Psychology
the discipline concerned with behavior and mental processes and how they are affected by an organism's physical state, mental state, and external environment
empirical
relying on or derived from observation, experimentation, or measurement
evolutionary psychology
A field of psychology emphasizing evolutionary mechanisms that may help explain human commonalities in cognition, development, emotion, social practices, and other areas of behavior.
humanistic psychology
A psychological approach that emphasizes,free will, personal growth, resilience, and the achievement of human potential
Basic Psychology
the study of psychological issues in order to seek knowledge for its own sake rather than for its practical application
Applied Psychology
The study of psychological issues that have direct practical significance; also, the application of psychological findings.
Placebo
an inactive substance or fake treatment used as a control in an experiment
case study
A detailed description of a particular individual being studied or treated.
observational study
a study in which the researcher carefully and systematically observes and records behavior without interfering with the behavior; it may involve either naturalistic or laboratory observation
psychological tests
procedures used to measure and evaluate personality traits, emotional states, aptitudes, interests, abilities, and values
Surveys
Questionnaires and interviews that ask people directly about their experiences, attitudes, or opinions.
experiment
a controlled test of a hypothesis in which the researcher manipulates one variable to discover its effect on another
independent variable
variable that an experimenter manipulates
dependent variable
a variable that an experimenter predicts will be affected by manipulations of the independent variable