IB HL Psychology Semester 1 Exam Review

Behavioral Approach to Behavior

a perspective that focuses on observable behaviors and proposes that all actions are acquired through learning and interaction with the environment

Cognitive Approach to Behavior

views humans as information processors, focuses on internal mental processes, explaining behavior through how we encode, store, and retrieve information

Sociocultural Approach to Behavior

focusing on how group norms, values, social roles, and interactions influence individual thoughts, feelings, and actions

Theory

logically organized set of ideas or proposition that aims to explain, describe, and predict

Fixed mindset

people who believe that abilities are innate and unchangeable, leading them to avoid challenges and fear failure

Growth Mindset

people who see intelligence and skills as qualities that can developed through effort, persistence, and learning from mistakes

Aim

the overall purpose of the study

population

the entire group of individuals that a researcher is interested in studying and whose behavior they wish to investigate

Procedure

the step-by-step accounts of how a study was conducted which includes the methods used to gather and test the hypothesis

Results

the primary focus of any research study as they provide the objective evidence as they provide the objective evidence necessary to support psychological theories and explanations

Findings

the observed results or outcomes from a research study

Representative Sample

a sample that reflects the diversity of a population

Opportunity Sampling

selecting participants based on their availability

Self-selected sample

participants choose to participate in a study through responding to an advertisement

Snowball Sampling

when participants recruit other participants from among their friends and acquaintances

Random Sampling

where every member of the target population has an equal chance of being selected

Stratified Sampling

drawing random samples from each subpopulation within the target population

APA Guidelines for Humans

play key roles in creating ethical standards for psychology research to ensure respect is maintained for the participant's rights and well-being

Field Experiment

when we do studies out of the laboratory in the "real world"

True Experiment

randomly allocates participants to conditions

Quasi Experiment

participants not randomly allocated and are grouped based on a trait or behavior

Correlation

measures the extent to which pairs of related values of two variables tend to change together or co-vary

Longitudinal Study

research method in which the same group of participants is observed and repeatedly measured over an extended period of time

Cross Sectional Study

an observational research method that involves collecting data from a diverse population at a single specific point in time

internal validity

how sure you can be that the manipulation of the IV caused the change in the DV.

Construct Validity

how well your test actually represents the variable you're trying to study

External Validity

the level at which we can generalize our finding outside the experiment

Population Validity

when a study is not representative of the population that it is drawn from

Ecological Validity

the degree to which research findings can be generalized to real-life settings

IV

variable that causes a change in the other variable, the one being manipulated

DV

variable that is measured after the manipulation of the independent variable

Operational Definitions

a description of how a variable will be observed and measured in a certain study

Control Condition

baseline condition used in an experiment where the independent variable (IV) is absent or help constant

Experimental Condition

one or more of the situations or groups within an experiment that represents a specific level of the independent variable (IV) being manipulated by the researcher

Hypothesis

predicts how the independent variable will affect the dependent variable

Double-Blind Study

type of experimental design where both the researcher and the participants are unaware of certain critical details

Positive Correlation

when both variables are affected in the same way

Negative Correlation

when one variable increases, the other decreases

Participant Variables

limitations to a study when the characteristics of the sample affect the dependent variable

Expectancy Effects

When a participant figures out the aim of a study and tries to help the research to support the hypothesis

Confounding Variables

an external factor that that is not accounted for in the study that can influence the IV and DV

Researcher Bias

Bias that occurs when a researcher's beliefs expectations, or preferences consciously

Triangulation

a way of cross checking information and conclusions in research