Comprehensive Psychology and Research Methods Quizlet Set

Psychology

The scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

Confirmation bias

Tendency to seek information that confirms our beliefs.

Self-serving bias

Tendency to take credit for success and blame external factors for failure.

Availability heuristic

Judging likelihood based on how easily examples come to mind.

Five major areas of psychology

Biological, Cognitive, Developmental, Clinical, Social.

Steps of the scientific method

Observe, hypothesize, test, analyze, report.

Correlational research

The relationship between two variables (not causation).

Key feature of experimental research

Manipulation of variables to establish cause and effect.

Operational definition

A precise, measurable definition of a variable.

Correlation coefficient

Strength and direction of a relationship (-1 to +1).

Directionality problem

Can't tell which variable caused the other.

Third variable problem

An outside variable could influence both measured variables.

Confound

An uncontrolled factor that may affect the results.

Random assignment

Randomly placing participants in groups to reduce bias.

Statistical significance

The result is unlikely due to chance.

Three major ethical principles in research

Informed consent, debriefing, IRB approval.

Main parts of a neuron

Dendrite, soma, axon, myelin sheath, terminal buttons.

Action potential trigger

Threshold reached, sodium channels open.

All-or-none principle

A neuron fires completely or not at all.

Two main parts of the nervous system

Central (CNS) and Peripheral (PNS).

Brainstem control

Breathing, heart rate, basic survival functions.

Four lobes of the cerebral cortex

Frontal, Parietal, Temporal, Occipital.

Selective attention

Focusing on one input while ignoring others.

Inattentional blindness

Failing to notice something visible when attention is elsewhere.

Transduction

Conversion of sensory stimuli into neural signals.

Difference between sensation and perception

Sensation = detection; perception = interpretation.

Gestalt principle

Proximity, similarity, closure, continuity, etc.

Difference between binocular and monocular cues

Binocular = depth from both eyes; monocular = depth from one eye.

Habituation

Decreased response to repeated stimulus.

Sensitization

Increased response to repeated stimulus.

Classical Conditioning Components

US, UR, NS, CS, CR.

Positive Reinforcement

Adds a stimulus.

Negative Reinforcement

Removes a stimulus.

Goal of Reinforcement

To increase behavior.

Stages of Memory

Encoding, storage, retrieval.

Elaborative Rehearsal

Connecting new info to existing knowledge.

Capacity of Short-Term Memory

7±2 items.

Chunking

Grouping items to improve memory.

Procedural Memory

Unconscious memory for skills (e.g., riding a bike).

Pros of Schemas

Organize info, speed up processing.

Cons of Schemas

Can lead to bias and stereotypes.

Teratogens

Harmful substances that affect fetal development.

Synaptic Pruning

Elimination of unused neural connections.

Strange Situation

Measures attachment styles in infants.

Piaget's Stages

Sensorimotor → Preoperational → Concrete operational → Formal operational.

James-Lange Theory of Emotion

Physical reaction → Emotion.

Cannon-Bard Theory

Emotion and physical reaction occur simultaneously.

Schachter-Singer Theory

Emotion = Arousal + Cognitive label.

Intrinsic Motivation

Driven by internal rewards (e.g., enjoyment).

Stressor

An event that causes stress.

General Adaptation Syndrome Stages

Alarm → Resistance → Exhaustion.

Benefits of Exercise

Reduces stress, boosts mood, improves health.

Conformity

Changing behavior to match the group.

Bystander Effect

Less likely to help when others are around.

Cognitive Dissonance

Discomfort from conflicting beliefs/behaviors.

Social Loafing

Putting in less effort in group work.

Big Five

OCEAN: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism.

Situationism

Behavior depends on context, especially in strong situations.

Diathesis-Stress Model

Mental illness = predisposition + stress.

GAD Symptoms

Persistent anxiety, worry, restlessness.

OCD Symptoms

Obsessions (thoughts) + Compulsions (behaviors).

Major Depression Symptoms

Sadness, low energy, loss of interest.

Schizophrenia Symptoms

Hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech.