Unit 1 Flashcards
Structuralism
Describe the precise structure of our mental processes.
Functionalism
How our mental processes help us to function in our daily lives.
Gestalt psychologists
Studying how sensation and perception create a whole pattern that is greater than the sum of the individual components.
Psychoanalysis
The unconscious played an important role in controlling our day-to-day behaviors and thoughts.
Behaviorism
Behaviorists believe that all behaviors are the result of experience. Any person, regardless of his or her background.
Psychodynamic Perspective
Focuses on the role of the unconscious. (for example, wishes and fears of which we’re not fully aware)
Humanistic Perspective
Emphasizes human potential and free will. (for example, utilizing abilities and talents, pursuing goals)
Biopsychology
Focuses on the biology underlying our behavior and thoughts.
Cognitive Perspective
Focuses on the thoughts themselves. How we encode, process, store, and retrieve information
(For example, it’s concerned with “mental” functions such as memory, perception, attention, etc.)
Cognitive neuroscience
The purpose is to determine how the brain functions and achieves performance.
The marriage of cognitive psychology (the science of mind) and neuroscience (the science of brain)
Sociocultural perspective
Explores the role of social and cultural factors on our behaviors and thoughts.
Evolutionary
Psychologists attempt to explain behavior and thoughts in terms of their adaptive or “survival” qualities.
Psychiatrists
Treat serious psychological disorders, and can prescribe medication for their patients.
Psychoanalyst
A psychiatrist or psychologist who has received special training in Freud’s method of psychoanalysis.
Hypothesis
A statement about what you believe the actual answer is, testing your hypothesis, drawing a conclusion, and reporting your findings.
Replicate
Your findings can then be further strengthened if other researchers conduct a study and draw the same conclusions as you did.
Naturalistic observation
Provides a realistic picture of behavior
Observer bias
The researcher only sees what he or she wants to see.
Participant Observation
A researcher will disguise herself as an actual participant in order to reduce the observer effect.
Case study
Is a detailed investigation of one individual, or case.
Survey
Researchers asked a group of subjects a series of questions. Surveys allow researchers to gather a lot of information quickly.
Representative sample
Is one that accurately represents reflects, or “is like” your population?
Correlational method
A researcher interested in discovering the relationship between two variables would use it.
Correlation coefficient
Tells the researcher the direction and strength of the relationship.
Experiment
The researcher manipulates a variable (the independent variable) and measures some responses from the participants (the variable).
Operational definition
A set of instructions that explains exactly how to measure the variable.
Independent variable
Is manipulated or changed by researchers, not by other variables in the experiment.
Dependent variable
The variable that is being measured or tested in an experiment.
Experimental group
Group of participants who are exposed to the independent variable. These participants receive or are exposed to the treatment variable.
Control group
Composed of participants who do not receive the experimental treatment.
Placebo effect
The participant’s expectations actually influence the results of the experiment.