Introduction to Psychology II - Lecture Notes

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and definitions from the psychology lecture notes.

Psychology

A field that incorporates both scientific and nonscientific approaches to the study of the human person, focusing on the mind and behavior.

Behavior

Actions and responses that we can directly observe.

Mind

Internal states and processes, such as thoughts and feelings, that cannot be seen directly.

Basic Research

Obtaining knowledge for its own sake, typically conducted by research psychologists.

Applied Research

Obtaining knowledge to solve practical problems, typically conducted by clinical and applied psychologists.

Psychodynamic Perspective

Establishes the causes of behavior within the inner workings of personality, emphasizing unconscious processes.

Behaviourism

A school of thought that emphasizes environmental control of behavior through learning.

Cognitive Psychology

The study of mental processes that influence behavior, especially viewing the mind as an information processor.

Humanistic Psychology

An area of psychology that studies individuals holistically, focusing on self-awareness and self-development.

Sociocultural Perspective

Emphasizes the role of culture and the social environment in understanding behavior.

Descriptive Research

Research aimed at carefully describing how organisms behave in natural settings.

Correlation Coefficient

A statistic indicating the direction and strength of the relation between two variables.

Independent Variable (IV)

The factor that is manipulated or controlled by the researcher in an experiment.

Dependent Variable (DV)

The factor that is measured in an experiment and may be influenced by the independent variable.

Placebo Effect

A change in behavior that occurs due to the expectation of receiving a treatment.

Double-Blind Procedure

A research method where neither the participant nor the experimenter knows which condition participants are assigned to.

Informed Consent

The principle that individuals should be fully informed about the research procedures and their rights before participating.

Deception

Incomplete disclosure or misleading participants about a study's nature, often followed by debriefing.

Internal Validity

The degree to which an experiment supports clear causal conclusions.

External Validity

The degree to which research findings can be generalized to other people, settings, and conditions.

Operational Definition

Defining a concept in terms of the specific procedures used to produce or measure it.

Post-Diction

An explanation or conclusion made after an event has happened, using the outcome to explain why it occurred.

Inductive Reasoning

Reasoning from specific observations to broader generalizations or theories.

Deductive Reasoning

Reasoning from general principles to specific situations to reach a logical conclusion.

Archival Methods

Utilizing existing records or documents for research purposes.

Meta-analysis

A statistical procedure for combining results from different studies examining the same topic.