Psychology
the scientific study of behavior and mental processes
Behavior
everything we do that can be directly observed
Mental processes
the thoughts, feelings, and motives that each of us experience privately
Critical thinking
the process of thinking deeply and actively, asking questions, and evaluating the evidence
Skeptical
questioning what "everyone knows
Objective
trying to see things as they really are
Sigmund Freud
believed that most people behavior is caused by dark, unpleasant, unconscious impulses pressing for expression. theorized that early relationships with parents shape an individual's personality
Structuralism
focus on identifying the elemental parts or structures of the human mind (Wilhelm Wandt)
Functionalism
approach to mental processes, emphasizing the functions and purposes of the mind and behavior in the individual's adaption to the environment (William James)
Biological
focus on the body especially the brain and nervous system ex: when your heart races when you are afraid
Neuroscience
the scientific study of the structure, function, development, genetics, and biochemistry of the nervous system, emphasizing that the brain and the nervous system are central to understanding behavior, thought, and emotions.
Behavioral
emphasizes the scientific study of observable behavioral responses and their environmental determinants
B.F. Skinner
emphasized that psychology should be about what people do-- their actions and behavior-- and not the things that cannot be seen, such as feelings, thoughts, and goals.
believed that rewards and punishments determine our behavior
Psychodynamic
emphasizes unconscious thought, the conflict between biological drives (sex) and society's demands, and early childhood family experiences
Humanistic
emphasizes a person's positive qualities, the capacity for positive growth, and the freedom to choose one's destiny
Cognitive
emphasizes the mental processes involved in knowing: how we direct our attention, perceive, remember, think, and solve problems
Evolutionary
approach that uses evolutionary ideas such as adaptation, reproduction, and natural selection as the basis for explaining specific human behaviors
Sociocultural
examines the influences of social and cultural environments on behavior
Descriptive Research
describing some phenomenon determining its basic dimensions and defining what this thing is, how often it occurs, and so on. Reveal important information about people's behavior and attitudes
Observation
one or more others to observe for accurate information
Case studies
an in-depth look at a single individual provide dramatic, detailed protrayais of people's lives
Correlational Research
tells us about the relationships between variables, and its purpose is to examine whether and how two variables change together
Longitudinal Designs
involves observing and measuring the same variables periodically over time
Random assignment
researchers assign participants to groups by chance.
Confederate
a person who is given a role to play in a study so it can be manipulated
Within-participant designs
the participants serve as their own control group
Quasi-Experimental designs
does not include random assignment of participants to a condition, either impossible or unethical
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
Internal validity
the degree to which changes in the dependent variable are due to the manipulation of the independent variable
Experimenter Bias
the influence of the experimenter's expectations on the outcome of research
Demend Characteristics
any aspects of a study that communicate to the participants how the experimenter wants them to behave
Systematic biases
called confounds
Research Participant Bias
in an experiment, the influence of participants' expectations, and of their thoughts on how they should behave
Placebo Effect
the situation where participants' expectations, rather than the experimental treatment, produce an experimental outcome
Placebo
a harmless substance that has no physiological effect
Naturalistic observation
the observation of behavior in a real-world setting ex: sporting events, work, shopping malls
Informed Consent
all participants must know what their participation will involve and what risk might develop
Confidentiality
researchers are responsible for keeping all of the date they gather anaonymous
Debriefing
after the study is completed, the researchers should inform the participants of its purpose and the methods they used
Deception
telling the participants beforehand can alter the participants' behavior and invalidate the data