Psych Unit 1

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Critical Thinking

Thinking that questions assumptions, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions.

Structuralism

Early school of thought using introspection to reveal the mind's structure.

Functionalism

Early school exploring how mental and behavioral processes help organisms adapt and survive.

Behaviorism

The view that psychology should be an objective science studying behavior without mental processes.

Humanistic Psychology

Perspective emphasizing human growth potential and the need for love and acceptance.

Cognitive Psychology

The scientific study of mental processes like perception, thought, and memory.

Cognitive Neuroscience

Study of the brain activity linked with cognition.

Psychology

The scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

Biopsychosocial Approach

Approach incorporating biological, psychological, and social

Culture

Shared behaviors, ideas, attitudes, and traditions transmitted across generations.

Nature Nurture issue

The debate regarding the relative influence of genetic inheritance (nature) and environmental factors (nurture) on human development and behavior.

Dual Processing

Principle that information is processed simultaneously on conscious and unconscious tracks.

Counseling Psychology

Branch assisting people with everyday life problems and well

Clinical Psychology

Branch that studies, assesses, and treats psychological disorders.

Psychiatry

Branch of medicine dealing with psychological disorders, practiced by physicians.

Community Psychology

Branch studying how people interact with their social environments.

Positive Psychology

Scientific study of human flourishing and promoting strengths.

Hindsight Bias

Tendency to believe, after an outcome, that one would have foreseen it.

Theory

An explanation using principles that organize observations and predict behaviors.

Hypothesis

A testable prediction.

Operational Definition

A precise statement of the exact procedures used in a research study.

Replication

Repeating a research study to see if findings extend to other circumstances.

Preregistration

Publicly communicating study plans before conducting research.

Case Study

In

Naturalistic Observation

Observing and recording behavior in natural situations without manipulation.

Survey

Technique to ascertain self

Population

All members in a group being studied, from which samples are drawn.

Random Sample

A sample where every population member has an equal chance of inclusion.

Correlation

Measure of how well two factors vary together and predict each other.

Experiment

Method where an investigator manipulates factors to observe effects on behavior/mental processes.

Random Assignment

Assigning participants to experimental and control groups by chance.

Experimental Group

The group exposed to the treatment (the independent variable).

Control Group

The group not exposed to the treatment, used for comparison.

Placebo

An inactive substance given instead of the real treatment.

Double Blind Study

A research design in which neither the participants nor the experimenters know which participants are in the control or experimental group, reducing bias.

Placebo Effect

Results caused by expectations alone.

Independent Variable

The factor being manipulated and studied in an experiment.

Confounding Variable

A factor other than the independent variable that might produce an effect.

Dependent Variable

The outcome factor that changes in response to the independent variable.

Informed Consent

Giving participants enough information to decide if they want to participate.

Debriefing

Post

Testing Effect

Enhanced memory after retrieving information rather than just rereading it.

SQ3R

Study method: Survey, Question, Read, Retrieve, Review.

Evolutionary Psychology

Study of behavior and mind evolution using natural selection principles.

Psychodynamic Psychology

Study of how unconscious drives and conflicts influence behavior.

Behavioral Psychology

Scientific study of observable behavior and its learning principles.

Biological Psychology

Scientific study of links between biological and psychological processes.

Socio-Cultural Psychology

is the study of how social interactions, cultural norms, and societal influences shape individual behavior and mental processes.

Mode

The most frequently occurring score(s) in a set of data.

Mean

The arithmetic average of a distribution.

Median

The exact middle score in a distribution.

Range

The difference between the highest and lowest scores.

Standard Deviation

Measure of how much scores vary around the mean.

Normal Curve

is a graphical representation of the probability distribution of a continuous random variable. It shows that most occurrences take place near the mean, with symmetrical tails on either side.

variable

Anything that can vary and is measurable.

Correlation Coefficient

Statistical index of the relationship between two things (

Illusory Correlation

Perceiving a relationship where none exists.

Regression toward the mean

Tendency for extreme scores to fall back toward the average.

Cross

Sectional Study

Longitudinal Study

Research retesting the same people over a long period of time.

Statistical Significance

Statement of how likely an obtained result occurred by chance.

Scatterplot

Graphed cluster of dots representing the values of two variables.