Psych Unit 0

What is the biological perspective (neuroscience)?

The perspective emphasizes the influence of genetics, brain structures, and neurochemistry on behavior and mental processes.

What is the evolutionary perspective?

The evolutionary perspective in psychology examines how evolutionary principles, such as natural selection, influence behavior and mental processes.

What is the psychodynamic perspective?

The psychodynamic perspective focuses on the influence of unconscious processes and early life experiences on behavior and personality.

What is the humanistic perspective?

emphasizes individual potential and stresses the importance of personal growth and self-actualization.

What is the biopsychosocial perspective?

This perspective systematically considers biological, psychological, and social factors and their complex interactions in understanding health, illness, and health care delivery.

What is hindsight bias?

The tendency to believe, after learning the outcome, that one would have foreseen it (knew it all along).

What is confirmation bias?

The tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one’s existing beliefs or theories.

What is overconfidence?

The tendency to overestimate your knowledge and/or ability.

What is the wording effect?

The wording effect refers to how the phrasing of questions can influence and skew the responses received.

What is sampling bias?

occurs when researchers target participants to increase the likelihood of proving their hypothesis, or fail to properly gather a representative sample, leading to skewed results.

What is social-desirability bias?

Social-desirability bias is the tendency for people to provide dishonest answers in order to seek approval or highlight their character strengths.

What is self-report bias?

s occurs when participants try to affect the outcome of the research and/or are unrealistic about themselves.

What is experimental bias?

Experimental bias occurs when a researcher only notes aspects of the experiment that support their hypothesis, ignoring anything that could challenge it.

What is a random sample?

When each person in the sampling group has an equal chance of being selected.

What is convenience sampling?

When researchers use the people they have easiest access to.

What is a representative sample?

A sample from a larger group that accurately represents the traits of a larger population.

What is a dependent variable?

The variable that’s not getting manipulated.

What is the experimental group?

The group that’s receiving manipulating variables.

What is the control group?

The group that’s not receiving manipulating variables.

What is random assignment?

Participants have an equal chance of being in the experiment or control group to help the researcher control or overcome other relevant factors.

What is the Placebo Effect?

Experimental results caused by expectations alone (i.e. the participants acts or claims to feel a certain way because they think they have received a drug that would cause that reaction)

What is experimental bias?

Researcher only notes aspects of the experiment that support their hypothesis, ignoring anything that could challenge their hypothesis.

Validity

The extent to which a test or experiment measures or predicts what it intends to

The Bystander effect

when the presence of others discourages an individual from intervening in an emergency situation

Attribution Theory

how people decide whether behavior is caused by their personality or situation

Effect size

Measures the magnitude or strength of the relationship between variables or the difference between groups

Social facilitation

when people think they’re working together, they work better and longer, and enjoy it more.

Groupthink

the desire for harmony or conformity in a group leads to irrational or dysfunctional decision making outcomes