Unit 1: Reading and Notes Flashcards

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1
Q

Empiricism

A

What we know comes from experience, and that observation and experimentation enable scientific knowledge

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2
Q

Structuralism

A

Early school of though promoted by Wundt and Titchener; used introspection to reveal the structure of the human mind

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3
Q

Functionalism

A

Early school of though promoted by James and influenced by Darwin; explored how mental and behavioral processes function - how they enable the organism to adapt, survive, and flourish

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4
Q

Experimental Psychologists

A

The study of behavior and thinking using the experimental method

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5
Q

Behaviorism

A

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

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6
Q

Humanistic Psychology

A

A historically significant perspective that emphasized the growth potential of healthy people

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7
Q

Cognitive Neuroscience

A

The interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition

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8
Q

Psychology

A

The science of behavior and mental processes

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9
Q

Nature-nurture issue

A

The debate over whether the human personality is based off the way you were raised and the experiences you had as a young child or if it’s based off your genes

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10
Q

Nature-Nurture example

A

While some psychologists believe it is nature that shapes a human’s personality, others believe it is nurture that shapes personality. Some believe it is both.

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11
Q

Biopsychosocial approach

A

An integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological, and social-cultural levels of analysis

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12
Q

Biosychosocial approach

A

Someone can be the way they are because of biological, psychological, and social-cultural influences

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13
Q

Hindsight Bias

A

The tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it.

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14
Q

Hindsight Bias Example

A

After the stock market drops, people say it was “due for correction”

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15
Q

Critical Thinking

A

Thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions, assesses the source, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions

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16
Q

Critical Thinking Example

A

Looking up the facts behind information before taking it as true

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17
Q

Are humans overconfident when it comes to their intelligence

A

Yes, humans are overconfident when it comes to their intelligence. For example, only 40% of predictions made by experts with 80% confidence were true.

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18
Q

Why are humans prone to perceive patterns in the world?

A

Humans are prone to perceive patterns in the world because of our natural need to make sense of it all

19
Q

How does the scientific attitude contribute to critical thinking

A

The scientific attitude tells you to believe with skepticism, which is one of the main points of critical thinking

20
Q

Case Study: Strengths vs. Weakness

A

Strength: shows us what can happen
Weakness: individual cases may mislead us if the individual is atypical

21
Q

Naturalistic Observation: Strengths vs. Weakness

A

Strength: Describes behavior without any interference
Weakness: Does not explain behavior

22
Q

Surveys: Strengths vs. Weakness

A

Strength: looks at many cases
Weakness: the way a question is framed can have major effects

23
Q

What is the purpose of a hypothesis in an experiment?

A

To create a prediction which can be tested. The prediction is often created based on a theory

24
Q

What is an operational definition and how can this affect the results in an experiment?

A

An operational definition is a carefully wondered statement of the exact procedures used in a research study. This can affect the results in an experiment because it allows anyone to replicate it, therefore allowing the experiment to be further proved or disproved

25
Q

What are the different sampling methods and which one is generally the most effective?

A

Different sampling methods are the methods in which the people who take the survey are selected. The most effective sampling method is the random sample because it fairly represents the population.

26
Q

Scatterplot

A

A graphed cluster of dots, each of which represents the values of two variables. The slope of the points suggest the direction of the relationship between two variables. The amount of scatter suggest the strength of the correlation

27
Q

Correlation

A

A measure of the extent to which two variables change together, and thus of how well either variable predicts the other

28
Q

What is the difference between correlation and causation

A

Correlation is when one variable is present at the same time another variable is present. Causation is when one variable causes another variable

29
Q

What is illusory correlation and provide an example

A

Illusory correlation is the perception of a relationship where none exists. For example, when people believe bad weather causes arthritis, they are only remembering the times that arthritis was present at the same time as bad weather, not when it wasn’t

30
Q

Explain the difference between the experimental ground and the control group

A

The experimental group is the group where the independent variable is changed. The control group is the group where the independent variable is not changed

31
Q

Double-Blind procedure

A

An experimental procedure in which both the research participants and the research staff are ignorant about whether the research participates have received the treatment or a placebo

32
Q

Placebo Effect

A

Experimental results caused by expectations alone; any effect on behavior caused by the administration of an inert substance or condition, which the recipient assumes is an active

33
Q

Validity

A

The extent to which a test or experiment measures or predicts what it is supposed to

34
Q

What can be the dangers of statistical illiteracy?

A

Because it can lead people to misanalyze data and believe something that is not true as fact

35
Q

What is descriptive statistics and what are some ways to organize data?

A

Descriptive statistics is numerical data used to measure and describe characteristics of groups. Some ways to organize data are with a bar graph or the mean, median, and mode

36
Q

How can data be skewed?

A

Data can be skewed if there are a low number of inputs in a large standard deviation

37
Q

Range

A

The difference between the highest and lowest scores in a distribution

38
Q

Standard Deviation

A

A computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean score

39
Q

Inferential statistics

A

Numerical data that allows one to generalize - to infer from a sample of data the probability of something being true of a population

40
Q

Statistical significance

A

A statistical statement of how likely it is that an obtained result occurred by chance

41
Q

Explain the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics in research

A

Descriptive statistics is numerical data that describes characteristics in groups and inferential statistics is data that allows you to see the probability of the descriptive statistics being true

42
Q

Informed Consent

A

An ethical principle that research participants be told enough to enable them to choose whether they wish to participate

43
Q

Debrief

A

The post experimental explanation of a study, including its purpose and any deceptions, to its participants