psychology
the scientific study of the mind, brain, and behavior
levels of analysis
rungs on a ladder of analysis, with lower levels tied most closely to biological influences and higher levels tied most closely to social influences
HIGH=MIND
LOW=BRAIN
single-variable explanations
all human actions are multiply determined(or produced by many factors) which is why we need to be skeptical of these explanations
individual differences
variations among people in their thinking, emotion, personality, and behavior
reciprocal determinism
the fact that we mutually influence each other's behavior
naive realism
beliefe that we see the world precisely as it is..e.g. the earth seems flat
science
consists of a set of attitudes and skills designed to prevent us from fooling ourselves
empiricism
the premise that knowledge should initially be acquired through observation
scientific theory
explanation for a large number of findings in the natural world
hypothesis
testable prediction derived from a scientific theory
conformation bias
tendency to seek out evidence that supports our hypotheses and deny, dismiss, or distort evidence that contradicts them "seek and ye shall find
belief perserverance
tendency to stick to our initial beliefs even when evidence contradicts them
metaphysical claim
assertion about the world that is not testable..e.g. spirits or God
pseudoscience
set of claims that seem scientific but isn't...e.g. ESP..false claims
Ad hoc immunizing hypothesis
escape hatch or loophole that defenders of a theory use to protect their theory from falsification
terror management theory
theory proposing that our awareness of our death leaves us with an underlying sense of terror with which we cope by adopting reassuring cultural worldviews
logical fallacies
traps in thinking that can lead to mistaken conclusions
scientific skepticism
approach of evaluating all claims with an open mind but insisting on persuasive evidence before accepting them
critical thinking
set of skills for evaluating all claims in an open-minded and careful fashion
correlation-causation fallacy
error of assuming that because one thing is associated with another, it must cause the other
third variable problem
c causes both A and B
falsifiable
capable of being disproved...if it isn't this then we can't test it.
replicability
when a study's findings are able to be duplicated, ideally by independent investigators..if it can't be this then it increases the odds that the original findings were due to chance.
decline effect
fact that the size of certain psychological findings appears to be shrinking over time
introspection
method by which trained observers carefully reflect and report on their mental experiences
Occam's Razor
if two explanations account equally well for a phenomenon, we should generally select the more parsimonious one
structuralism
school of psychology that aimed to identify the basic elements of psychological experience
functionalism
school of psychology that aimed to understand the adaptive purposed of psychologic characterisitics
natural selection
principle that organisms that possess adaptations survive and reproduce at a higher rate than do other organisms
behaviorism
school of psychology that focuses on uncovering the general laws of learning by looking at observable behavior
cognitive psychology
school of psychology that proposes that thinking is central to understanding behavior
cognitive neuroscience
relatively new field of psych that examines the relation between brain functioning and thinking
psychoanalysis
school of psych, founded by Sigmund Freud, that focuses on internal psychological processes of which we're unaware
evolutionary psychology
discipline that applies Darwin's theory of natural selection to human and animal behavior...nature vs.nurture
fitness
the extent to which a trait increases the chances that organisms that possess this trait will survive and reproduce at a higher rate than competitors who lack it
basic research
research examining how the mind works
applied research
research examining how we can use basic research to solve real-world problems
psychology
the scientific study of the mind, brain, and behavior
levels of analysis
rungs on a ladder of analysis, with lower levels tied most closely to biological influences and higher levels tied most closely to social influences
HIGH=MIND
LOW=BRAIN
single-variable explanations
all human actions are multiply determined(or produced by many factors) which is why we need to be skeptical of these explanations
individual differences
variations among people in their thinking, emotion, personality, and behavior
reciprocal determinism
the fact that we mutually influence each other's behavior
naive realism
beliefe that we see the world precisely as it is..e.g. the earth seems flat
science
consists of a set of attitudes and skills designed to prevent us from fooling ourselves
empiricism
the premise that knowledge should initially be acquired through observation
scientific theory
explanation for a large number of findings in the natural world
hypothesis
testable prediction derived from a scientific theory
conformation bias
tendency to seek out evidence that supports our hypotheses and deny, dismiss, or distort evidence that contradicts them "seek and ye shall find
belief perserverance
tendency to stick to our initial beliefs even when evidence contradicts them
metaphysical claim
assertion about the world that is not testable..e.g. spirits or God
pseudoscience
set of claims that seem scientific but isn't...e.g. ESP..false claims
Ad hoc immunizing hypothesis
escape hatch or loophole that defenders of a theory use to protect their theory from falsification
terror management theory
theory proposing that our awareness of our death leaves us with an underlying sense of terror with which we cope by adopting reassuring cultural worldviews
logical fallacies
traps in thinking that can lead to mistaken conclusions
scientific skepticism
approach of evaluating all claims with an open mind but insisting on persuasive evidence before accepting them
critical thinking
set of skills for evaluating all claims in an open-minded and careful fashion
correlation-causation fallacy
error of assuming that because one thing is associated with another, it must cause the other
third variable problem
c causes both A and B
falsifiable
capable of being disproved...if it isn't this then we can't test it.
replicability
when a study's findings are able to be duplicated, ideally by independent investigators..if it can't be this then it increases the odds that the original findings were due to chance.
decline effect
fact that the size of certain psychological findings appears to be shrinking over time
introspection
method by which trained observers carefully reflect and report on their mental experiences
Occam's Razor
if two explanations account equally well for a phenomenon, we should generally select the more parsimonious one
structuralism
school of psychology that aimed to identify the basic elements of psychological experience
functionalism
school of psychology that aimed to understand the adaptive purposed of psychologic characterisitics
natural selection
principle that organisms that possess adaptations survive and reproduce at a higher rate than do other organisms
behaviorism
school of psychology that focuses on uncovering the general laws of learning by looking at observable behavior
cognitive psychology
school of psychology that proposes that thinking is central to understanding behavior
cognitive neuroscience
relatively new field of psych that examines the relation between brain functioning and thinking
psychoanalysis
school of psych, founded by Sigmund Freud, that focuses on internal psychological processes of which we're unaware
evolutionary psychology
discipline that applies Darwin's theory of natural selection to human and animal behavior...nature vs.nurture
fitness
the extent to which a trait increases the chances that organisms that possess this trait will survive and reproduce at a higher rate than competitors who lack it
basic research
research examining how the mind works
applied research
research examining how we can use basic research to solve real-world problems