Vocab Midterm 1

Question 1

psychological science

Answer 1

The study, through research, of mind, brain, and behavior

Question 2

critical thinking

Answer 2

Systematically questioning and evaluating information using well-supported evidence

Question 3

culture

Answer 3

The beliefs, values, rules and customs that exist within a group of people who share a common language and environment

Question 4

nature-nurture debate

Answer 4

The arguments concerning whether psychological characteristics are biologically innate or acquired through education, experience, and culture

Question 5

mind-body problem

Answer 5

A fundamental psychological issue: are mind and body separate and distinct, or is the mind simple the physical brain’s subjective experience?

Question 6

introspection

Answer 6

a systematic examination of subjective mental experiences that requires people to inspect and report the content of their thoughts

Question 7

structuralism

Answer 7

An approach to psychology, based on the idea that conscious experience can be broken down into its basic underlying components

Question 8

stream of consciousness

Answer 8

A phrase coined by William James to describe each person’s continuous series of ever-changing thoughts

Question 9

functionalism

Answer 9

an approach to psychology concerned with the adaptive purpose, or function, of mind and behavior

Question 10

evolutionary theory

Answer 10

A theory presented by the naturalist Charles Darwin; it view the history of a species in terms of the inherited, adaptive value of physical characteristics , of mental activity, and behavior

Question 11

adaptations

Answer 11

In evolutionary theory, the physical characteristics, skills, or abilities that increase the chances of reproduction or survival and are therefore likely to be passed along to future generations

Question 12

natural selection

Answer 12

In evolutionary theory, the idea tat those who inherit characteristics that help them adapt to their particular environments have a selective advantage over those who do not

Question 13

Gestalt theory

Answer 13

a theory based on the idea that the whole of personal experience is different from the sum of its constituent elements

Question 14

unconscious

Answer 14

The place where mental processes operate below the level of conscious awareness

Question 15

psychoanalysis

Answer 15

A method developed by Sigmund Freud that attempts to bring the contents of the unconscious into conscious awareness so that conflicts can be revealed

Question 16

behaviorism

Answer 16

A psychological approach that emphasizes the role of environmental forces in producing observable behavior

Question 17

cognitive psychology

Answer 17

the study of mental functions such as intelligence, thinking, language, memory, and decision making

Question 18

cognitive neuroscience

Answer 18

the study of the neural mechanisms underlying thought, learning, perception, language, and memory

Question 19

social psychology

Answer 19

the study of how people influence other people’s thoughts, feelings, and actions

Question 20

personality psychology

Answer 20

the study of characteristic thoughts, emotions, and behaviors in people and how they vary across social situations

Question 21

data

Answer 21

Measurable outcomes of research studies

Question 22

research

Answer 22

a scientific process that involves the careful collection of data

Question 23

scientific method

Answer 23

a systematic and dynamic procedure of observing and measuring phenomena, used to achieve the goals of description, prediction, control, and explanation; it involves an interaction among research, theories, and hypotheses

Question 24

theory

Answer 24

a model of interconnected ideas or concepts that explains what is observed and makes predictions about future events. Theories are based on empirical evidence

Question 25

hypothesis

Answer 25

A specific, testable prediction, narrower than the theory it is based on

Question 26

replication

Answer 26

Repetition of a research study to confirm the results

Question 27

variable

Answer 27

something in the world that can vary and that a researcher can manipulate, measure, or both

Question 28

independent variable

Answer 28

the variable that gets manipulated in a research study

Question 29

dependent variable

Answer 29

the variable that gets measured in a research study

Question 30

operational definition

Answer 30

a definition that qualifies and quantifies a variable so the variable can be understood objectively

Question 31

descriptive research

Answer 31

research methods that involve observing behavior to describe that behavior objectively and systematically

Question 32

case study

Answer 32

a descriptive research method that involves the intensive examination of an unusual person or organization

Question 33

participant observation

Answer 33

a type of descriptive study in which the researcher is involved in the situation

Question 34

naturalistic observation

Answer 34

a type of descriptive study in which the researcher is a passive observer, separated from the situation and making no attempt to change or alter ongoing behavior

Question 35

reactivity

Answer 35

The phenomenon that occurs when knowledge that one is being observed alters the behavior being observed

Question 36

observer bias

Answer 36

systematic bias errors in observation that occur because of an observer’s expectations

Question 37

experimenter expectancy effect

Answer 37

actual change in the behavior of the people or nonhuman animals being observed that is due to the expectations of the observer

Question 38

self-report methods

Answer 38

methods of data collection in which people are asked to provide information about themselves, such as in surveys or questionnaires

Question 39

correlational studies

Answer 39

A research method that describes and predicts how variables are naturally related in the real world, without any attempt by the researcher to alter them or assign causation between them

Question 40

positive correlation

Answer 40

a relationship between two variables in which both variables either increase or decrease together

Question 41

negative correlation

Answer 41

a relationship between two variables in which one variable increases when the other decreases

Question 42

zero correlation

Answer 42

a relationship in which one variable is not predictably related to the other

Question 43

directionality problem

Answer 43

a problem encountered in correlational studies; the researchers find a relationship between two variables, but they cannot determine which variable may have caused changes in the other variable

Question 44

third variable problem

Answer 44

a problem that occurs when the researcher cannot directly manipulate variables; as a result, the researcher cannot be confident that another, unmeasured variable is not the actual cause of differences in the variables of interest

Question 45

confound

Answer 45

anything that affects a dependent variable and that may unintentionally vary between the experimental conditions of a study

Question 46

culturally sensitive research

Answer 46

studies that take into account the role that culture plas in determining thoughts, feelings, and actions

Question 47

Institutional review boards

Answer 47

groups of people responsible for reviewing proposed research to ensure that it meets the accepted standards of science and provides for the physical and emotional well-being of research participants