Psychology Overview and Research Methods

These flashcards cover essential vocabulary and concepts from psychology, emphasizing research methods, ethical considerations, and key theories.

Psychology

The science that investigates, studies, and measures mental activity, including thoughts and feelings, along with behavior and brain processes.

Critical thinking

A process of evaluating sources, claims, and evidence to understand truth, fact, and belief.

IRB

Institutional Review Board; ensures ethical standards are met in research involving human subjects.

Ethics

Accepted standards of right and wrong that guide people's behavior.

Privacy

Respecting the individual's right to confidentiality and observation consent in research.

Confidentiality

No personal information is shared regarding research participants.

Informed consent

Agreement by participants to participate in research after being fully informed about the nature of the study.

Protection from harm

Ensuring that participants are not exposed to significant risk of harm during research.

Scientific method

A systematic empirical approach used to achieve scientific goals through observation and experimentation.

Descriptive methods

Research methods that describe what occurs in a specific situation.

Case studies

In-depth investigations of a single subject or small group used as a descriptive research method.

Observational studies

Research that involves watching subjects in their natural environment or laboratory setting.

Self-reports

Surveys, questionnaires or interviews that gather information directly from participants.

Correlational methods

Research methods that test the relationship between two or more variables.

Experimental methods

Research methods that manipulate independent variables to observe effects on dependent variables.

Random assignment

Placing participants into different groups of an experiment at random.

Random sampling

The selection of participants from a population where each member has an equal chance of being included.

Independent variable

The variable that an experimenter manipulates to examine its impact on the dependent variable.

Dependent variable

The variable that is measured to determine how it was affected by the manipulation of the independent variable.

Control group

A group of participants that receives no treatment or a baseline treatment against which the experimental group is compared.

Experimental group

Groups of participants in an experiment that receive the treatment of interest based on the manipulation of the independent variable.

Case study advantages

Provide complex detail and insight in research subjects.

Observer bias

When a researcher’s expectations or preferences influence their observations.

Self-report bias

A tendency for participants to respond inaccurately or falsely to questions.

Growth mindset

A belief that one can improve their abilities through dedication and hard work.

Self-regulated learning

A process where students set goals, plan study sessions, and monitor progress.

Cognitive domain

The area of psychology that focuses on mental processes and how they influence behavior.

Biological domain

The area of psychology that studies the biological underpinnings of psychological processes.

Developmental domain

The area of psychology that studies how individuals change throughout their lifespan.

Social domain

The area of psychology that examines how social factors influence individual behavior and characteristics.

Sigmund Freud

A theorist known for his development of psychoanalysis, focusing on unconscious processes.

Behaviorism

A psychological perspective that emphasizes the role of environmental influences on behavior.

Classical conditioning

A learning process in which a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a meaningful stimulus.

Operant conditioning

A learning process in which behavior is shaped by reinforcement or punishment.

Directionality problem

An issue in correlational studies where it is unclear which variable influences the other.

Third variable problem

The possibility that an unaccounted variable influences both variables being studied.

Cherry picking

The act of selectively presenting data that supports a hypothesis while ignoring data that contradicts it.

Learning strategies

Techniques that improve learning outcomes, such as repeated practice and self-monitoring.

Experimental manipulation

The process by which an experimenter alters the independent variable to observe effects on the dependent variable.

Domains of Psychology

• Five Domains:

  1. Biological Domain: Connection between brain activity and thoughts/actions.

  2. Cognitive Domain: How mental processes influence behavior.

  3. Developmental Domain: Changes through the life span in terms of mental processes.

  4. Social and Personality Domain: Impact of social factors and characteristics on behavior.

  5. Health Domain: Understanding of mental and physical health factors and behaviors.

Theory vs. Hypothesis

A theory is a well-substantiated explanation while a hypothesis is a testable prediction based on a theory.

Describe the 5 Steps of the Scientific Method

1. Formulate a Theory based on prior research related to what you’re interested in.

2. Develop a testable hypothesis which is a predictable outcome you think might happen or be observed.

3. Test with a Research Method. Determine which method is best based on the goal of your research.

4. Analyze the data and use math to calculate and then determine if there was significant effect.

5. Share results and Conduct More Research. You have to report your data. ALL data has to be reported, not just data that supports your hypothesis. That’s called cherry-picking.

4 Scientific Goals for Research

1. Describing what happened

2. Predicting when it happens

3. Controlling what cause it to happen

4. Explaining why it happens

Explain the difference between a random sampling and a random assignment

🔀 Random Assignment

• What: Assigns participants to different groups randomly.

• Purpose: Ensures groups are similar at the start.

• Benefit: Improves the ability to determine causation.

🎯 Random Sampling

• What: Selects participants randomly from a larger population.

• Purpose: Ensures the sample represents the population.

• Benefit: Improves the assertion of generalization.

In short:

Random assignment = who goes in which group

• Random sampling = who gets into the study

Confounding Variables

A confounding variable is a factor that is not the independent variable, but still affects the dependent variable, making it hard to determine what actually caused the effect.

🧠 Why They Matter:

Confounding variables "confuse" the results of a study because they might be influencing the outcome instead of—or along with—the variable you're testing.