Unit 1 (Scientific Foundations of Psych) Review Flashcards
what is psychology?
the science of behavior and mental processes
why is psychology considered a science?
uses empirical evidence and the scientific method
how did psychology get its start?
the foundational principles of psychology are rooted in philosophy and physiology
what was structuralism?
an early approach focused on the structure of the mind (introspection) (Edward Titchner)
what was functionalism?
focused on the purpose of the mind (William James)
what is basic research?
builds on psychology’s knowledge
what is applied research?
the application of existing knowledge in the real world
what is an operational definition?
the way of measuring or quantifying a variable.
example of an operational definition
variable: happiness
operational definition: the number of smiles a person emits during an observational period of specified length
what is replication?
repeating an experiment with different participants. This will determine if the results can be generalized to other participants and other situations.
what is a Case Study?
examining one person or group in depth. (cannot be repeated) Example: Phineas Gage
What is Naturalistic Observation?
describes a behavior in its most natural state without interference or intervention
what is a survey?
self report date questions influenced by wording
What is random sampling?
gives every member of a population an equal chance of being selected for the sample. (uses a random generator)
What is random assignment?
randomly assigning participants to the control group or the experimental group to help establish cause and effect. Eliminates confounding variables. (Meredith and Adele in the Alzheimer’s study (Grey’s Anatomy))
