Unit 1 - Psych

Psychodynamic Perspective

Explores how unconscious drives, conflicts, and childhood experiences shape behavior.

Biological Perspective

Studies the physiological bases of behavior in humans and animals.

Behavioral Perspective

Focuses on observable behaviors and the ways they’re learned through interaction with the environment.

Evolutionary Perspective

Considers how behavior and mental processes serve as adaptations for survival and reproduction.

Humanistic Perspective

Emphasizes personal growth, free will, and the concept of self-actualization.

Sociocultural Perspective

Analyzes how culture, social norms, and social environments influence behavior.

Cognitive Perspective

Examines internal mental processes such as thinking, memory, and problem-solving.

Biopsychosocial Perspective

Combines biological, psychological, and social factors to provide a comprehensive understanding of human behavior.

Psychology

The scientific study of mental processes and behavior.

Mental Processes

Refers to thinking parts of our brain—cognitive functions we can't see from the outside.

Behavior

Actions or things people do that can be observed.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to look for, interpret, or remember information that confirms existing beliefs.

Hindsight Bias

Believing after an event that one knew it was going to happen, even without previous prediction.

Overconfidence

Having more confidence in one's own judgments or abilities than is objectively justified.

Empirical Evidence

Information obtained through observation, experimentation, or measurement.

Scientific Method

A systematic approach involving making observations, forming hypotheses, conducting experiments, collecting/analyzing data, and drawing conclusions.

Hypothesis

A specific, testable prediction about the relationship between variables in a research study.

Falsifiable

A hypothesis is falsifiable if it can potentially be proven false via observation or experiment.

Peer Review

The evaluation of research articles and studies by experts before publication.

Replication

Repeating a study to confirm its results.

Reliability

Producing consistent results when repeated under similar conditions.

Validity

The degree to which a study or tool measures what it claims to measure.

American Psychological Association (APA)

The leading professional organization for psychologists in the US.

Research Design

Overall plan or strategy for conducting research to answer specific questions.

Methodology

Specific procedures and techniques used to collect and analyze data during research.

Quantitative Data

Numerical data gathered to understand patterns and relationships.

Qualitative Data

Non-numerical data providing deep insights, often via interviews or observation.

Likert Scales

Measurement tools asking participants to indicate agreement/disagreement on a scale, often used in surveys.

Structured Interviews

All participants are asked the same predetermined questions in the same order.

Survey Technique

Data collection via self-report measures (could be open or closed questions).

Wording Effect

Subtle changes in question phrasing can influence how participants interpret and respond.

Social Desirability Bias

Responding in ways that are viewed favorably by others rather than with full honesty.

Naturalistic Observation

Observing and recording behaviors in real-world settings without intervention.

Case Study

An in-depth study of a single individual, group, or phenomenon.

Correlational Research

Examining the relationship between two or more variables without manipulation.

Third Variable Problem

The possibility that an unmeasured third variable is influencing the relationship between the studied variables.

Scatterplot

A visual graph for displaying the relationship between two variables.

Correlation Coefficient

A statistic expressing the strength and direction of a relationship between two variables, ranging from -1 to 1.

Positive Correlation

As one variable increases, so does the other.

Negative Correlation

As one variable increases, the other decreases.

Experimental Method

A research technique to investigate cause-and-effect by manipulating one variable to see its effect on another.

Independent Variable

The factor the researcher changes or manipulates in the experiment to see if it causes changes in behavior or outcomes.

Dependent Variable

The factor measured for change in an experiment, expected to be affected by the independent variable.

Confounding Variable

Any variable not accounted for or controlled but still affects results, distorting the conclusion about the independent variable's effect.

Operational Definition

Specific explanation of how a variable will be measured or defined in a study.

Experimental Group

Participants exposed to the independent variable; the group that receives the treatment or change.

Control Group

Participants not exposed to the independent variable; serves as a baseline for comparison.

Random Assignment

A method ensuring each participant has an equal chance to be assigned to any group, minimizing bias.

Placebo Effect

Participants experience improvement purely because they believe they are receiving a benefit, not due to an actual treatment.

Experimenter Bias

Researcher expectations or beliefs influence the outcome, even unintentionally.

Single-Blind Study

Participants do not know their group (control or experimental), but researchers do.

Double-Blind Study

Neither participants nor researchers know who is in which group, reducing bias on both sides.

Sample

A subset of individuals from a population in a study.

Convenience Sampling

Selecting participants who are easily accessible, which may not be representative.

Representative Sample

A small group mirroring the demographics and characteristics of the whole population.

Random Sample

All individuals in the population have an equal chance of being selected.

Sample Bias

A sample that's not representative, which can lead to inaccurate results.

Generalizability

The extent to which results from a sample can be applied to a larger population.

Statistics

The process of analyzing and making sense of large data sets.

Descriptive Statistics

Numerical measures that summarize/describe the dataset characteristics.

Inferential Statistics

Drawing conclusions and making predictions about a population from sample data.

Mean

The average value in a dataset.

Median

The middle value when all data points are ordered.

Mode

The value that occurs most frequently in a dataset.

Range

Difference between the highest and lowest in data.

Standard Deviation

Measures variability—how spread out data is from the mean.

Normal Curve

Most data is near the average; fewer values at extremes, forming a bell-shaped curve.

Regression to the Mean

Extreme results tend to get closer to the average upon retesting.

Positive Skew

Distribution where most values are lower, with a few unusually high values.

Negative Skew

Distribution where most values are higher, with a few unusually low values.

Percentile Rank

The percentage of scores below a specific score.

Bimodal Distribution

Data with two distinct peaks or frequently occurring values.

Statistical Significance

Measures whether results are likely due to chance (often determined by a p-value below 0.05).

Effect Size

Indicates the magnitude of a relationship or outcome in an experiment.

Meta Analysis

Statistical analysis joining data from multiple studies on the same topic to draw broader conclusions.

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

Committees that review and approve research to ensure ethical standards and participant safety.

Protect Participants from Harm

Ethical duty of researchers to minimize risks and safeguard participants' well-being.

Informed Consent

Participants agree to take part after being told research details, risks, and their rights.

Informed Assent

Informs and obtains agreement from participants unable to legally consent (e.g., minors).

Confidentiality

Obligation of keeping participants' data private and secure.

Deception

Deliberate misleading of participants about aspects of the study, used only when justified and followed by debriefing.

Confederates

People working with the researcher, acting as participants to influence the experiment.

Debriefing

Informing subjects about the study’s purpose and methods after their participation, especially if deception was used.

Article Analysis Question (AAQ)

A question that requires analyzing and evaluating information in a scientific article.

Evidence-Based Question (EBQ)

A question that asks for claims to be backed up with empirical evidence.

Defensible Claim

A conclusion or statement supported with sound reasoning and evidence.