Psychology
Scientific study of behavior and metal processes
Critical thinking
Process of reflecting deeply and actively, asking questions, and evaluating the evidence
Skepticism
Challenge supported facts; distinction between science and pseudoscience
Empirical method
Gaining knowledge through the observation of events, the collection of data, and logical reasoning; seeing things as they are and not what we want them to be
Curiosity
Want to know what and why; big questions
Sigmund freud
Believed human behavior is caused by dark, unpleasant, unconscious impulses clamoring for expression
Positive psychology
Branch of psychology that focuses on human strengths
Philosophy
Rational investigation of the underlying principles of being and knowledge
Wilhelm Wundt
Integrated philosophy and science to create psychology
Structuralism (Wundt)
Discovering basic elements of mental processes
Introspection
Looking inside our own minds, by focusing on our own thoughts
William James
Brought psychology to America; what is the mind for
Functionalism (James)
Functions and purposes of the mind and behavior in ones adaption to the environment
Charles Darwin
On the origin of species
Natural selection
Evolutionary process in which organisms that are better adapted to their environment will survive and produce offspring
The biological approach
Examining behavior and mental processes by focusing on the body, primarily the brain and nervous system
The behavioral approach
Scientific study of observable behavioral responses and their environmental determinants (not feelings but actions)
The Psychodynamic approach
Unconscious thought; conflict between biological drives, society's demand, and childhood family experiences
Psychoanalysis
Unlocking a persons unconscious by talking about childhood memories, thoughts, dreams, and feelings
The humanistic approach
Emphasizes a persons positive qualities, capacity for positive growth, and the freedom to choose ones destiny
Altruism
Unselfish concern for other people's well being
The cognitive approach
The mental processes involved in knowing; how we direct our attention, perceive, remember, and solve problems
The Evolutionary approach
Uses idea like adaption, reproduction, and natural selection to explain specific human behaviors
The sociocultural approach
Examines the ways in which social and cultural environments influence behavior
Theory
Broad idea or set of closely related ideas that attempts to explain observations
Hypothesis
Educated guess that derives logically from a theory
Prediction
Specific expectation for the outcome of a study
Empirical method
Gaining knowledge by observing objective evidence
Variable
Anything that can change (what scientists study)
Operational definition
Provides an objective description of how a variable is going to be measured and observed in a particular study
Direct replication
Doing the study precisely as it was done originally
Conceptual replication
Doing the study with different methods or samples
Meta- analysis
Statistical procedure that summarizes a large body of evidence from the research literature on a particular topic
Descriptive research
Describing some phenomenon, determining its basic dimensions, and defining what it is, how often it occurs, and so on
Survey
Questionnaire that presents a standard set of questions to obtain ones beliefs on a topic
Case study or history
In depth look at an individual
Correlational research
Tells us about the relationship between two variable (change together)
Correlational coefficient
Numerical value that shows the degree of relation between 2 variable (r)
Third variable pattern
Another variable that hasn't been measured for accounts for the relationship between 2 others (confound)
Cross sectional design
Type of correlation study in which variable are measured at a single point in time
Quasi experimental
Tested comes with the independent variable
Experience sampling method
Using daily reports to track experiences in ones natural settings
Event contingent responding
Report after each time one engages in a particular activity
Longitudal design
Obtaining measures of the variable of interest in waves over time
Experiment
Carefully regulated procedure in which the researcher manipulates one of more variable that are believed to influence some other variable
Independent variable
Manipulated experimental factor (cause)
Dependent variable
The variable that may change due to the manipulations of the independent variable (effect)
Confederate
A person who is given a role to play in a study so that the social context can be manipulated
Experimental group
Participants in an experiment who are exposed to the change
Control group
As much like the experimental group when treated except not exposed to the change
Validity
Soundness of conclusions that a researcher draws from an experiment
External validity
The degree to which an experimental design actually reflects the real world issue it addresses
Internal validity
The degree to which the dependent variable changes due to the independent variable
Experimenter bias
The experimenters expectations influence the outcome of the research
Demand characteristics
Any aspect of a study that communicates to participants how the experimenter wants them to behave
Research participant bias
The behavior of research participants during the experiment is influenced by how they think they are supposed to behave
Placebo effect
When participants expectations produce a particular outcome
Placebo
Harmless substance that has no physiological effect
Double blind experiment
The experimenter and the participants aren't aware of who is in the experimental or control group until the results are calculated
Population
The entire group about which the investigator wants to draw conclusion
Sample
The sunset of the population chosen by the investigator for study
Random sample
Gives every member of the population an equal chance of being selected
Naturalistic observation
Viewing behavior in a real world setting
Statistics
Mathematical methods for reporting data
Descriptive statistics
Mathematical procedures researchers have developed to describe and summarize sets of data in a meaningful way
Measure of central tendency
Single number that indicates the overall characteristics of a set of data
Mean
Average
Median
The middle score when ranked highest to lowest
Mode
Occurs most often in a data set
Range
The distance between the highest and lowest scores
Standard deviation
Measures how much scores vary, on avg, around the mean of a sample
Inferential sample
The mathematical methods used to indicate whether the data sufficiently supports a research hypothesis
Informed consent
All participants must know what their participation involves and what risks are possible
Confidentiality
Researchers are responsible for keeping all the data about someone secret or anonymous
Debriefing
After the research is completed the participants must be told it's purpose and methods
Deception
Can lie about purpose of study beforehand but cannot use a lie that will harm the participants