Studied by 5 people
Historical Approaches and Research Methods
What is psychology based in?
Philosophy (e.g., Socrates, Plato, Arsitotle)
John Locke
Philosopher- wrote a paper in which argued that the mind at birth is a blank slate (Tabula Rasa.)
Rene Descartes, Frances Bacon, John Locke
og philosophers, helped form empiricism
Empiricism
the view that knowledge originates in experience and that science should rely on observation and experimentation
Willian Wundt
Father of Psychology: established the first psychology lab in Germany, sought to measure "atoms of the mind" (the fastest and simplest mental processes.)
Edward Titchener
Student of Wilhelm Wundt; founder of Structuralist school of psychology.
Structuralism
mind looking at what it's made of; used introspection (examining and observing your own mental processes) to reveal the structure of the human mind
William James
influenced by Charles Darwin; founder of functionalism; taught the first ever Psych class at Harvard
Funtionalism
how the mind works, what the mind can do; explored how mental and behavioral processes function- how they enable the organism to adapt, survive and flourish. Functionalism is more focused on visible behavior.
Mary Whiton Calkins
joined William James class at Harvard; became a distinguished memory researcher and first female president of the American Psychological Association
Margaret Flay Washburn
first female Psychologist; first female PhD
Dorthea Dix
helped found the first public mental hospital and advocated for the rights of mentally ill people.
B.F. Skinner (also lwk John B Watson)
developed the theory of operant conditioning by training rats (dropped a food pellet every time rat pressed lever)
Ivan Pavlov
discovered classical conditioning; trained dogs to salivate at the ringing of a bell
Sigmund Freud
focused on how childhood experiences shape our behavior. He believed that there is the conscious mind (thoughts you are aware of) and the unconscious mind (thoughts that we are unaware of but that influence our behavior and feelings.) Freud developed the theory of psychoanalytic theory
Stanley Hall
first president of the APA, helped with the development of Educational Psychology.
Jean Piaget
known for his theory of cognitive development in children
Carl Rogers
one of the founders of the humanistic approach in psychology.
humanistic psychology
Instead of focusing on what happened in a person's childhood or their observable behavior, humanistic psychologists focus on a person's growth potential and their environment.
evolutionary psychology
study of behavior and the mind incorporating principals of natural selection
psychodynamic approach
Freud, unconscious that psychologists figure out
Behavioralism
pavlov, tangible, operant and classical
classical conditioning
a type of learning in which one learns to link two or more stimuli and anticipate events
operant conditioning
a type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher
Cognitive Approach
flexible thoughts; An approach to psychology emphasizing the mental processes involved in knowing: how we direct our attention, perceive, remember, think, and solve problems.
Biological Approach
mind is what the brain does
humanistic approach
how people are unique and special
Sociocultural Approach
what the cultures have taught us
operational definitions
exact descriptions of how various operations of the experiment were conducted and labeled
Types of research methods
experiments, correlational, survey, naturalistic observation, case studies, longitudinal studies, cross sectional studies
population
all the people that you are studying in your research who are your target group
sampling bias
when sampling is flawed because it is not representative of the population
critical thinking
thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions, assesses the source, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions.
correlation
a measure of the extent to which two variables change together, and thus of how well either variable predicts the other.
correlation coefficient
a statistical index of the relationship between two variable i.e. a statistical measure of the strength of the relationship between the relative movements of two variables.
experimental group vs. control group
EXPERIMENTAL GROUP is the group receiving the independent variable
CONTROL GROUP does not receive anything, in order to act as a comparison
double-blind procedure
an experimental procedure in which both the research participants and the research staff are ignorant (blind) about whether the research participants have received the treatment or a 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 experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied.
confounding variable
a factor other than the independent variable that might produce an effect in an experiment
dependent variable
The outcome factor; the variable that may change in response to manipulations of the independent variable.
Things College Board wants you to know
Experiments are useful for determining cause and effect. The use of experimental controls reduces alternative explanations. Random assignment is needed to demonstrate cause and effect. Correlational research can indicate if there is a relationship or association between two variables but cannot demonstrate cause and effect
Validity
the extent to which a test measures or predicts what it is supposed to
statistical significance
a statistical statement of how likely it is that an obtained result occurred by chance. When sample averages are reliable, and when the difference between them is relatively large, we say the difference has statistical significance.
the domains
biological, clinical, cognitive, counseling, developmental, educational, organizational/industrial, personality, psychometric, social, positive
