Psychology Fundamentals

Introspection

Self-examination of thoughts and feelings; Freud used it in psychoanalysis to explore the unconscious mind.

Psychoanalytic

Approach focusing on unconscious, repressed memories, and dream analysis in treatment.

Behaviorism

Psychological approach involving rewards, punishments, and conditioning like Pavlov's dog.

Socio-cultural

Psychological approach considering cultural expectations and group influences on behavior.

Humanistic

Psychological approach emphasizing self-actualization and reaching full potential.

Biological

Psychological approach involving genetics, neurochemistry, and medication effects.

Evolutionary

Psychological approach studying behavior over time, natural selection, and survival.

Cognitive

Psychological approach focusing on perspective, thinking patterns, and cognitive biases.

Hindsight bias

Tendency to believe we knew something all along, hindering learning from experiences.

Overconfidence

Belief of knowing more than we do, inhibiting critical thinking and creativity.

Placebo effect

Phenomenon causing changes in condition due to perceived treatment, skewing results.

Hawthorne effect

Behavioral changes due to awareness of being observed, leading to inaccurate results.

Random sampling

Method ensuring equal chance of selection for study participants, improving result accuracy.

Correlational research

Examines relationships between variables without manipulation, no causation conclusions.

Experimental research

Involves manipulating variables to observe causation effects, proving cause and effect.

Operational definitions

Clear, specific, measurable descriptions of variables in research, ensuring reliability and validity.

Dependent variable

Measured outcome in an experiment, dependent on changes in the independent variable.

Independent variable

Variable manipulated by the researcher to observe its effect on the dependent variable.

Illusory correlation

False belief in a connection between two unrelated things.

Positive correlation

When two variables increase or decrease together, indicating a positive relationship.

Negative correlation

When one variable increases while the other decreases, showing a negative relationship.

Correlation does not mean causation

Relationship between variables doesn't imply causation, illustrated by unrelated ice cream sales and drowning incidents.

Correlation coefficient

Measures strength and direction of relationship between variables, indicating closeness and positivity/negativity.

Mean

Average of values in a data set, calculated by sum of values divided by number of values.

Mode

Most frequently occurring value in a data set.

Clinical psychologist

Diagnoses and treats mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders.

Sports psychologist

Enhances athletic performance and well-being by addressing psychological factors.

Nonmaleficence

Ethical principle in research to avoid causing harm to participants.

Debriefing

Informing participants after a study, ensuring understanding and addressing any concerns.

Milgrim's study on obedience

Investigated how far individuals would obey authority figures, even if it meant causing harm to others

Stanford prison experiment

Explored the psychological effects of authority and powerlessness in a simulated prison environment

Watson's Little Albert experiment

Aimed to show that classical conditioning could work in humans

Bandura's Bobo doll experiment

Demonstrated how children learn by observing others' behavior, specifically studying the effects of aggression

Elliot's brown eye/blue eye experiment

Involved dividing a class into two groups based on eye color to demonstrate discrimination

Hypothesis

A testable prediction usually based on a theory

Control group

The group in an experiment that doesn't get the new treatment or change being tested

Case study

An in-depth analysis of a single individual or group

Naturalistic observation

Watching and recording behavior in its natural environment without interference

Survey

A method of gathering information by asking people questions

Social desirability bias

When people answer questions in a way they think will be favorable to others

Sampling bias

When a sample is not representative of the population, leading to skewed results

Random sample

A sample where every member of the population has an equal chance of being chosen

Random assignment

Assigning participants to different groups by chance to ensure each group is similar

Double blind procedure

A research method where neither the participant nor the experimenter know who is receiving the treatment or the placebo

Confounding variable

An extra variable that affects the dependent variable and makes it hard to determine the effect of the independent variable

Experimenter bias

When a researcher's expectations or preferences influence the results of an experiment

Informed consent

The process of providing participants with all relevant information about a study before they agree to take part

Median

The middle value in a data set when the values are arranged in order