Unit 1: Scientific Foundations of Psychology

Structuralism

An early psychological approach that focused on breaking down the mind into its basic elements to understand its functions, emphasizing introspection.

Functionalism

A psychological approach that aimed to understand how the conscious mind is related to behavior, focusing on how the mind affects actions.

Early Behaviorism

The study of observable events to explain behavior, shifting psychology towards a science-based approach.

Gestalt Psychology

Emphasizes that the whole is different from the sum of its parts, looking at the mind and behavior as a whole.

Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic Approach

Focuses on the unconscious mind and past experiences to determine behavior, pioneered by Sigmund Freud.

Biological Perspective

Examines psychological issues by studying the physical basis for behavior, including the brain, immune system, and genetics.

Cognitive Approach

Focuses on how thought processes influence behavior, emphasizing the impact of cognitive processes on actions.

Biopsychosocial Perspective

Considers biological, psychological, and social factors in understanding health and illness.

Clinical Psychology

Branch focused on diagnosing and treating mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders.

Developmental Psychology

Studies changes in social, physical, and cognitive aspects throughout the lifespan, from infancy to old age.

Conformity

Adjusting behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard or expectation.

Correlational Studies

Research measuring how two variables relate without manipulating them.

Survey Research

Data collection method involving asking a large number of participants questions.

Naturalistic Observation

Observing behavior in a natural setting without intervention.

Case Studies

Detailed investigations into individuals or small groups providing qualitative data.

Phineas Gage

Railroad foreman with a brain injury showing frontal lobes' impact on behavior.

Adderall

Medication for ADHD and narcolepsy containing amphetamine and dextroamphetamine.

Association

Connection between thoughts, feelings, or experiences leading to recall.

Cause and Effect

Relationship where one event or thing results from another.

Control Group

Set in an experiment not receiving treatment, used as a benchmark.

Experiments

Research method manipulating variables to observe effects.

Frontal Lobes

Brain areas involved in decision-making, problem-solving, and personality.

Generalize Results

Applying findings from a sample to larger populations.

Hawthorne Effect

Alteration of behavior due to awareness of being observed.

Naturalistic Observations

Observing behavior in a natural environment without interference.

Personality Change

Significant shift in established behavior patterns.

Realism

Acceptance of facts and reality without distortion.

Replicate

Repeating a study to observe basic findings.

Research Methods

Strategies used to collect and analyze data in psychology.

Hawthorne Effect

The alteration of behavior by study subjects due to being observed.

Hindsight Bias

The tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that it could have been predicted.

Hypothesis

An educated guess or proposition for research, testable and falsifiable.

Independent Variable

Factor manipulated in an experiment to observe its effect.

Operational Definitions

Describes how to measure a variable or term in research.

Overconfidence

Tendency to overestimate abilities, leading to decisions without considering risks.

Random Assignment

Method in experiments ensuring equal participant group placement.

Random Sample

Subset of individuals randomly selected from a population.

Sampling Bias

Occurs when some population members have lower sampling probability.

Scientific Method

Systematic procedure for conducting experiments and developing theories.

Descriptive Research Method

Observing and recording behavior without manipulating variables.

Correlational Research Method

Measuring and analyzing relationships between variables.

Negatively Skewed Distribution

A type of distribution where more data values fall to the right side of the graph, with the tail extending to the left towards smaller values.

Normal Distribution

A bell-shaped curve where most data falls near the mean, with frequencies decreasing away from it.

Statistical Significance

Refers to whether observed differences between groups are real or due to chance, often determined by p-values less than 0.05.

Measures of Central Tendency

Statistical indicators like mean, median, and mode that identify the center or average of a dataset.

Ethical Guidelines

Rules set by organizations like the APA to ensure research participants are protected from unethical practices.

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

An administrative body ensuring the protection of human research subjects in activities like biomedical and behavioral research.

Milgram Experiment

Psychological experiments by Stanley Milgram testing obedience to authority figures conflicting with personal conscience.

Protection from Harm or Discomfort

Ethical principle in psychology preventing physical or psychological harm to study participants.