The Science of Psychology

Question 1

The scientific study of behavior and mental processes

Answer 1

Psychology

Question 2

The process of examining and measuring one’s own thoughts and mental activities

Answer 2

Objective Introspection

Question 3

Early perspective in psychology associated with Wilhelm Wundt and Edward Titchener, in which the focus of study is the structure or basic elements of the mind

Answer 3

Structuralism

Question 4

Early perspective in psychology associated with William James, in which the focus of study is how the mind allows people to adapt, live, work, and play

Answer 4

Functionalism

Question 5

Early perspective in psychology focusing on perception and sensation, particularly the perception of patterns and whole figures

Answer 5

Gestalt Psychology

Question 6

An insight therapy based on the theory of Freud, emphasizing the revealing of unconscious conflicts; Freud’s term for both the theory of personality and the therapy based on it

Answer 6

Psychoanalysis

Question 7

The science of behavior that focuses on observable behavior only

Answer 7

Behaviorism

Question 8

Modern version of psychoanalysis that is more focused on the development of a sense of self and the discovery of motivations behind a person’s behavior other than sexual motivations

Answer 8

Psychodynamic Perspective

Question 9

Modern perspective in psychology that focuses on memory, intelligence, perception, problem-solving, and learning

Answer 9

Cognitive Perspective

Question 10

Study of the physical changes in the brain and nervous system during thinking

Answer 10

Cognitive Neuroscience

Question 11

Perspective that focuses on the relationship between social behavior and culture, in which thinking and behavior is seen as the product of learning and shaping within the context of one’s family, social group, and culture

Answer 11

Sociocultural Perspective

Question 12

Perspective that attributes human and animal behavior to biological events occurring in the body, such as genetic influences, hormones, and the activity of the nervous system

Answer 12

Biopsychological Perspective

Question 13

Perspective that focuses on the biological bases of universal mental characteristics that all humans share

Answer 13

Evolutionary Perspective

Question 14

A professional with an academic
degree and specialized training in one or more areas of psychology

Answer 14

Psychologist

Question 15

A physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders

Answer 15

Psychiatrist

Question 16

A social worker with some training in therapy methods who focuses on the environmental conditions that can have an impact on mental disorders, such as poverty, overcrowding, stress, and drug abuse

Answer 16

Psychiatric Social Worker

Question 17

Research focused on adding information to the scientific knowledge base

Answer 17

Basic Research

Question 18

Research focused on finding practical solutions to real-world problems

Answer 18

Applied research

Question 19

System of gathering data so that
bias and error in measurement are reduced

Answer 19

Scientific Approach

Question 20

Tentative explanation of a phenomenon based on observations

Answer 20

Hypothesis

Question 21

In research, repeating a study or
experiment to see if the same results will be obtained in an effort to demonstrate reliability of results

Answer 21

Replicate

Question 22

Tendency of people or animals to behave differently from normal when they know they are being observed

Answer 22

Observer Effect

Question 23

A naturalistic observation in which the observer becomes a participant in the group being observed

Answer 23

Participant Observation

Question 24

Tendency of observers to see what they expect to see

Answer 24

Observer Bias

Question 25

Study of one individual in great detail

Answer 25

Case Study

Question 26

Randomly selected sample of subjects from a larger population of subjects

Answer 26

Representative Sample

Question 27

The entire group of people or animals in which the researcher is interested

Answer 27

Population

Question 28

A measure of the relationship between two variables

Answer 28

Correlation

Question 29

A number that represents the strength and direction of a relationship existing between two variables; number derived from the formula for measuring a correlation

Answer 29

Correlation Coefficient

Question 30

A deliberate manipulation of a variable to see if corresponding changes in behavior result, allowing the determination of cause-and-effect relationships

Answer 30

Experiment

Question 31

Specific description of a variable of interest that allows it to be measured

Answer 31

Operationalization

Question 32

Variable in an experiment that is
manipulated by the experimenter

Answer 32

Independent Variable

Question 33

Variable in an experiment that represents the measurable response or behavior of the subjects in the experiment

Answer 33

Dependent Variable

Question 34

Subjects in an experiment who are subjected to the independent variable

Answer 34

Experimental Group

Question 35

Subjects in an experiment who are not subjected to the independent variable and who may receive a placebo treatment

Answer 35

Control Group

Question 36

Process of assigning subjects to the experimental or control groups randomly, so that each subject has an equal chance of being in either group

Answer 36

Random Assignment

Question 37

The phenomenon in which the expectations of the participants in a study can influence their behavior

Answer 37

Placebo Effect

Question 38

Tendency of the experimenter’s expectations for a study to unintentionally influence the results of the study

Answer 38

Experimenter Effect

Question 39

Study in which the subjects do not know if they are in the experimental or the control group

Answer 39

Single-blind Study

Question 40

Study in which neither the experimenter nor the subjects know if the subjects are in the experimental or the control group

Answer 40

Double-blind Study