Chapter 1: The Science of Psychology

psychology

the scientific study of behavior and mental processes

science

the use of systematic methods to observe the natural world, including human behavior, and to draw conclusions

behavior

everything we do that can be directly observed

mental processes

the thoughts, feelings, and motives that each of us experiences privately but that cannot be observed directly

structuralism

Wundt's approach to discovering the basic elements, or structures, of mental processes; used introspection ("looking inside")

functionalism

James's approach to mental processes, emphasizing the functions and purposes of the mind and behavior in the individual's adaptation to the environment

neuroscience

the scientific study of the structure, function, development, genetics, and biochemistry of the nervous system; emphasizes that the brain and nervous system are central to understanding behavior, thought and emotion; perhaps the largest contribution to ph

behavioral approach

approach emphasizing the scientific study of observable behavioral responses and their environmental determinants

cognition

thought processes

psychodynamic approach

Sigmund Freud founding father; approach emphasizing unconscious thought the conflict b/w biological drives and society's demands and early childhood family experiences

cognitive approach

approach emphasizing the mental processes involved in knowing: how we direct out attention, perceive, remember, think, and solve problems

theory

a broad idea or set of closely related ideas that attempts to explain observations and to make predictions about future observations

hypothesis

an educated guess that derives logically from a theory; a prediction that can be tested

operational definition

a definition that provides an objective description of how a variable is going to be measured and observed in a particular study; not just one for any variable

self-determination theory

people are likely to feel fulfilled when three needs are met: relatedness (warm relations w/others), autonomy (independence), and competence (mastering new skills)

case study

in-depth look at a single individual; provides info about a person's goals, hopes, fears, experiences, relationships, and health

correlational research

research that examines the relationships b/w variables, whose purpose is to examine whether and how two variables change together

longitudinal design

a special kind of systematic observation, used by correlational researchers, that involves obtaining measures of the variables of interest in multiple waves over time; can suggest potential causal relationships

experiment

a carefully regulated procedure in which the researcher manipulates one or more variables that are believed to influence some other variable

confederate

a person who is given a role to play in a study so that the social context can be manipulated

dependent variable

the factor that can change in an experiment in response to changes in the independent variable

control group

the participants in an experiment who are as much like the experimental group as possible and who are treated in every way like the experimental group except for a manipulated factor, the independent variable

validity

the soundness of the conclusions that a researcher draws from an experiment

external validity

the degree to which an experimental design actually reflects the real-world issues it is supposed to address

independent variable

a manipulated experimental factor, the variable that the experimenter changes to see what its effects are

experimental group

the participants in a experiment who receive the drug or other treatment under study - those exposed to the independent variable

internal validity

the degree to which changes in the dependent variable are due to the manipulation of the independent variable

placebo effect

the situation where participants' expectaions, rather than the experimental treatment, produce an experimental outcome

IRB

Institutional Review Board; evaluates ethical nature of research

American Psychological Association (APA)

ethical guidelines for its members: 1) informed consent - must know what their participation involves and what risks might develop, 2) confidentiality - have to keep data confidential and anonymous, 3) debriefing - after the study, researchers should info

the core of the scientific approach

4 attitudes: critical thinking, curiosity, skepticism, and objectivity

empirical method

gaining knowledge through observation of events and logical reasoning

clinical psychologists

psychologists who specialize in studying and treating psychological disorders

Sigmund Freud

believed that most of human behavior is caused by dark, unpleasant, unconscious impulses pressing for expression

philosophy

the rational investigation of the underlying principles of being and knowledge

Rene Descartes

argued that the mind and body were completely separate; emotion

Wilhelm Wundt

founded the first psychology lab; academic discipline of psychology; did an experiment to measure time lag between hearing a sound and pressing a button that you heard it; measured time it took the brain and nervous system to translate info; idea that men

FACT

Structuralism is the what, whereas functionalism is the why

William James

stream of consciousness"; functionalism; saw the mind as flexible and fluid

Charles Darwin

natural selection; proposed his ideas in "On the Origin of Species

B. F. Skinner

behavioral approach; emphasized that psychology should be about what people do and should not concern itself with things that cannot be seen, such as thoughts, feelings, and goals; believed that rewards and punishments determine our behavior

Humanistic approach

an approach to psychology emphasizing a person's positive qualities, the capacity for positive growth, and the freedom to choose any destination; have the ability to control your life

scientific method

observing some phenomenon, formulating hypotheses and predictions, testing thru empirical research, drawing conclusions, and evaluating conclusions

5 guidelines about consuming psychological info

1) avoid overgeneralizing based on little info, 2) distinguish between group results and individual needs, 3) look for answers beyond a single study, 4) avoid attributing causes where none have been found, 5) consider the source of psychological info