind Procedure

Answer 35

in an experiment, a procedure in which both of the participants and research staff are ignorant (blind) about who has received the treatment or a placebo.

Question 36

Placebo Effect

Answer 36

results caused by expectations alone.

Question 37

Independent Variable

Answer 37

in an experiment =, the factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied.

Question 38

Dependent Variable

Answer 38

in an experiment, the factor that is measured; the variable that may change when the independent variable is manipulated.

Question 39

Informed Consent

Answer 39

giving people enough information about a study to enable them to decide whether they wish to participate.

Question 40

Debriefing

Answer 40

after an experiment ends, explaining to participants the study’s purpose and any deceptions researchers used.

Question 41

Testing Effect

Answer 41

enhanced memory after retrieving, rather than simply rereading, information, Also sometimes called the retrieval practice effect or test-enhanced learning.

Question 42

SQ3R

Answer 42

a study method incorporating five steps: Survey, Question, Read, Retrieve, Review.