Psychology 100 Exam 1 Study Guide

Perspective which focuses on how bodily events affect behavior, feelings, and thoughts.

Perspective which focuses on how bodily events affect behavior, feelings, and thoughts.

Biological Perspective

Perspective which focuses on how our mental processes work, such as how we reason, remember, understand language, and problem solve.

Cognitive Perspective

Perspective which focuses on how the environment and our experiences affect a person or animal's actions.

Learning Perspective

Perspective which focuses on the impact of other people and cultural roles on behavior, attitude, and beliefs.

Sociocultural Perspective

Perspective which focuses on how the unconscious can influence us.

Psychodynamic Perspective

Field of professional activity in which psychologists typically hold a doctorate and work at universities and colleges and instruct courses and conduct studies on behavioral and mental processes. (Professors)

Teaching and Conducting Research

Field of professional activity in which psychologists typically hold a masters or doctorate and work in the private sector to improve the physical and mental health of individuals. (Private practice, hospitals, schools, etc.)

Psychological Practice

Field of professional activity in which psychologists hold various degrees and work in Industry, Law, and other community settings. (Sports, advertising, animal behavior, etc.)

Private Sector Research or Consultation

The study of natural relationships between variables (associations).

Correlational Research

Examining if a change in one variable causes, or leads to, a change in a second variable, all while controlling for other variables.

Experimental Research

Maximum and minimum value correlation can have (max#, min#)

1, -1

The relationship between two variables in which one variable increases as the other variable decreases.

Negative coorelation

If both the independent variable and the dependent variable change in the same directions

Positive correlation

Determined by the difference in data points

Strength of Correlation

Determined by the direction of the line on the graph, or by the increase or decrease of both variables

Type of Correlation

A third variable that is related to both variables, and as a result, makes it appear that both variables are related when in truth they are not (reason why casual statements can't be fully based off correlation).

Covariate

Using a random method to select participants for your study, typically from the entire population (Sample system used to generalize a population)

Random Sampling

The process of placing participants into groups using a random method (Sample system used to equalize two groups)

Random Assignment

What is being manipulated by the researcher; has different levels

Independent Variable

What is being measured by the researcher; the behavior or response

Dependent Variable

Any variable that inadvertently influences the data; time, gender, age, etc.

Extraneous Variable

Group(s) of participants who receive a particular treatment

Experimental group

Group(s) of participants who do not receive the treatment, or who receive the current standard of care

Control group

The study of behavior and mental processes

Psychology

An agreed upon statement of what we observe (People can conserve water)

Fact

An idea that explains or predicts a fact (Limiting showers to 5 minutes helps to conserve water)

Theory

A testable statement describing a relationship that may occur between events (people who limit showers to 5 minutes have a lower water bill than those who shower for more than 5 minutes)

Hypothesis

Freud's term for the psychic energy that drives all behavior and motivates us to strive for self-preservation and survival

The Libido

Seeks immediate satisfaction, particularly sexual and aggressive instincts; contains the libido ("it")

The Id

Mediator; represents reason and guides the Id ("I")

The Ego

The conscience; represents morality ("Above I")

The Superego

The extent to which someone is curious and imaginative, or conformal and predictable (versus resistance to new experiences)

Openness to Experience

The extent to which someone is responsible, steadfast, and self-disciplined, or undependable, fickle, and impulsive (versus impulsiveness)

Conscientiousness

The extent to which people are outgoing, or shy (versus introversion)

Extroversion

The extent to which someone is good natured, cooperative, and secure, or irritable, abrasive and jealous (versus antagonism)

Agreeableness

The extent to which someone experiences anxiety, negative emotions, and resentment (versus emotionally stable)

Neuroticism

Gender identity is due to natural selection, the brain, and other physiological differences

Biological perspective

Gender develops based on the identification with a same sex parent or care taker

Psychoanalytic Perspective

Gender roles are learned through observations of others

Social Learning Perspective

Gender is based on mental "rules" for how men and women are supposed to act

Cognitive Perspective

Location where the predominant belief is that parents play a large role in the development of a child's personality (this is not supported by any of the research findings)

The Western World

Has little influence on personality; siblings often have very different personalities

"Shared" Environments

Will often change due to many factors, such as mood

Child Rearing

The influence of parents on personality is best captured when we look at both how the parents raised the child, and how the child responds to the parents

A Dynamic Relationship

A distinctive and relatively stable pattern of behavior, thoughts, motives, and emotions that characterizes an individual

Personality

A characteristic of an individual describing a habitual way of behaving, thinking, or feeling.

Personality Trait

Theories that explain behavior and personality in terms of the movement unconscious, phycological energy within a person

Psychodynamic Theories

Measures and defines personality in terms of specific traits (more modern approach)

Core Trait Theories

Blocking from memory

Repression

Repressed and then attributed to someone else

Projection

Directing uncomfortable or conflicted emotions toward someone or something else

Displacement

Reverting to a previous stage of development

Regression

A refusal to admit that something unpleasant is happening

Denial

Methods used by the ego to prevent anxiety or threatening thoughts from entering the conscious

Defense Mechanisms

Values, beliefs, and attitudes shared by most of a particular community; highly elated to personality

Culture

The self is regarded as autonomous, and individual needs and goals are generally placed ahead of the group's

Individualistic Cultures

The self is regarded as part of the group, and group needs and goals are generally placed ahead of an individual's needs and goals

Collectivist Cultures

Most commonly can cause deafness

Rubella (German measles)

Can cause fetal deformities and cognitive abnormalities

Radiation (Including x-rays)

Increases chance of miscarriages, premature birth, and low birthweight

Cigarette smoking

Associated with low birthweight, smaller brain size, facial deformities, and mental impairments

Alcohol consumption

Can cause mental impairments or blindness; HIV may be passed from mother to baby

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Can cause various associated outcomes during child development

Numerous Legal and illegal drugs

A universal capacity of all primates and is essential to good health and survival

Attachment

The innate pleasure derived from close physical contact

Contact comfort

Once attached to a caretaker, most infants display distress when their primary caregivers leave them with strangers (typically begins around 6 to 8 months)

Separation anxiety

Experiment devised by researcher Mary Ainsworth to study attachment

Strange Situation

Baby cried or protested when mother left and were happy to play with mother again when she returned

Secure Attachment

Baby treated the stranger the same as the mother and did not seem to care if the mother was there or not

Insecure Avoidant Attachment

Baby protested loudly when the mother left, but when she returns baby resisted contact with her

Insecure Anxious-Ambivalent

Abandonment or deprivation in the first 1 to 2 years of life

Promotes insecure attachment

Abusive or neglectful parenting, or erratic parenting due to chronic irresponsibility or clinical depression

Promotes insecure attachment

The child's own genetically influenced temperament, especially when combined with nonresponsive parenting

Promotes insecure attachment

Stressful circumstances within the family

Promotes insecure attachment

The understanding that something exists even when you can't see it

Object Permanence

The understanding that the properties of objects can remain the same even when their form or appearance changes

Conservation

Focuses on the progression of changing patterns of thought and action interactions (comparing objects and ideas) (Piaget's stages)

Cognitive Development

Each stage of development is defined by the focus of the libido at that time (Freud's stages)

Psychosexual Development

Focuses on a series of conflicts that people face throughout the lifespan (Erickson's stages)

Psychosocial Development

Infants use their senses and motor actions to explore the world; begin to use symbolic thought through images or words (Piaget: Cognitive Development)

Sensorimotor Stage

Preschoolers use symbolic thought to develop language, engage in pretend play, and solve problems; thinking is egocentric and not yet logical (Piaget: Cognitive Development)

Preoperational Stage

School-aged children acquire logical operations allowing them to mentally classify concrete objects ("real world"); problem solve using trial-and-error approach (Piaget: Cognitive Development)

Concrete Operations Stage

Adolescents can think about abstract concepts and hypothetical possibilities; can track long-term consequences of behavior (Piaget: Cognitive Development)

Formal Operations Stage

Libido is focused on mouth as source of pleasure; breast feeding (Freud: Psychosexual Development)

Oral Stage (Stage: 1)

Libido is focused on the anus; toilet training (Freud: Psychosexual Development)

Anal Stage (Stage: 2)

Libido is focused on genitals; notices genital differences between mom and dad (Freud: Psychosexual Development)

Phallic Stage (Stage: 3)

Libido is inactive; child focuses on school work and same sex friendships

Latency Period (Stage: 4)

Libido is focused on sexual relationships and reproduction; puberty, parenting (Freud: Psychosexual Development)

Genital Stage (Stage: 5)

Infants need to learn how to trust their caregiver(s) to meet their needs; if not, child will have difficulty with trust in relationships in future relationships (Erikson: Psychosocial Development)

Trust vs. Mistrust

Children must learn how to assert their wills and do things for themselves; if not, children doubt their abilities (Erikson: Psychosocial Development)

Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt

Preschoolers must develop and carry out bold plans, but also learn to respect the rights of others (Erikson: Psychosocial Development)

Initiative vs. Guilt

Children must develop social and academic skills and keep up with their peers; if not, children will feel inferior (Erikson: Psychosocial Development)

Competence vs. Inferiority

Adolescents must establish social and vocational goals; if not, adolescents will be confused about their roles as adults (Erikson: Psychosocial Development)

Identity vs. Role confusion

Young adults must seek to form a shared identity with another person; if not, they will fear intimacy and experience loneliness (Erikson: Psychosocial Development)

Intimacy vs. Isolation

Middle-aged adults must feel they are producing something; if not, they may become stagnant and self-centered (Erikson: Psychosocial Development)

Generativity vs. Stagnation

Older adults must feel their lives as meaningful; if not, they will fear death with worries and regret (Erikson: Psychosocial Development)

Integrity vs. Despair

All humans are believed to be born with the _____________________________

Innate capacity for language