W1 Ch 1: all vocab

Question 1

scientific method

Answer 1

the approach through which psychologists systematically acquire knowledge and understanding about behavior and other phenomena of interest

Question 2

Behavioral genetics

Answer 2

studies the inheritance of traits related to behavior

Question 3

theories

Answer 3

broad explanations and predictions concerning phenomena of interest

Question 4

behavioral neuroscience

Answer 4

Examines the biological basis of behavior

Question 5

hypothesis

Answer 5

a prediction, stemming from a theory, stated in a way that allows it to be tested

Question 6

Clinical psychology

Answer 6

deals with the study, diagnosis, and treatment of psychological disorders

Question 7

operational definition

Answer 7

the translation of a hypothesis into specific, testable procedures that can be measured and observed

Question 8

Clinical neuropsychology

Answer 8

focuses on the relationship between biological and psychological disorders

Question 9

descriptive research

Answer 9

research designed to systematically investigate a person, group, or patterns of behavior

Question 10

cognitive psychology

Answer 10

focuses on the study of higher mental processes

Question 11

archival research

Answer 11

research in which existing data, such as census documents, college records, and newspaper clippings, are examined to test a hypothesis

Question 12

counseling psychology

Answer 12

focuses primarily on educational, social, and career adjustment problems

Question 13

naturalistic observation

Answer 13

research in which an investigator simply observes some naturally occurring behavior and does not make a change in the situation

Question 14

cross-cultural psychology

Answer 14

investigates the similarities and differences in psychological functioning in and across various cultures and ethnic groups

Question 15

survey research

Answer 15

research in which people chosen to represent a larger population are asked a series of questions about their behavior, thoughts, or attitudes

Question 16

developmental psychology

Answer 16

examines how people grow and change from the moment of conception through death

Question 17

case study

Answer 17

an in-depth, intensive investigation of an individual or small group of people

Question 18

educational psychology

Answer 18

concerned with teaching and learning processes, such as the relationship between motivation and school performance

Question 19

variables

Answer 19

behaviors, events, or other characteristics that can change, or vary, in some way

Question 20

environmental psychology

Answer 20

considers the relationship between people and their physical environment

Question 21

correlational research

Answer 21

research in which the relationship between two sets of variables is examined to determine whether they are associated, or “correlated”

Question 22

evolutionary psychology

Answer 22

considers how behavior is influenced by our genetic inheritance from our ancestors

Question 23

experiment

Answer 23

the investigation of the relationship between two (or more) variables by deliberately producing a change in one variable in a situation and observing the effects of that change on other aspects of the situation

Question 24

experimental psychology

Answer 24

studies the processes of sensing, perceiving, learning, and thinking about the world

Question 25

experimental manipulation

Answer 25

the change that an experimenter deliberately produces in a situation

Question 26

forensic psychology

Answer 26

focuses on legal issues, such as determining the accuracy of witness memories

Question 27

treatment

Answer 27

the manipulation implemented by the experimenter

Question 28

health psychology

Answer 28

explores the relationship between psychological factors and physical ailments or disease

Question 29

experimental group

Answer 29

any group participating in an experiment that receives treatment

Question 30

industrial/organizational psychology

Answer 30

concerned with the psychology of the workplace

Question 31

control group

Answer 31

a group participating in an experiment that receives no treatment

Question 32

personality psychology

Answer 32

focuses on the consistency in people's behavior over time and the traits that differentiate one person from another

Question 33

independent variable

Answer 33

the variable that is manipulated by an experimenter

Question 34

program evaluation

Answer 34

focuses on assessing large-scale programs to determine whether they are effective in meeting their goals

Question 35

dependent variable

Answer 35

the variable that is measured and is expected to change as a result of changes caused by the experimenter's manipulation of the independent variable

Question 36

psychology of women

Answer 36

focuses on issues such as discrimination against women and the causes of violence against women

Question 37

random assignment to condition

Answer 37

a procedure in which participants are assigned to different experimental groups or "conditions" on the basis of chance and chance alone

Question 38

school psychology

Answer 38

devoted to counseling children in elementary and secondary schools who have academic or emotional problems

Question 39

replication

Answer 39

research that is repeated, sometimes using other procedures, settings, and group of participants, to increase confidence in prior findings

Question 40

social psychology

Answer 40

the study of how people's thoughts, feelings, and actions are affected by others

Question 41

informed consent

Answer 41

a document signed by participants affirming that they have been told the basic outlines of the study and are aware of what their participation will involve

Question 42

sport psychology

Answer 42

applies psychology to athletic activity and exercise

Question 43

experimental bias

Answer 43

factors that distort how the independent variable affects the dependent variable in an experiment

Question 44

neuroscience perspective

Answer 44

the approach that views behavior from the perspective of the brain, the nervous system, and other biological functions

Question 45

placebo

Answer 45

a false treatment, such as a pill, "drug," or other substance, without any significant chemical properties or active ingredient

Question 46

psychodynamic perspective

Answer 46

the approach based on the view that behavior is motivated by unconscious inner forces over which the individual has little control

Question 47

behavioral perspective

Answer 47

the approach that suggests that observable, measurable behavior should be the focus of study

Question 48

cognitive perspective

Answer 48

the approach that focuses on how people think, understand, and know about the world

Question 49

humanistic perspective

Answer 49

the approach that suggests that all individuals naturally strive to grow, develop, and be in control of their lives and behavior

Question 50

psychology

Answer 50

the scientific study of behavior and mental processes

Question 51

structuralism

Answer 51

Wundt's approach, which focuses on uncovering the fundamental mental components of consciousness, thinking, and other kinds of mental states and activities

Question 52

introspection

Answer 52

a procedure used to study the structure of the mind in which subjects are asked to describe in details what they are experiencing when they are exposed to a stimulus

Question 53

functionalism

Answer 53

an early approach to psychology that concentration on what the mind does - the functions of mental activity - and the role of behavior in allowing people to adapt to their environments

Question 54

gestalt psychology

Answer 54

an approach to psychology that focuses on the organization of perception and thinking in a "whole" sense rather than on the individual elements of perception

Question 55

free will

Answer 55

the idea that behavior is caused primarily by choices that are made freely by the individual

Question 56

determinism

Answer 56

the idea that people's behavior is produced primarily by factors outside of their willful control