Psychological Science Vocabulary

Flashcards covering key vocabulary terms and definitions from Chapter 1 of 'Thinking Critically with Psychological Science,' focusing on the history, scope, and research strategies within psychology. Includes definitions of psychological perspectives and research methods.

Psychology

The science of mental processes and behavior

Empirical Approach

Evidence-based method that draws on observation and experimentation

Psychologist

Ph.D., PsyD, Psychotherapy

Psychiatrist

MD, Some therapy, Medications

Counselor

Masters or Bachelors, Counseling Psychology

Wilhelm Wundt

Psychology’s 1st lab in Leipzig, Germany (1879)

John B. Watson

Stimulus-Response psychology, Behaviorism

Behavioristic Psychology

Observe and record people’s behavior as they respond to and learn in different situations. All behaviors are learned through reward and punishment pairings

Psychoanalytic Psychology

Focus on unconscious. Belief that unconscious shapes our thoughts and behaviors. Emphasized the ways our unconscious mind and childhood experiences affect our behavior

Humanistic Psychology

Focused on our growth potential, our needs for love and acceptance, and the environments that nurture or limit personal growth. Motivation based on hierarchy of needs. Person-Centered Therapy: Patient directs therapy

Cognitive Psychology

How we perceive, process, and remember information. How thinking and emotion interact in anxiety, depression, and other disorders. Cognitive Neuroscience: studies the brain activity underlying mental activity.

Evolutionary Psychology

Nature selects traits that best enable an organism to survive and reproduce in a specific environment. The evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection

Biological Psychology

Investigates how specific physiological processes explain individual differences (behavior, thoughts, feelings). Describe how internal biological events interact with the environment

Cross-Cultural and Gender Psychology

Shared ideas and behaviors that one generation passes on to the next. How behavior and thinking vary across situations and cultures, Role of gender identity

Neuroscience Perspective

How the body and brain enable emotions, memories, and sensory experiences

Evolutionary Perspective

How the natural selection of traits has promoted the survival of genes

Behavior Genetics Perspective

How our genes and our environment influence our individual differences

Psychodynamic Perspective

How behavior springs from unconscious drives and conflicts

Behavioral Perspective

How we learn observable responses

Cognitive Perspective

How we encode, process, store, and retrieve information

Social-Cultural Perspective

How behavior and thinking vary across situations and cultures

Theory

Explains behaviors or events by offering ideas that organize observations

Hypotheses

testable prediction

Operational definitions

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

Replicable

Able to repeat study and results

Peer reviewers

Other scientists who are experts—evaluate a study’s theory, originality, and accuracy.

Hindsight Bias

“I knew it all along” phenomenon

Case Studies

In-depth analyses of individuals/groups (exploratory)

Naturalistic Observation

Recording the natural behavior of many individuals Describes, not explains

Random Sample

Represents a population >> because each member has an equal chance of inclusion

Correlation

The extent to which two factors vary together and thus of how well either factor predicts the other (but cannot say one causes the other)

Independent Variable

Manipulated to see effect

Dependent Variable

Measured to determine if the IV had any impact.

Experimental Group

People who receive treatment

Control Group

People who don’t receive treatment

Random Assignment

Equalizes the experimental and control groups

Double-Blind Procedure

Participants and researchers don’t know the group assignment

Placebo Effect

Thinking you are getting treatment improves outcome (caused by expectations alone)