Module 1-5 AP Psych

critical thinking

thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions

behaviorism

the view that psychology should be an objective science that studies behavior without referencing mental processes

humanistic psychology

a historically significant perspective that emphasized human growth potential.

cognitive psychology

the study of mental processes such as occur when we perceive, learn, remember, think, communicate and solve problems.

psychology

the science of behavior and mental processes

nature-nurtureissue

controversy over the contributions that genes and experiences make to the development of psychological traits and behaviors

evolutionary psychology

the study of the evolution of behavior and the mind using using principles of natural selection

biopsychosocial approach

an integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological, and social-cultural viewpoints

behavioral psychology

the scientific study of observable behavior and its explanation by principles of learning

biological psychology

the scientific study of the links between biological (genetic, neural, hormonal) and psychological processes

psychodynamic psychology

a branch of psychology that studies how unconscious drives and conflicts influence behavior and uses that info to treat people with psychological disorders

social-cultural psychology

the study of how situations and cultures affect our behavior and thinking

hindsight bias

the tendency to believe, after learning and outcome, that one would have foreseen it (also known as the I-knew-it-all-along phenomenon).

theory

an explanation using a set of principles that organizes observations and predicts behaviors

operational definition

carefully worded statement of the exact procedures used in a research study

case study

a descriptive technique in which one individual or group is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles

naturalistic observation

a descriptive technique of observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate or control the situation

survey

a descriptive technique for obtaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a particular group usually by questioning a representative.

sampling bias

a flawed sampling process that produces an unrepresentative sample

population

all those in a group being studied

random sample

a sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion