Unit 0 Research and Perspectives Vocabulary (2024 CED)

Humanistic Psychology

A historically significant perspective that emphasized the growth potential of healthy people

Sociocultural Perspective

Studies how social and cultural factors influence a person's thoughts, feelings and behaviors

Biological Perspective

A 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 information to treat people with psychological disorders

Cognitive Psychology

A scientific study of all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating

Behavioral Psychology

The scientific study of observable behavior, and its explanation by principles of learning

Hindsight bias

the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it

Hypothesis

A testable prediction, often implied by a theory

Operational Definitions

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

Survey

a technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a particular group, usually by questioning a representative sample of the group

Population

All those in a group being studied, from which samples may be drawn

Correlation coefficient

a statistical index of the relationship between two things (from -1 to +1)

Independent Variable

The experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied.

Dependent Variable

The outcome factor; the variable that may change in response to manipulations of the independent variable.

Confounding Variable

a factor other than the independent variable that might produce an effect in an experiment

Standard Deviation

a computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean score

Descriptive Statistics

numerical data used to measure and describe characteristics of groups. Includes measures of central tendency and measures of variation.

Mean

the arithmetic average of a distribution, obtained by adding the scores and then dividing by the number of scores

Mode

the most frequently occurring score(s) in a distribution

Skewed Distribution

a representation of scores that lack symmetry around their average value

Statistical Significance

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

Normal Curve

the symmetrical bell-shaped curve that describes the distribution of many physical and psychological attributes.

Random Sample

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

Double Blind Procedure

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

Range

the difference between the highest and lowest scores in a distribution