psyc review (all terms flashcards all chapters, test questions soon)

ad hoc immunizing hypothesis

escape hatch or loophole that defenders of a theory use to protect their theory from falsification

applied research

research examining how we can use basic research to solve real-world problems

basic research

research examining how the mind works

behaviourism

school of psychology that focuses on uncovering the general laws of learning by looking at observable behaviour

belief perseverance

tendency to stick to aur initial beliefs even when evidence contradicts them

cognitive neuroscience

relatively new field of psychology that examines the relation between brain functioning and thinking

cognitive psychology

school of psychology that proposes that thinking is central to understanding behaviour

confirmation bias

tendency to seek out evidence that supports our hypotheses and deny, dismiss, or distort evidence that contradicts them

correlation-causation fallacy

error of assuming that because one thing is associated with another, it must cause the ather

critical thinking

set of skills for evaluating all claims in an open-minded and careful fashion

evolutionary psychology

discipline that applies Darwin's theory of natural selection to human and animal behaviour

falsifiable

capable of being disproved

functionalism

school of psychology that aimed to understand the adaptive purposes of psychological characteristics

hypothesis

testable prediction derived from a scientific theory

individual differences

variations among people in their thinking, emotion, personality, and behaviour

introspection

method by which trained observers carefully reflect and report on their mental experiences

levels of analysis

rungs on a ladder of analysis, with lower levels tied most closely to biological influences and higher levels tied most closely to social Infiences

metaphysical claim

assertion about the world that is not testable

multiply determined

caused by many factors

naive realism

belief that we see the world precisely as it is

natural selection

principle that organisms that possess adaptations survive and reproduce at a higher rate than other organisms

patternicity

tendency to detect meaningful patterns in random stimuli

pseudoscience

set of claims that seems scientific but isn't

psychoanalysis

school of psychology, founded by Sigmund Freud, that focuses on internal psychological processes of which we're unaware

psychology

the scientific study of the mind, brain, and behaviour

replicability

when a study's findings are able to be duplicated, ideally by independent investigators

risky prediction

forecast that stands a good chance of being wrong

scientific skepticism

approach of evaluating all claims with an open mind but insisting on persuasive evidence before accepting them

scientific theory

explanation for a large number of findings in the natural world

structuralism

school of psychology that aimed to identify the basic elements of psychological experience

terror management theory

theory proposing that our awareness of our death leaves us with an underlying sense of terror we cope with by adopting reassuring cultural worldviews

variable

anything that can vary

base rate

how common a characteristic or behaviour is in the general population

between-subjects design

In an experiment, researchers assign different groups to the control or experimental condition

blind

being unaware of whether one is in the experimental or control group

case study

research design that examines one person or a small number of people in depth, aften over an extended time period

central tendency

measure of the "central scores in a dataset, or where the group tends to cluster

control group

in an experiment, the group of participants that doesn't receive the manipulation

correlational design

research design that examines the extent to which two variables are associated

demand characteristics

cues that participants pick up from a study that allow them to generate guesses regarding the researcher's hypothese

dependent variable

variable that an experimenter measures to see whether the manipulation has had an effect

descriptive statistics

numerical characterizations that describe data

double-blind

when neither researchers nor participants are aware of who's in the experimental or control group

existence proofs

demonstration that a given psychological phenomenon can occur

experiment

research design characterized by random assignment of participants to conditions and manipulation of an independent variable

experimental group

in an experiment, the group of participants that receives the manipulation

experimenter expectancy effect

phenomenon in which researchers' hypotheses lead them to unintentionally bias the outcome of a study

external validity

extent to which we can generalize findings to real-world settings

heuristic

mental shortcut or rule of thumb that helps us streamline our thinking and make sense of our world

illusory correlation

perception of a statistical association between two variables where none exists

Independent variable

variable that an experimenter manipulates

inferential statistics

mathematical methods that allow us to determine whether we can generalize findings from our sample to the full population

informed consent

informing research participants of what is involved in a study before asking them to participate

internal validity

extent to which we can draw cause-and-effect inferences from a study

mean

average; a measure of central tendency

median

middle score in a dataset, a measure of central tendency

meta-analysis

statistical method that helps researchers interpret large bodies of psychological literature

mode

mast frequent score in a datases; a measure of central tendency

naturalistic observation

watching behaviour in real-world settings without trying to manipulate the situation

operational definition

a working definition of what a researcher is measuring

placebo effect

Improvement resulting from the mere expectation of improvement

prefrontal lobotomy

surgical procedure that severs fibres connecting the frontal lobes of the brain from the underlying thalamus

random assignment

randomly sorting participants into groups

random selection

procedure that ensures every person in a population has an equal chance of being chosen to participate

range

difference between the highest and lowest scores; a measure of variability

reliability

consistency of measurement

response sets

tendency of research participants to distort their responses to quest ornate items

scatterplot

grouping of points on a two-dimensional graph in which each dot represents a single person's data

standard deviation

measure of variability that takes into account how far each data point is from the mean

statistics

application of mathematics to describing and analyzing data

validity

extent to which a measure assesses what it purports to measure

variability

measure of how loosely or tightly bunched scores are

within-subject design

in an experiment, each participant acts as their own control

Absolute Refractory Period

Time during which another action potential is impossible; limits the maximal firing rate.

Action Potential

Electrical impulse that travels down the axon, triggering the release of neurotransmitters

Adoption Study

Analysis of how traits vary in individuals raised apart from their biological relatives

Adrenal Gland

Tissue located on top of the kidneys that releases adrenaline and cortisol during states of emotional arousal

Amygdala

Part of the limbic system that modulates attention, perception, and memory based on our emotions

Association Cortex

Regions of the cerebral cortex that integrate simpler functions to perform more complex functions

Autonomic Nervous System

Part of the nervous system controlling the involuntary actions of our internal organs and glands, which participates in emotion regulation

Axon

Portion of neuron that sends signals

Basal Ganglia

Structures in the forebrain that help to control movement

Brain Stem

Part of the brain between the spinal cord and cerebral cortex that contains the midbrain, pons, and medulla

Broca's Area

Language area in the prefrontal cortex that helps to control speech production

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Part of the nervous system containing the brain and spinal cord that controls the mind and behavior

Cerebellum

Brain structure responsible for our sense of balance

Cerebral Cortex

Outermost part of the forebrain, responsible for analyzing sensory information and higher brain functions

Cerebral Hemispheres

Two halves of the cerebral cortex, each serving distinct yet highly integrated functions

Cerebral Ventricles

Pockets in the brain that contain cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), providing nutrients and cushioning against injury

Chromosome

Slender thread inside a cell's nucleus that carries genes

Computed Tomography (CT)

Scanning technique using multiple X-rays to construct three-dimensional images

Corpus Callosum

Large band of fibers connecting the two cerebral hemispheres

Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)

A technique involving implanted electrodes and a battery source in the brain to deliver electricity to specific areas

Dendrite

Portion of the neuron that receives signals

Dominant Gene

Gene that masks other genes' effects

Endocrine System

System of glands and hormones that controls secretion of blood-borne chemical messengers

Epigenetics

Field that examines how environmental influences affect the expression of genes

Family Study

Analysis of how characteristics run in intact families

Fitness

Organisms' capacity to pass on their genes.

Forebrain (Cerebrum)

Top part of the brain that allows advanced intellectual abilities.