The Science of Psychology Flashcards
The scientific study of behavior and mental processes
Psychology
The process of examining and measuring one’s own thoughts and mental activities
Objective Introspection
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
Structuralism
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
Functionalism
Early perspective in psychology focusing on perception and sensation, particularly the perception of patterns and whole figures
Gestalt Psychology
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
Psychoanalysis
The science of behavior that focuses on observable behavior only
Behaviorism
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
Psychodynamic Perspective
Modern perspective in psychology that focuses on memory, intelligence, perception, problem-solving, and learning
Cognitive Perspective
Study of the physical changes in the brain and nervous system during thinking
Cognitive Neuroscience
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
Sociocultural Perspective
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
Biopsychological Perspective
Perspective that focuses on the biological bases of universal mental characteristics that all humans share
Evolutionary Perspective
A professional with an academic
degree and specialized training in one or more areas of psychology
Psychologist
A physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders
Psychiatrist
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
Psychiatric Social Worker
Research focused on adding information to the scientific knowledge base
Basic Research
Research focused on finding practical solutions to real-world problems
Applied research
System of gathering data so that
bias and error in measurement are reduced
Scientific Approach
Tentative explanation of a phenomenon based on observations
Hypothesis
In research, repeating a study or
experiment to see if the same results will be obtained in an effort to demonstrate reliability of results
Replicate
Tendency of people or animals to behave differently from normal when they know they are being observed
Observer Effect
A naturalistic observation in which the observer becomes a participant in the group being observed
Participant Observation
Tendency of observers to see what they expect to see
Observer Bias
Study of one individual in great detail
Case Study
Randomly selected sample of subjects from a larger population of subjects
Representative Sample
The entire group of people or animals in which the researcher is interested
Population
A measure of the relationship between two variables
Correlation
A number that represents the strength and direction of a relationship existing between two variables; number derived from the formula for measuring a correlation
Correlation Coefficient
A deliberate manipulation of a variable to see if corresponding changes in behavior result, allowing the determination of cause-and-effect relationships
Experiment
Specific description of a variable of interest that allows it to be measured
Operationalization
Variable in an experiment that is
manipulated by the experimenter
Independent Variable
Variable in an experiment that represents the measurable response or behavior of the subjects in the experiment
Dependent Variable
Subjects in an experiment who are subjected to the independent variable
Experimental Group
Subjects in an experiment who are not subjected to the independent variable and who may receive a placebo treatment
Control Group
Process of assigning subjects to the experimental or control groups randomly, so that each subject has an equal chance of being in either group
Random Assignment
The phenomenon in which the expectations of the participants in a study can influence their behavior
Placebo Effect
Tendency of the experimenter’s expectations for a study to unintentionally influence the results of the study
Experimenter Effect
Study in which the subjects do not know if they are in the experimental or the control group
Single-blind Study
Study in which neither the experimenter nor the subjects know if the subjects are in the experimental or the control group
Double-blind Study
