W1 Ch 1: all vocab Flashcards
scientific method
the approach through which psychologists systematically acquire knowledge and understanding about behavior and other phenomena of interest
Behavioral genetics
studies the inheritance of traits related to behavior
theories
broad explanations and predictions concerning phenomena of interest
behavioral neuroscience
Examines the biological basis of behavior
hypothesis
a prediction, stemming from a theory, stated in a way that allows it to be tested
Clinical psychology
deals with the study, diagnosis, and treatment of psychological disorders
operational definition
the translation of a hypothesis into specific, testable procedures that can be measured and observed
Clinical neuropsychology
focuses on the relationship between biological and psychological disorders
descriptive research
research designed to systematically investigate a person, group, or patterns of behavior
cognitive psychology
focuses on the study of higher mental processes
archival research
research in which existing data, such as census documents, college records, and newspaper clippings, are examined to test a hypothesis
counseling psychology
focuses primarily on educational, social, and career adjustment problems
naturalistic observation
research in which an investigator simply observes some naturally occurring behavior and does not make a change in the situation
cross-cultural psychology
investigates the similarities and differences in psychological functioning in and across various cultures and ethnic groups
survey research
research in which people chosen to represent a larger population are asked a series of questions about their behavior, thoughts, or attitudes
developmental psychology
examines how people grow and change from the moment of conception through death
case study
an in-depth, intensive investigation of an individual or small group of people
educational psychology
concerned with teaching and learning processes, such as the relationship between motivation and school performance
variables
behaviors, events, or other characteristics that can change, or vary, in some way
environmental psychology
considers the relationship between people and their physical environment
correlational research
research in which the relationship between two sets of variables is examined to determine whether they are associated, or “correlated”
evolutionary psychology
considers how behavior is influenced by our genetic inheritance from our ancestors
experiment
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
experimental psychology
studies the processes of sensing, perceiving, learning, and thinking about the world
experimental manipulation
the change that an experimenter deliberately produces in a situation
forensic psychology
focuses on legal issues, such as determining the accuracy of witness memories
treatment
the manipulation implemented by the experimenter
health psychology
explores the relationship between psychological factors and physical ailments or disease
experimental group
any group participating in an experiment that receives treatment
industrial/organizational psychology
concerned with the psychology of the workplace
control group
a group participating in an experiment that receives no treatment
personality psychology
focuses on the consistency in people’s behavior over time and the traits that differentiate one person from another
independent variable
the variable that is manipulated by an experimenter
program evaluation
focuses on assessing large-scale programs to determine whether they are effective in meeting their goals
dependent variable
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
psychology of women
focuses on issues such as discrimination against women and the causes of violence against women
random assignment to condition
a procedure in which participants are assigned to different experimental groups or “conditions” on the basis of chance and chance alone
school psychology
devoted to counseling children in elementary and secondary schools who have academic or emotional problems
replication
research that is repeated, sometimes using other procedures, settings, and group of participants, to increase confidence in prior findings
social psychology
the study of how people’s thoughts, feelings, and actions are affected by others
informed consent
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
sport psychology
applies psychology to athletic activity and exercise
experimental bias
factors that distort how the independent variable affects the dependent variable in an experiment
neuroscience perspective
the approach that views behavior from the perspective of the brain, the nervous system, and other biological functions
placebo
a false treatment, such as a pill, “drug,” or other substance, without any significant chemical properties or active ingredient
psychodynamic perspective
the approach based on the view that behavior is motivated by unconscious inner forces over which the individual has little control
behavioral perspective
the approach that suggests that observable, measurable behavior should be the focus of study
cognitive perspective
the approach that focuses on how people think, understand, and know about the world
humanistic perspective
the approach that suggests that all individuals naturally strive to grow, develop, and be in control of their lives and behavior
psychology
the scientific study of behavior and mental processes
structuralism
Wundt’s approach, which focuses on uncovering the fundamental mental components of consciousness, thinking, and other kinds of mental states and activities
introspection
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
functionalism
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
gestalt psychology
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
free will
the idea that behavior is caused primarily by choices that are made freely by the individual
determinism
the idea that people’s behavior is produced primarily by factors outside of their willful control
