Unit 1 AP Psych Vocab

Empirical Approach

an evidence-based method that draws on observation and

experimentation

Critical Thinking

thinking that does not automatically accept arguments and

conclusions; rather, it examines assumptions, appraises the source, discerns hidden biases, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions

Structuralism

an early school of thought promoted by Wundt and Titchener; used introspection to reveal the structure of the human mind

Functionalism

an early school of thought promoted by James and influenced by Darwin; explored how mental and behavioral processes function—how they enable the organism to adapt, survive, and flourish

Behaviorism

the view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes; most psychologists today agree with (1), but not (2)

Humanistic Psychology -

a historically significant perspective that emphasized human

growth potential

Cognitive Neuroscience -

the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language)

Psychology -

the science of behavior and mental processes

Nature-Nurture Issue -

the longstanding controversy over the relative contributions that

genes and experience make to the development of psychological traits and behaviors;

today’s science sees traits and behaviors arising from the interaction of nature and nurture

Natural Selection -

the principle that the inherited traits enabling an organism to survive

and reproduce in a particular environment will (in competition with other trait variations)

most likely be passed on to succeeding generations

Evolutionary Psychology -

the study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using

principles of natural selection

Behavior Genetics -

the study of the relative power and limits of genetic and

environmental influences on behavior

Culture -

the enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, and traditions shared by a group

of people and transmitted from one generation to the next

Biopsychosocial Approach

 an integrated approach that incorporates biological,

psychological, and social-cultural levels of analysis

Levels of Analysis -

the differing complementary views, from biological to psychological

to socio-cultural, for analyzing any given phenomenon

Basic Research -

pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base

Applied Research -

scientific study that aims to solve practical problems

Counseling Psychology -

a branch of psychology that assists people with problems in

living (often related to school, work, or relationships) and in achieving greater well-being

Community Psychology -

a branch of psychology that studies how people interact with

their social environments and how their social environments (such as schools and

neighborhoods) affect individuals and groups

Testing Effect -

enhanced memory after retrieving, rather than simply rereading,

information; also referred to as a retrieval practice effect or test-enhanced learning

SQ3R -

a study method incorporating five steps–survey, question, read, retrieve, review

Hindsight Bias -

the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have

foreseen it (also known as the I-knew-it-all-along phenomenon)

Theory -

an explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes observations

and predicts behaviors or events

Hypothesis -

a testable prediction, often implied by a theory

Operational Definition

 a carefully worded statement of the exact procedures

(operations) used in a research study; also known as operationalization

Replication -

repeating the essence of a research study, usually with different participants

in different situations, to see whether the basic finding can be reproduced

Preregistration -

publicly communicating planned study design, hypothesis, data

collection, and analyses

Meta-analysis -

a statistical procedure for analyzing the results of multiple studies to

reach an overall conclusion

Case Study -

a descriptive technique in which one individual or group is studied in depth

in the hope of revealing universal principles

Naturalistic Observation

 a descriptive technique of observing and recording behavior in

naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation

Survey -

a descriptive technique for obtaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a

particular group, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of the

population

Wording Effect -

the possible effects on participants caused by the order of presented

words or even the choice of words itself

Random Sample -

a sample that fairly represents a population because each member has

an equal chance of inclusion

Population -

all those in a group being studied, from which random samples may be taken

Correlation -

a measure of the extent to which two factors vary together, and thus of how

well either factor predicts the other

Correlation Coefficient -

a statistical index of the relationship between two things (from

\-1.00 to +1.00)

Variable

anything that can vary and is feasible and ethical to measure

Scatterplot -

a graphed cluster of dots, each of which represents the values of two

variables; the slope of the points suggests the direction of the relationship between the

two variables; the amount of scatter suggests the strength of the correlation (less scatter =

higher correlation)

Illusory Correlation -

perceiving a relationship where none exists, or perceiving a

stronger-than-actual relationship

Regression Toward the Mean -

the tendency for extreme or unusual scores or events to

fall toward the average

Longitudinal Study -

a research design that examines how individuals develop by

studying the same sample over a long period of time

Experiment -

a research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factors

(independent variable) to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process

(dependent variable); by random assignment of participants, researchers aim to control

other relevant factors

Experimental Group -

the group exposed to the treatment, that is, to one version of the

independent variable

Control Group -

the group not exposed to the treatment; contrasts with the experimental

group and serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment

Random Assignment -

assigning participants to experimental and control groups by

chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between different groups

Double-Blind Procedure -

an experimental procedure in which both the research staff and

participants are ignorant about whether the participants have received the treatment or

placebo; commonly used in drug-evaluation studies

Placebo Effect -

experimental results caused by expectations alone; any effect on

behavior caused by the administration of an inert substance or condition, which the

recipient assumes is an active agent

Independent Variable -

the factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being

studied

Dependant Variable -

the outcome that is measured; the variable that may change when

the independent variable is manipulated

 Confounding Variable -

 a factor other than the factor being studied that might influence a

study’s result

Informed Consent -

giving potential participants enough information about a study to

enable them to choose whether they wish to participate

Debriefing -

the post experimental explanation of a study, including its purpose and any

deceptions, to its participants

Mode -

the most frequently occurring score(s) in a distribution

Mean -

the arithmetic average of a distribution, obtained by adding the scores and then

dividing by the number of scores

Median -

the middle score in a distribution; half the scores are above it and half are below

it

Range -

the difference between the highest and lowest scores in a distribution

Standard Deviation -

a computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean

score

Normal Curve -

a symmetrical, bell-shaped curve that describes the distribution of many

types of data; most scores fall near the mean and fewer and fewer near the extremes; also

called a normal distribution

Statistical Significance -

a statement of how likely it is that a result occurred by chance,

assuming there is no difference between the populations being studied