Psychology: Definitions, Theories, and Research

What is psychology?

The study of the human mind and behavior.

What is clinical psychology?

A psychological issue where someone goes to another person to help with the issue.

What is experimental psychology?

Scientific research to better understand psychology.

Who is G. Stanley Hall?

He opened the first psych lab in the US at John Hopkins and founded the American Psychological Association.

Who is Margaret Floy Washburn?

She was the first woman to be granted a degree in psychology.

Who is Francis Cecil Sumner?

He was the first black man to get a doctorate in psychology and became chair of psychology at Howard University.

What is biopsychosocial?

It is an approach that seeks to understand psychology by considering biological, psychological, and social components.

What is the difference between clinical, counseling, and community psychology?

Clinical psychologists assess and treat people with psychological disorders, counseling psychologists help people who are experiencing issues in daily life but do not have a psychological disorder, and community psychologists work to create social and physical environments that promote healthy psychology.

What is psychiatry?

It is the branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of psychological disorders using medication.

What is nativism?

The belief that we are born with knowledge.

What is philosophical empiricism?

The belief that all of our knowledge is gained through experience.

What is the difference between nativism and empiricism?

Nativism emphasizes nature (born with knowledge) while empiricism emphasizes nurture (knowledge gained through experience).

What were some early theories in psychology?

Nativism (Plato) and Philosophical Empiricism (Aristotle) were early theories.

What were some common beliefs about psychology in the past?

Demons were thought to cause most psychological issues, leading to practices such as exorcisms and trephinations (drilling holes in the skull).

What is the biologic approach?

It is the belief that different organs hold different elements of psychology, and treating the organs rather than the symptoms is necessary.

What was John Locke's view on psychology?

He believed that humans are born as a blank slate.

How was witchcraft used in the treatment of psychological disorders?

Witchcraft was sometimes used as a treatment for psychological disorders, along with the use of asylums.

What is phrenology?

Examining bumps and divots on the skull to determine psychology.

What did Weber and Fechner study?

Difference between perception and reality.

What is the focus of Gestalt psychology?

Sensation, perception, and illusions.

What is the goal of structuralism?

Understanding the structure of consciousness.

Who is considered the father of psychology as a science?

Wilhelm Wundt.

What is the main idea behind functionalism?

Focus on the function of consciousness.

Who is known as the father of functionalism?

William James.

What was Freud's contribution to psychology?

Shifted focus to the unconscious mind and dark impulses.

What is the main focus of behaviorism?

Observable actions and their causes.

What is the main idea behind humanism?

Belief in the capacity for good in all humans.

What is the main focus of cognitive psychology?

Internal processes and their impact on behavior.

Who combined behaviorism and cognitive psychology?

Kurt Lewin.

What did Weber and Fechner want to understand?

Difference between perception and reality.

What is the main focus of Gestalt psychology?

Sensation, perception, and illusions.

What is the goal of structuralism?

Understanding the structure of consciousness.

Who is considered the father of psychology as a science?

Wilhelm Wundt.

What is the main idea behind functionalism?

Focus on the function of consciousness.

Who is known as the father of functionalism?

William James.

What was Freud's contribution to psychology?

Shifted focus to the unconscious mind and dark impulses.

What is the main focus of behaviorism?

Observable actions and their causes.

What is the main idea behind humanism?

Belief in the capacity for good in all humans.

What is the main focus of cognitive psychology?

Internal processes and their impact on behavior.

Who combined behaviorism and cognitive psychology?

Kurt Lewin.

What is social psychology?

The impact that real or imagined others have on our behavior and cognition.

What is evolutionary psychology?

Focuses on how mind and behavior are adaptive, and why we are attracted to some and not others based on our ancestors.

What is cultural psychology?

The study of how our culture shapes and affects our psychology and psychological processes.

What is educational psychology?

The study of how to support learning.

What is industrial/organizational psychology?

Focuses on businesses and organizations, and how to apply psychology to make them more productive.

What is forensic psychology?

The use of psychological principles to make the justice system more just and effective.

What does it mean for psychology to be empirical?

Psychology is an empirical science based on research and evidence.

What does it mean for psychology to be theoretically diverse?

Psychology has multiple theories that explain the same phenomenon.

What is sociohistorical evolution in psychology?

The way psychology interacts with historical and sociological elements.

What is multiple causality in psychology?

The idea that multiple factors can contribute to a phenomenon.

Why does cultural heritage matter in psychology?

Different people may have different psychological processes based on their cultural background.

What is the nature and nurture debate in psychology?

The idea that both genetics (nature) and environment (nurture) contribute to psychology.

What is subjectivity in psychology?

The subjective interpretation of ambiguous terms can lead to different results.

What is a basic approach in psychology?

Focuses on theory and understanding psychological phenomena.

What is an applied approach in psychology?

Using psychology to change something in the real world.

What is reciprocal determinism?

The idea that I influence you and you influence me, and this awareness is important in understanding behaviors and cognitions.

What is skepticism in psychology?

The belief that we can't blindly believe everything we see, and that we need to ask questions and conduct research to understand.

What is naïve realism?

The belief that the world is exactly how you see it, without considering other perspectives.

What is peer review?

Process of having research reviewed by others before sharing

What is the scientific method?

Process of observing, formulating hypotheses, testing, analyzing, and reporting

What is hindsight bias?

Assuming you knew the conclusion all along

What is overconfidence?

Having more faith in oneself than warranted

What is perceiving patterns?

Seeing patterns that may not actually exist

What is a hypothesis?

Testable statement that guides research

What is an independent variable?

Variable controlled by the researcher that is believed to cause a change

What are levels in relation to independent variables?

Different changes or exposures to the test subject

What is a dependent variable?

Variable where change is expected and measured by the experimenter

What is an operational definition?

Defining an abstract concept in observable and measurable terms

What is replication in research?

Repeating a study to show consistent results

What is experimental research?

Research that involves manipulating variables to determine cause and effect

What is correlational research?

Research that examines the relationship between variables without manipulating them

What is descriptive research?

Research that aims to describe and understand a phenomenon

What is cross-sectional research?

Research that compares different groups at the same time

What is longitudinal research?

Research that follows the same group over an extended period of time

What is qualitative research?

Research that focuses on understanding experiences and meanings

What is quantitative research?

Research that focuses on numerical data and statistical analysis

What is a control group?

Group in an experiment that does not receive the independent variable

What is an experiment?

Manipulating an independent variable to see a change in the dependent variable.

Why is random assignment important in experiments?

To spread out randomness and ensure unbiased results.

What are quasi-experiments?

Experiments where an independent variable of interest cannot be manipulated.

Give an example of a quasi-experiment.

Gender or age as independent variables.

What is cross-sectional research?

Research interested in age, either by testing participants at different ages or testing different age groups at the same time.

What is naturalistic observation?

Gathering data by observing participants in their natural environment unobtrusively.

What is a survey?

A data collection method where participants are given a list of questions to answer.

What is between-subjects design?

Exposing participants to one level of the independent variable, typically requiring more participants but less time.

What is within-subjects design?

Exposing participants to each level of the independent variable, requiring fewer participants but more time.

Give an example of within-subjects design.

Testing participants in a blue room and a red room to compare their responses.

What is an independent variable (IV)?

The variable that is manipulated in an experiment.

What is a dependent variable (DV)?

The variable that is measured or observed in an experiment.

What type of research is Gary conducting?

Gary is conducting a study on the effects of alcohol on socialization.

What is reliability in research?

Consistency in test scores for the same participant across different times.

What is validity in research?

Ensuring that the concept being measured is accurately measured.

What is internal validity?

The extent to which a researcher has control over their experiment and can confidently say that the independent variable caused a change in the dependent variable.

What is external validity?

The extent to which a study reflects real-world conditions.

Give an example of a research method with high external validity.

Naturalistic observation.

What is the relationship between reliability and validity?

Reliability is necessary for validity, but reliability alone does not guarantee validity.

What is a sample?

Participants who actually participate in your study, should be representative of population

What is a population?

Who your study is relevant to

What are WEIRD samples?

People from Western culture, educated culture, industrialized culture, rich culture, democratically run culture

What is self-selection?

Participant who chooses to participate in study is different from participant who chooses not to participate in study, can cause differences in results