Unit o Study Guide: History, Approaches, Research Methods

A comprehensive set of questions and answers spanning psychology history, approaches, research methods, statistics, and key figures.

What does the Psychodynamic/Psychoanalytic approach emphasize?

Unconscious drives and early experiences shaping behavior (Freud's perspective).

What is the core idea of Behaviorism?

Psychology should be an objective science that studies behavior without reference to mental processes.

What does Humanistic psychology emphasize?

Growth potential of healthy people and the individual's potential for personal growth.

What does Cognitive psychology focus on?

Brain functioning including perception, thinking, memory, and language.

What does Biological (Neuroscience) perspective focus on?

Brain chemistry, genes, and hormones and how they impact behavior.

What does Social-Cultural perspective emphasize?

The impacts of culture, family, friends, and society on behavior.

What does Evolutionary perspective examine?

How evolution and our ancestors influence current behavior.

What is hindsight bias also known as?

The I-knew-it-all-along phenomenon.

What is Overconfidence?

The tendency to be more confident than correct.

What does Confidentiality mean in research?

Personal information about subjects should never be shared.

What is Informed Consent?

Subjects must give written consent to participate in an experiment.

What is Critical thinking?

Thinking that evaluates assumptions, hidden values, evidence, and conclusions.

What is The Scientific Method?

A self-correcting process for asking questions and observing nature's answers.

What is a Theory in psychology?

An explanation using an integrated set of principles that organize observations and predict behaviors or events.

What is a Hypothesis?

A testable prediction, often an if-then statement, implied by a theory.

What is a Case study?

An observation technique studying one person in depth to reveal universal principles.

What is a Survey?

A technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a group.

What is Population in research?

All the cases in a group being studied from which samples may be drawn.

What is a Random sample?

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

What is a Representative sample?

A subset of the population carefully chosen to represent the diversity of the population as a whole.

What is Naturalistic observation?

Observing and recording behavior in natural settings without manipulation; describes, not explains.

What is Observer effect?

The observer may influence the behavior of the person/animal being observed.

What is Participation observation?

Observing a group by blending in; the group does not know they are being observed.

What is Observer bias?

Only recording observations that support the observer's views.

What is an Experiment?

A research method in which the investigator manipulates one or more factors (IV) to observe the effect on behavior or mental processes (DV), enabling cause-and-effect conclusions.

What is an Operational definition?

Specifies the operations used to control or measure variables, allowing replication.

What is Replication?

Repeating the essence of a research study with different participants in different situations to see whether the basic finding extends to other participants and circumstances.

What is Random assignment?

Assigning participants to experimental and control groups by chance, minimizing preexisting differences.

What is the Double-blind procedure?

An experimental procedure in which both participants and staff are ignorant about whether the participants have received the treatment or placebo.

What is a Placebo?

A pseudo treatment in drug studies, a pill with no drug in it.

What is the Placebo effect?

Experimental results caused by expectations alone; any effect on behavior from administering a placebo.

What is the Experimental group?

The group that is exposed to the treatment (one version of the IV).

What is the Control group?

The group that is not exposed to the treatment, used as a baseline for comparison.

What is the Independent variable (IV)?

The experimental factor that is manipulated and tested.

What is the Dependent variable (DV)?

The experimental factor that is being measured.

What is a Confounding variable?

A factor other than the IV that might produce an effect in an experiment.

Who is the founder of Behaviorism?

John Watson.

Which psychologist is associated with Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic theory?

Sigmund Freud.

Which psychologists are associated with Humanistic psychology?

Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow.

Which psychologist is associated with Cognitive development?

Jean Piaget.

Which scientist is associated with the Evolutionary perspective?

Charles Darwin.

What is Mode in statistics?

The measure of central tendency that is the most frequently occurring score(s) in a distribution.

What is Mean in statistics?

The measure of central tendency that is the arithmetic average of a distribution.

What is Median in statistics?

The middle score in a distribution (50th percentile).

What is Range in statistics?

The difference between the highest and lowest scores in a distribution.

What is Standard Deviation?

A computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean score.

What is a Normal curve?

A symmetrical, bell-shaped curve describing the distribution of many types of data.

What does Statistical significance refer to?

A statistical statement of how likely it is that an obtained result occurred by chance.

What is Correlation?

A measure of the extent to which two factors vary together, indicating predictability, but not causation.

What is the Correlation Coefficient?

A statistical index of the relationship between two things, ranging from -1 to +1.

What is Illusory correlation?

The perception of a relationship where none exists.

What is a Scatterplot?

A graphed cluster of dots, each representing the values of two variables; slope shows direction, scatter shows strength.

Give an example of a positive correlation.

The more time you spend in the sun, the more likely you are to get sunburned.

Give an example of a negative correlation.

The more sunscreen you put on, the less sunburned you will get.