Unit 1: Introduction Psychology Flashcards
Empiricism
knowledge comes from experience, observation and experimentation
Willhelm wundt
“father of experimental psychology”
+ used scientific method to conduct psychological experiments
+ tested reaction times: visual and audition
+ founded structuralism
E.B titchener
the subject matter of psychology is experience, dependent on the experiencing person.
+ introspection
+ further developed structurealism
Charles Darwin
+ evolutionary psychology
+ adaptive, influences functionalism (lead to)
functionalism
connections between evolution, survival and cognitive abilities (evolves to meet our needs)
+ survival value
Mary Calkins
+ first female president of American psych association
Sigmund Freud
+ Dream interpretation
+ psycho sexual stages of development
+ id/ego/superego
+ psychoanalysis
+ unconscious conflicts
John B Watson
+ Behaviorism
+ classical conditioning: little Albert experiment
Clinical psychology
asses and treat mental illness
developmental psychology
womb to tomb
Industrial-organization psychology
improving companies
Education psychology
peer counseling sessions and test students for disabilities
Counseling psychology
problems with school, family, work, etc.
Biological Perspective
Focus: how nervous system and brain enable feelings and sensations
+ all emotions and actions have a psychological root
Evolutionary Perspective
Focus: how natural selection of traits contributes passing on genes
+ traits that helped our ancestors and passed on
Psychodynamic perspective
Focus: unconscious drives, and childhood conflicts can impact behaviour
Behavioral perspective
Focus: how we learn observable conduct
+ ignores all internal factors
+ Taught mostly through conditioning
Humanistic perspective
Focus: how each individual has positive capacity for personal growthj and employs free will decision making in their lives
Cognitive perspective
Focus: how our thought procedure works and how we store and remember knowledge
Sociocultural perspective
Focus: how psychological functioning varies across and circumstances
+ one of the big focuses today is collectivist V.S individualistic culture.
Biopsychosocial perspective
modern approach which tries to combine multiple perspectives
Hindsight bias
A tendency to see past events as having been predictable before they happened
How do psychologist answer questions?
scientific method -> no bias -> make replicable experiences
Operational definition
carefully worded explanation of exact procedures used in an experiment
The case study
+ one individual… In depth
+ Cons: Atypical cases/anecdotes
+ Pros: can suggest good ideas
The survery
+ looks at many cases in depth
PRO + researchers can estimate from a large population
CON + wording MATTERS
+ sampling…who to survey? who applies?
Naturalistic observation
+ describes behaviour, DOESN’T EXPLAIN IT
+ offers snapshot
+ provides data for correlation
+ good for gathering social data when surveys are impractical or labs aren’t suitable
Correlation
A measure of the extent to which two factors vary together thus of how well either factor predicts the other
DOES NOT PROVE CAUSATION
+ only indicates a possibility
Regression towards the mean (average)
+ extreme or unusual scores tend to return to normal
Experimentation
+ controlling factors
+ manipulating other facts
+ replication
+ RANDOM ASSIGNMENT
- control groups -placebos - experiment groups
+ double blind assingment
- participant and researcher dk who gets treatment
Dependent variable
Variable that is measured
+ ex. intelligence
Independent variable
Variable that is manipulated
+ Formula or breast milk
Confounding variables
a factor other than the factor being studied that might influence a study’s results
Reliability
test gives the same result
+ does not necessarily measure what we want it to
Validity
test measure what it is intended to
+ does not necessarily mean that is valid
Standardized
Test given multiple times with the same instructions, conditions and questions (from same pool)
Human research guidelines
+ informed consent
+ protect from greater than usual discomfort
+ confidentiality
+ debrief: explain research afterwards
IRB (institutional review board)
committee that monitors and reviews biomedical research
Mode
most frequent
Skewed
lack of symmetry in average
range
difference btw highest and lowest value
Standard deviation
A measure of how much scores vary around the mean score
σ = standard deviation
μ = mean
Inferential statistics
the process of using data analysis to infer properties of an underlying distribution of probability
for what?
to figure out how reliable and statistically significant data are
Statistical significant
how likely an experimental result occurred due to chances
+ the more the better
+ variation can decrease accuracy
Standardized
Test is given multiple times with the same instructions, conditions and questions
