Week 1 - Introduction to Psychology Flashcards
What are the ethics involved in scientific psychology?
- Informed consent
- Confidentiality
- Privacy
- Benefits outweigh risks
- Deception (hide true nature of study)
What is systematic observation?
The careful observation of the natural world with aim of better understanding it, in which provides data that allows scientists to organize information about the natural world.
What are empirical methods?
Approaches to inquiry that are tied to actual measurement and observations.
What are some common scientific theories?
- Accuracy - explanations and theories match real-world observations
- Consistency - theory has few exceptions but agrees with other theories across discipline
- Scope - explaining a wide array of phenomena
- Simplicity - simplest explanation/data is shown
- Fruitfulness - usefulness of the theory in guiding new research
What is inductive reasoning?
Form of reasoning in which a general conclusion is inferred from a set of observations, which leads to the general conclusion (from specific ideas to general conclusion)
What is deductive reasoning?
Form of reasoning in which a given premise determines the interpretation of specific observations. (from general ideas to specific conclusions)
What is anecdotal evidence?
A piece of biased evidence, usually drawn from personal experience, used to support a conclusion that may or may not be correct.
Which of the following hypotheses can be falsified?
A. Chocolate tastes better than pasta
B. We live in the most violent time in history
C. Time cab run backward as well as forward
D. There are planets other than Earth that have water on them
D.
(A is incorrect because it is an opinion)
(C is incorrect because there are currently no existing measures)
(D is incorrect because we dont know all about our history)
Is the following an example of inductive or deductive reasoning: The stove was on and the water in the pot was boiling over. The front door was standing open. These clues suggest the homeowner left unexpectedly and in a hurry.
Inductive
Is the following an example of inductive or deductive reasoning:
Gravity is associated with mass. Because the moon has a smaller mass than the Earth, it should have weaker gravity.
Deductive
Is the following an example of inductive or deductive reasoning:
Students don’t like to pay for high priced textbooks. It is likely that many students in the class will opt not to purchase a book.
Deductive
Is the following an example of inductive or deductive reasoning:
To earn a college degree, students need 100 credits. Janine has 85 credits, so she cannot graduate.
Deductive
What is NHST?
Null-hypothesis significance testing assesses the probability that the collected data (observations) would be the same if there were no relationship between the variables in the study
What is Type I error?
When the researcher concludes that there is a relationship between two variables, but in reality there is not.
What is Type II error?
When the data failed to show a relationship between variables that actually exists.
What are p-values?
Probability values are the established threshold for determining whether a given value occurs by chance.
What is an example of a p-value?
When researchers say “significant at a p < 0.05 level” they’re saying that if the same study were repeated 100, they should expect the result to occur
What are most common p-values?
0.05, 0.01, 0.001 (5%, 1%, 1/10th of 1% chance)
What is a scientific theory?
comprehensive framework for making for making sense of evidence regarding a particular phenomenon
What is Kuhn’s argument?
No such thing as objective theory or data, only facts and values
What is empiricism?
Idea that all knowledge comes from experience (sensory observation)
What is psychophysics, and who invented it?
Methods for measuring the relationship between physical stimuli and human perception, invented by Ernst Weber and Gustav Fechner
What is structuralism?
elements of conscious experience (reduction of elements)
What is functionalism?
understanding the purpose and function of behaviour
What is behaviourism?
observing one’s behaviour without reference to mental events of instinct
What is rationalism
reason and logic
What is determinism?
belief that all events are governed by lawful, cause-and-effect relationships
What is cognitive psychology?
Study of mental processes
What is Flashbulb memory?
A highly detailed and vivid memory of an emotionally significant event
What is Gestalt psychology?
An attempt to study the unity of experience
What is introspection?
A method of focusing on internal processes
What is Practitioner-Scholar Model?
A model of training of professional psychologists that emphasizes clinical practice
What is Scientist-practitioner model?
A model of training of professional psychologists that emphasizes the development of both research and clinical skills
