Introduction to Psychology

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts from psychology, including definitions and methodologies that are foundational to the study of psychology.

Psychology

The scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

Goals of Psychology

Description, Explanation, Prediction, Control.

Description (in psychology)

Observing a behavior and noting everything about it.

Theory

A general explanation for a set of observations or facts.

Behavioral Psychology

Focus on observable behavior; emphasizes that all behaviors are learned.

Freud's Psychoanalysis

Theory and therapy focused on the unconscious mind and early childhood experiences.

Unconscious mind

A part of your mind that you cannot access, influential in who we are.

Structuralism

Establishes psychology as a science by focusing on systematic study of the mind's elements.

Functionalism

Focus on how the mind allows people to adapt, live, work, and play.

Gestalt Psychology

Focus on perception and sensation, emphasizing that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Scientific Method

A system for reducing bias and error in the measurement of data.

Naturalistic Observation

Watching animals or people in their natural environments without interference.

Correlation

A measure of the relationship between two variables.

Independent Variable (IV)

Variable that is manipulated in an experiment.

Dependent Variable (DV)

Variable that represents the measurable response of participants.

Placebo Effect

Expectations and biases of participants that can affect their behavior.

Double-Blind Study

Neither the participants nor the researchers know who is in the experimental or control group.