Psychology Slide Show

Psychology

The scientific study of human behavior and mental processes[cite: 3]

Human Behavior

Observable physical actions, emotional responses, social interactions, and learned behaviors of individuals or groups[cite: 3]

Mental Processes

Internal, non-observable mind operations like cognition, emotion, perception, and motivation[cite: 3]

Goals of Psychology

Describe, explain, predict, and change human thought and behavior[cite: 3]

Empirical Evidence

Observable and measurable data gathered through experiments, surveys, and case studies[cite: 3]

Scientific Attitude

Consists of curiosity, skepticism, and humility to guide objective research[cite: 3]

Curiosity

Drive to explore and question human behavior and mental processes[cite: 3]

Skepticism

Questioning claims without automatic acceptance and requiring evidence[cite: 3]

Humility

Willingness to acknowledge errors and accept findings counter to original beliefs[cite: 3]

Critical Thinking

Process of examining assumptions, evaluating evidence, assessing credibility, and identifying hidden biases[cite: 3]

Ethics in Psychological Research

Moral guidelines protecting participant dignity, safety, and well-being[cite: 1]

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

Committee reviewing human research proposals for safety, consent, and risk minimization[cite: 1]

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)

Committee reviewing animal research to minimize pain and ensure welfare[cite: 1]

Informed Consent

Full disclosure of study details, risks, and benefits provided to adult participants before agreement[cite: 1]

Informed Assent

Agreement obtained from minors or individuals with diminished capacity alongside guardian consent[cite: 1]

Protection from Harm

Minimizing physical and psychological risks to research participants[cite: 1]

Right to Withdraw

Participant privilege to exit a study at any point without penalty[cite: 1]

Confidentiality

Protecting participant identity by keeping personal data private and secure[cite: 1]

Anonymity

Data collection method where no identifying information can trace back to participants[cite: 1]

Deception

Misleading participants to maintain study realism or prevent demand characteristics[cite: 1]

Debriefing

Full post-study explanation revealing true research aims, procedures, and any deception used[cite: 1]

Research Confederates

Individuals posing as regular participants who are actually part of the research team[cite: 1]

Longitudinal Study

Research design observing the same participants over an extended timeframe[cite: 1]

Cross-Sectional Study

Observational study analyzing data from a population sample at one single point in time[cite: 1]

Cohort-Sequential Study

Research design combining longitudinal and cross-sectional methods across multiple age cohorts[cite: 1]

Non-Experimental Methodology

Research observing and measuring variables without manipulation, showing correlation rather than causation[cite: 4]

Experimental Methodology

Method manipulating independent variables to observe effects on dependent variables and establish cause-and-effect[cite: 4]

Independent Variable (IV)

The factor in an experiment that researchers deliberately manipulate[cite: 4]

Dependent Variable (DV)

The outcome factor measured to see changes caused by the independent variable[cite: 4]

Experimental Group

The cohort exposed to the active treatment or independent variable manipulation[cite: 4]

Control Group

The comparison group kept baseline without active treatment to evaluate intervention effects[cite: 4]

Confounding Variable

Uncontrolled external variable that creates unexpected noise or skews research conclusions[cite: 4]

Random Assignment

Assigning participants to experimental or control groups by chance to minimize pre-existing baseline differences[cite: 4]

Single-Blind Procedure

Study design where participants are kept unaware of their assigned treatment group[cite: 4]

Double-Blind Procedure

Study design where neither participants nor researchers know group assignments to prevent bias[cite: 4]

Placebo

Inactive, harmless substance given to control groups in medical or psychological trials[cite: 4]

Placebo Effect

Observed behavioral or psychological change driven solely by participant expectations[cite: 4]

Correlation

Statistical relationship showing how two variables vary alongside one another[cite: 4]

Positive Correlation

Relationship where two variables increase or decrease in the same direction simultaneously[cite: 4]

Negative Correlation

Inverse relationship where one variable increases while the other decreases[cite: 4]

Correlation Coefficient (r)

Numerical value from -1.00 to +1.00 denoting relationship strength and direction[cite: 4]

Scatterplot

Graph mapping paired data points to show correlation direction and strength[cite: 4]

Illusory Correlation

Perceiving a statistical relationship between variables where no real connection exists[cite: 4]

Regression Toward the Mean

Natural tendency for extreme score measurements to fall back toward the population average[cite: 4]

Descriptive Statistics

Quantitative metrics used to summarize, organize, and describe sample dataset features[cite: 2]

Inferential Statistics

Statistical analysis testing hypotheses to generalize sample outcomes to broader populations[cite: 2]

Qualitative Data

Non-numerical narrative observations such as interview transcripts or sensory descriptions[cite: 2]

Quantitative Data

Numerical values and measurable data points such as test scores or height[cite: 2]

Likert Scale

Quantitative psychometric rating scale assessing degrees of agreement or disagreement[cite: 2]

Mean

The arithmetic average calculated by summing scores and dividing by total frequency[cite: 2]

Median

The middle value dividing an ordered score distribution directly in half[cite: 2]

Mode

The single most frequently occurring value in a data set[cite: 2]

Range

Distance between highest and lowest values calculated via subtraction[cite: 2]

Standard Deviation

Measure quantifying average distance of individual scores away from dataset mean[cite: 2]

Normal Curve

Symmetrical bell-shaped score distribution curve where mean, median, and mode coincide at center[cite: 2]

Empirical Rule (68-95-99.7)

Empirical distribution law showing 68%, 95%, and 99.7% of scores fall within 1, 2, and 3 standard deviations[cite: 2]

Percentile Rank

Percentage of scores in a distribution scoring equal to or below a given metric[cite: 2]

Positive Skew (Right-Skewed)

Asymmetrical distribution tail extending rightward where Mean > Median > Mode[cite: 2]

Negative Skew (Left-Skewed)

Asymmetrical distribution tail extending leftward where Mean < Median < Mode[cite: 2]

Bimodal Distribution

Score distribution exhibiting two distinct frequency peaks representing combined groups[cite: 2]

Statistical Significance (p-value)

Likelihood that experimental results happened by chance, with target standard p < 0.05[cite: 2]

Effect Size

Metric quantifying the relative strength or magnitude of an experimental effect[cite: 2]