Unit 1: Scientific Foundations of Psychology Flashcards
Nature v. Nurture Debate
Nature is the genetics to show behavior & Nurture is how your behavior is affected by your upbringing
Dualism
The mind & body both exist as separate entities
Tabula Rosa
Individuals are born empty-minded, all knowledge comes from future experiences
Introspection
Personal observation of mental events such as thoughts, feelings, and sensations, (Wundt)
Structuralism
Study of sensations & personal experiences analyzed as basic elements (Wundt’s ideas)
Functionalism
A school of psychology where behavior adapts to environmental obstacles
Eclectic
Different forms and techniques
Applied Research
Scientific study that focuses on solving problems, curing illnesses, & innovating new technologies
Basic Research
Theory-driven, hypothesis-testing science driven by a quest for fundamental understanding
Psychiatrist
A psychologist who can create prescriptions
Psychoanalytic
Theories that deal with the unconscious mind, and forms mental disorder treatment
Behaviorism
Understanding the behavior of humans & other animals
Humanist Perspective
Assumption in psychology that people are essentially good & constructive, self-actualization is the goal
Psychoanalytic Perspective
Reason why individuals engage in certain behaviors
Biopsychology Perspective (Neuroscience)
Focuses on the physical& biological roots of behavior
Evolutionary Perspective (Darwinian)
Personalities & individual differences have evolved to adapt to the situation
Behavioral Perspective
All behaviors are learned through conditioned interactions with the environment
Cognitive Perspective
Focuses on how internal thoughts & feelings influence one’s behavior
Social-Cultural Perspective (Sociocultural)
How behavior is affected by their surroundings, social & cultural factors
Hindsight Bias
One becomes convinced they accurately predicted an event before it occured
Hypothesis
Predicted outcome or educated guess of an experiment
Independent Variable
Variable manipulated by the researcher
Dependent Variable
Measures the effect of the experiment
Theory
Comprehensive explanation of observable events
Operational Definitions
Definition of what is being measured & how to be on the same page
Validity
Measures the goal for the measuring, accuracy
Reliability
Measured results can be repeated, or consistent each time
Sample
A smaller subpart of a population
Population
A group of objects/organisms belonging to a particular category
Representative Sample
A small random portion of a population that reflects the demographics of the whole one
Random Sampling
A random sample group with an equal chance of each person being selected
Experiment
A study in manipulating at least one variable while measuring at least one other variable
Confounding Variables
A variable that accidentally manipulates/interferes with the data
Random Assignment
Use of chance to place subjects in experiments & control groups
Controls
Altering conditions that influence behavior
Experimenter Bias
A researcher unconsciously affects results, data, or a participant in an experiment due to subjective influence
Double-Blind Procedure
Researchers & subjects don’t know the status of the subject
Single-Blind Procedure
Only the subject doesn’t know their group placement
Demand Characteristics
Cues that might indicate the study aims to the participants
Response or Participant Bias
Changes in behavior of the study participants that are caused by the unintended influence of their own expectations
Social Desirability
Tendency for people to present themselves in a generally favorable fashion
Hawthorne Effect
A participant’s behavior changes as a result of being observed rather than as a result of an intervention
Placebo Method
A person’s physical or mental health appears to improve after taking a placebo
Negative Correlation
Mathematical relationships in which increases are matched with decreases between ledgers
Positive Correlation
Either increase matches w/ increase or decrease matches w/ decrease in ledgers
Survey Method
Data collection tools used to gather information about individuals
Response Rate
Number of responses per minute, or some other time unit
Naturalistic Observation
A research method in which the researcher studies behavior in its natural setting without intervention of manipulation
Case Study Method
An in-depth investigation of a rare event of a single individual, family, event, or other entity
Mean (Measure of Central Tendency)
Average, calculated by adding all the scores and dividing by the number of scores
Median (Measure of Central Tendency)
Middle score between the higher & lower values
Mode (Measure of Central Tendency)
The most frequently occuring score
Extreme Scores/Outliers
Scores on the end of the data range that mess with the mean
Positive v. Negative Skew
Positive: both x & y increase or decrease, Negative: if x increases then y decreases & the opposite as well
Range (Measure of Variability)
Difference between highest & lowest values in a group
Standard Deviation (Measure of Variability)
How much a typical score differs from the mean score
Variance (Measure of Variability)
A measure of the spread, or dispersion of scores within a sample or population
Z Score
A raw score expressed in term of its position relative to the mean and in terms of standard deviation
Normal Curve
A perfect bell-curve that is symmetric about the mean
Correlation Coefficient
Index ranging from -1 to 1 indicating the direction & degree of correlation
Scatter Plot
A graph plotting random (x,y) measures
Line of Best Fit/Regression Line
A straight line that best illustrates the overall picture of what the collected data is showing
Inferential Statistics
Involves mathematical procedures that allow psychologists to make inferences about collected data
Sampling Error
Differences between what is present in a population and what’s present in a sample
P Value
Probability under the assumption of no effect or no difference, of obtaining a result equal to or more extreme than what was observed
Statistical Significance
A measure of the probability of the null hypothesis being true compared to the acceptable level of uncertainty regarding the true answer
Institutional Review Board (IRB)
Federally-mandated, locally-administered groups charged w/ evaluating risks & benefits of human participant research at their institution
Coercion
Process of attempting to influence another person through the use of threats, punishments, force, direct pressure, & other negative forms of power
Informed Consent
Process of sharing information & obtaining permission by subjects to perform an experiment
Confidentiality
Information between a patient and a therapist cannot be shared to anyone without consent
Debriefing
Process of disclosing information after an experiment in order to inform a subject of the purpose & results of the experiment
Null Hypothesis
Any observable differences in treatments or variables is likely due to chance
Type 1 Error
Reject the null hypothesis when it’s true
Type 2 Error
Accept the null hypothesis when it’s false
Nominal Data
Qualitative data grouping variables into categories, not quantitative or orderly, EX: license numbers
Ordinal Data
Categorical data with a set order or scale to it, EX: grades
Interval Data
Data measured in fixed units with equal distance between points on the scale, no true 0, EX: clock time
Ratio Data
Numerical values where the difference between points is standardized & meaningful where 0 is absolute, EX: heights
Frequency Distribution Graph
Summary of how often different scores occur within a sample, line graph
Pie Chart
A graph displaying data out of 100%
Histogram Graph
Frequency shown in a touching bar graph in order
Polygon Graph
Shows frequency of ordered values on a life chart
Cross-Sectional Research
Research involving 2 different groups that don’t share the same variable of interest, but other relevant ones
Longitudinal Study
Research measuring change over time with the same individuals
Meta Analysis
Statistical technique for combining results of many studies on the same subject
Quasi Experiment
A descriptive study in which researchers want to compare groups of people, but cannot randomly assign them to groups
