AP Psych Unit 0: Scientific Foundations of Psychology

Psychology

A science that is primarily based on research and studies of the human mind.

Hindsight bias

The belief that we would have foreseen an outcome; a.k.a. the “I-knew-it-all-along” phenomenon.

Peer review

Reviewing and evaluating a study by another person to check the quality and validity of said study to make sure it contributes to the field.

Overconfidence

Overestimating ones knowledge and abilities.

Biological perspective

Deals with biological factors of the body (key terms: brain chemicals, body chemistry, neurotransmitters, inheritance, genetic)

Cognitive perspective

Deals with information and cognition (key terms: distorted thought processes, irrational beliefs, rationalized behaviors, memory, decision making)

Behavioral perspective

Deals with environmental factors (key terms: punishments, rewards, reinforcement, attention, traits, modeling behaviors)

Humanistic perspective

Deals with self-image and inner feelings of oneself (key terms: self concept not true to reality, need for belonging, safety, personal growth)

Psychodynamic perspective

Deals with unconscious moments that are often from childhood (key terms: unconscious, repressed, superego, ego, id)

Sociocultural perspective

Deals with society and culture (key terms: norms, society, public, culture)

Evolutionary perspective

Deals with natural selection (key terms: survival, natural selection, instinct, early humans)

Quantitative data

Numerical data

Qualitative data

Personal documents

Case studies

In-depth research method on an atypical subject.

Self reporting bias

Purposely giving an answer based on what the researcher wants or does not want.

Social desirability bias

Purposely giving an answer in order to look good in society’s eyes.

Likert scale

Numerical tool that assesses behaviors, typically on a scale of 1 to 5.

Naturalistic observation

Watching subjects in their natural environment without disrupting them.

To be continued…