Psychology Perspectives, Biases, and Research Methods

Vocabulary flashcards covering psychological perspectives, cognitive biases, and scientific research methods.

Biopsychosocial approach

Behavior is caused by a mix of biology, psychology, and society.

Behavioral perspective

Behavior is learned from the environment.

Biological perspective

Behavior is influenced by the brain, genes, hormones, and body.

Cognitive perspective

Focuses on thinking, memory, and how we process information.

Evolutionary perspective

Behavior developed because it helped humans survive and reproduce.

Humanistic perspective

People have free will and want to grow and reach their potential.

Psychodynamic perspective

Behavior is influenced by the unconscious mind and childhood experiences.

Hindsight bias

Thinking you knew it all along after something happens.

Overconfidence

Being more confident than you should be about being correct.

Confirmation bias

Looking for information that supports what you already believe.

Scientific method

A step-by-step process used to study questions scientifically.

Peer reviewers

Other experts who check research before it is published.

Theory

A well-supported explanation for something based on lots of evidence.

Hypothesis

A testable prediction about what will happen.

Falsifiable

Something that can be proven wrong through testing.

Operational definitions

Clearly explaining exactly how a variable will be measured.