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