Psychology Study Guide Quiz #1 Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering introductory psychology concepts, research methods, psychological perspectives, and basic neurobiology.

Behaviorism

An approach in psychology focused on observing and controlling behavior, early studied by Ivan Pavlov, John B. Watson, and B.F. Skinner.

Gestalt

A psychological approach meaning 'the form in its whole,' credited to Koffka, Kohler, and Wertheimer, emphasizing that we perceive things as a whole rather than just their parts.

Humanism

A psychological perspective emphasizing that there is innate good in every human, championed by Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow.

Self-Actualization

A process proposed by Abraham Maslow by which individuals reach their full potential once basic survival needs are met.

Client-Centered Therapy

A therapeutic approach developed by Carl Rogers based on three main components: empathy, genuineness, and unconditional positive regard.

Hierarchy of Human Needs

Abraham Maslow's theory proposing that basic survival needs must be satisfied before higher-level social and fulfillment needs motivate behavior.

Scientific Method

A structured process used to acquire knowledge where researchers propose hypotheses to explain how or why phenomena occur.

Deductive Reasoning

A form of reasoning within the scientific method where ideas and theories are tested out in the real world.

Inductive Reasoning

A form of reasoning within the scientific method where real-world observations lead to new ideas and theories.

Hypothesis

A tentative, testable prediction proposed by a researcher about how or why something happens, which must be perceivable and measurable.

Introspection

A process used by Wilhelm Wundt and William James where someone examines their own conscious experience as objectively as possible to break cognitive experience into component parts.

Psychoanalytic Theory

Sigmund Freud's theory focusing on the role of early childhood experiences and the unconscious mind, which can be accessed through dreams and slip-ups.

Operant Conditioning

A learning process best known through B.F. Skinner and his Skinner Box, where a stimulus or consequence (reward or punishment) occurs after a behavior.

Classical Conditioning

A learning process best known through Ivan Pavlov, in which an organism is conditioned to produce a responsive stimulus to a different stimulus.

Developmental Psychology

The scientific study of development across a lifespan, focusing on physical maturation and changes in cognitive, physical, and social abilities.

Independent Variable

The variable in an experiment that is manipulated or controlled by the experimenter.

Dependent Variable

The variable in an experiment that is measured by the experimenter and depends on the independent variable.

Confounding Variable

An outside variable that affects both variables of interest, falsely suggesting that one variable directly causes changes in the other.

Theory

A broad, well-developed set of ideas that provides an explanation for observed natural phenomena and is consistently supported by evidence over time.

Single-Blind Study

An experimental design in which participants are unaware of whether they are in the control or experimental group, while the researcher knows.

Double-Blind Study

An experimental design in which both the participants and the researchers are unaware of group assignments, helping eliminate the placebo effect.

Placebo Effect

A phenomenon where individuals' expectations or beliefs influence their experience or outcomes in a given situation.

Attrition

The reduction in the number of research participants over time due to individuals dropping out of a study.

Inter-Rater Reliability

A measure of consistency assessing the degree to which two or more independent observers agree on what has been observed.

Validity

The extent to which a tool or instrument correctly measures what it is intended to measure.

Replication

The process of repeating research studies to verify original findings, where success reinforces confidence and failure casts doubt.

Correlation

A relationship between two or more variables that shows how they change together, though it does not imply cause and effect.

Scatter Plot

A graphical view of correlation where a stronger correlation is displayed as a straighter line of data points.

Correlational Coefficient

A statistic represented by the letter r, ranging from -1 to +1, that measures the strength and direction of the relationship between variables.

Evolutionary Psychology

A field of psychology seeking to study the ultimate biological causes of behavior and how universal behavioral and cognitive patterns evolved over time.

Chromosomes

Long strings of DNA containing genes that control visible traits, with human egg and sperm cells each containing 23 chromosomes.

Synapse

A structure that allows neurons to exchange chemical signals with another cell nearby.

Action Potential

An electrical signal that travels down a neuron's axon when the threshold of excitation is reached, operating on an all-or-none principle as sodium enters the cell.

Serotonin

A neurotransmitter involved in mood and sleep that modulates mood and suppresses appetite, with reduced levels linked to depression.

GABA

A neurotransmitter involved in brain function and sleep that decreases anxiety and decreases tension.

SSRI

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor; a class of medications (such as Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft) that treats depression by blocking serotonin reuptake to increase its interaction time with receptors.

Temporal Lobe

A brain structure located on the side of the head associated with hearing, memory, emotion, and language processing.

Auditory Cortex

A structure located in the temporal lobe responsible for processing auditory information.

Wernicke's Area

A region located in the temporal lobe that is important for speech comprehension.