EPSCIE140 Week 1 – Introduction to Psychology (Video)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts from Week 1 lecture notes.

Psychology

The scientific study of human behavior, affect, and cognition using empirical methods.

Affect

Emotions or feelings that influence behavior and thought.

Cognition

Mental processes such as thinking, memory, perception, and problem‑solving.

Self-report

Asking people to report their thoughts, feelings, or behaviors, usually via surveys.

Social desirability bias

Tendency to give responses that are viewed favorably by others rather than truthful.

Physiological measures

Objective bodily measures (e.g., heart rate, blood pressure, brain activity) used to infer psychological states.

Observation

Watching behavior in natural settings to study how people act.

Operationalisation

Defining abstract variables in concrete, measurable terms to enable measurement.

Ethics

Moral principles guiding research and practice to protect participants and maintain integrity.

Beneficence

Promoting participants' wellbeing and welfare.

Nonmaleficence

Do no harm; avoiding harm to participants.

Informed consent

Active agreement to participate after being informed about the study and participants’ rights.

Information statement

Clear description of the study given to participants, including procedures and contacts.

Appropriate reimbursement

A small incentive to participate that is not coercive or excessive.

Appropriate sample size

Using a suitable number of participants to balance power, practicality, and ethics.

Milgram experiment

Controversial obedience study (1960s) where many participants administered shocks under authority, highlighting obedience and ethical concerns.

Case study

A detailed examination of a single case or study to illustrate concepts.

Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC)

University body that reviews research involving humans to protect participants and ensure ethics approval.

Transferable skills

Psychology skills (e.g., critical thinking, communication, research) useful in many fields.

Critical thinking

Systematic evaluation of information to reach well-supported conclusions.

Research skills (including statistics)

Abilities to design studies, collect data, and analyze results using statistics.

Specialties of psychology

Health, cognitive, forensic, social, cross-cultural, organizational, sports, neuropsychology, and research.

Evidence base

Empirical data and findings that support psychological theories and practice.

Pseudo-psychology

Systems of explaining behavior not supported by scientific evidence.