Unit 1 "Scientific Foundations of Psychology" Vocab

empiricism

the view that knowledge originates in experience and that science should, therefore, rely on observation and experimentation.

Wilhelm Wundt

established the first psychology laboratory at the University of Leipzig, Germany.

Edward Bradford Titchener

used introspection to search for the mind’s structural elements.

structuralism

early school of thought promoted by Wundt and Titchener; used introspection to reveal the structure of the human mind.

functionalism

early school of thought promoted by James and influenced by Darwin; explored how mental and behavioral processes function— how they enable the organism to adapt, survive, and flourish.

William James

Teacher-writer who authored an important 1890 psychology text.

Mary Whiton Calkins

Pioneering memory researcher and the first woman president of the American Psychological Association (APA).

Mary Floy Washburn

The first woman to recieve a psychology Ph.D., Washburn synthesized animal behavior research in The Animal Mind.

experimental psychology

the study of behavior and thinking, using the experimental method.

John B. Watson

With Rosalie Rayner, championed psychology as the science of behavior and demonstrated conditioned responses on a baby who became famous as “Little Albert”.

behaviorism

The view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes. Most research psychologists today agree with (1) but not with (2).

humanistic psychology

A historically significant perspective that emphasized the growth potential of healthy people.

B.F. Skinner

A leading behaviorist, Skinner rejected introspection and studied how consequences shape behavior.

Sigmund Freud

The controversial ideas of this famed personality theorist and therapist have influenced humanity’s self-understanding.

cognitive neuroscience

The interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language).

psychology

the study of behavior and mental processes

nature-nurture issue

The longstanding controversy over the relative contributions that genes and experience make to the development of psychological traits and behaviors. Today’s science sees traits and behaviors arising from the interaction of nature and nurture.

Charles Darwin

Darwin argued that natural selection shapes behaviors as well as bodies.

natural selection

The principles that, among the range of inherited trait variations, those contributing to reproduction and survival will most likely on to succeeding generations.

levels of analysis

The differing complementary views, from biological to psychological to social-cultural, for analyzing any given phenomenon.

biopsychosocial approach

An integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological, and social-cultural levels of analysis.

behavioral psychology

The scientific study of observable behavior, and its explanation by principles of learning.

biological psychology

the scientific study of the links between biological (genetic, neural, hormonal) and psychological processes.

cognitive psychology

the scientific study of all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating.

evolutionary psychology

The study of the evolution of behavior and mind, using principles of natural selection.

psychodynamic psychology

a branch of psychology that studies unconscious drives and conflicts influence behavior, and uses that information to treat people with psychological disorders.

social-cultural psychology

the study of how situations and cultures affect our behavior and thinking.

psychometrics

the scientific study of the measurements of human abilities, attitudes, and traits.

basic research

pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base.

developmental psychology

a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span.

educational psychology

the study of how psychological processes affect and can enhance teaching and learning.

personality psychology

the study of an individual’s characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting.

social psychology

the scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another.

applied research

scientific study that aims to solve practical problems.

industrial-organizational (I/O) psychology

the application of psychological concepts and methods to optimizing human behavior in workplaces.

human factors psychology

an I/O psychology subfield that explores how people and machines interact and how machines and physical environments can be made safe and easy to use.

counseling psychology

a branch of psychology that assists people with problems in living and in achieving greater well-being.

clinical psychology

a branch of psychology that studies, assesses, and treats people with psychological disorders.

psychiatry

a branch of medicine dealing with psychological disorders; practiced by physicians who sometimes provide medical (for example, drug) treatments as well as psychology therapy.

positive psychology

the scientific study of human functioning, with the goals of discovering and promoting strengths and virtues that help individuals and communities to thrive.

community psychology

a branch of psychology that studies how people interact with their social environments and how social institutions affect individuals and groups.

hindsight bias

the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it.

critical thinking

thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions, assesses the source, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions.

theory

An explanation fusing an integrated set of principles that organizes observations and predicts behaviors or events.

hypothesis

a testable prediction, often implied by a theory.

operational definition

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

replication

repeating the essence of a research study, usually with different participants in different situations, to see whether the basic finding extends to other participants and circumstances.

case study

a descriptive technique in which one individual or group is studied in depth in the hope of revealing a universal principle.

naturalistic observation

observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation.

survey

a technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a particular group, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of the group.

sampling bias

a flawed sampling process that produces an unrepresentative sample.

population

all those in a group being studied, from which samples may be drawn.

random sample

a sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion.

correlation

a measure of the extent to which two variables change together, and thus of how well either variable predicts the other.

correlation coefficient

a statistical index of the relationship between two variables (from -1.0 to +1.0)

scatterplot

a graphed cluster of dots, each of which represents the values of two variables. The slope of the points suggests the direction of the relationship between the two variables. The amount of scatter suggests the strength of the correlation (little scatter indicates high correlation).

illusory correlation

the perception of a relationship where none exists.

experimental group

In an experiment, the group exposed to the treatment, that is, to one version of the independent variable

control group

in an experiment, the group not exposed to the treatment; contrasts with the experimental group, and serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment.

random assignment

Assigning participants to experimental and control groups by chance thus minimizing pre-existing differences between the two groups

double-blind procedure

An experimental procedure in which both the research participants in the research staff are ignorant (blind) about whether the research participants have received the treatment or a placebo. Commonly used in drug-evaluation studies.

confounding variable

A factor, other than the independent variable that might produce an effect in an experiment.

validity

The extent to which a test or experiment measures or predict what it is supposed to

informed consent

Ethical principle that research participants be told enough to enable them to choose whether they wish to participate

debriefing

The post experimental explanation of a study, including its purpose and any deceptions, to its participants