Psychology 101 Exam 1

Psychology

the scientific study of behavior and mental processes

Observations in the laboratory

1. Used to observe in a controlled environment

2. Participants are asked to complete activities and observed

Naturalistic Observations

1. Meant to observe how individuals behave in real life

2. Can be unreliable as humans must consent for ethical reasons and will change behavior if they feel like they are being watched

Surveys/interviews

1. Useful for collecting large amounts of data efficiently

2. More likely to be biased or unreliable as specific groups of people are more likely to use this method

Case Study

1. Observes 1 specific case

2. Useful for rare phenomenon

3. Cannot always be generalized

Correlational Research

1. Shows relationship between 2 variables

2. Requires larger amounts of data

3. Does not prove causation

Experimental Research

1. Allows you to test for causation

2. Contains Independent and Dependent variable

Independent Variable

1. The variable that the experimenter directly changes

2. The variable is changed to see a result

Dependent Variable

1. The variable the study is intended to research

2. Changes based on the independent variable

Causation

Whether or not a change directly causes another change

Positive Correlation

Another variable rises as the other rises

Negative Correlation

Another variable decreases as the other rises

Random Assignment

1. Used to avoid bias

2. Ensures that the participants and observers don't influence results

Treatment Group

1. The group who actually receives the treatment

2. Used to observe the effectiveness of the treatment

Control Group