Licht Chapter 1 Psychology

psychology

scientific study of behavior and mental process

psychologist

scientists who study behavior and mental process

goals of psychology

1. describe

2. explain

3. predict

4. control

Wilhelm Wundt

father of psychology, creation of the first psychology lab, introspection

introspection

examination of one's own conscious activites

structuralism

early school of psych that used introspection to determine the structure and "atoms" of the mind

functionalism

early school of psych that focused on function of thought processes, feelings, and behaviors and how they help us to adapt to the environment

behaviorism

scientific study of observable behavior

humanistic psychology

approach suggesting that human nature is by and large positive, and the human direction is toward growth

natural selection

inherited traits increase bc adaptive or decrease bc maladaptive

biophysiological perspective

explains behavior through the interaction of biological, physiological, and social factors

pseudopsychology

seems like psychology but no evidence to back it up

critical thinking

process of weighing various pieces of evidence, synthesizing them, and evaluating and determining the contributions of each

scientific method

process in which scientists use to conduct research, includes continuous cycle of exploration, critical thinking, and systematic observation. Develop question, develop hypothesis, design an experiment, analyse the data, share findings.

experiment

controlled procedure that involves careful examination through the use of scientific observation and/or manipulation of variables

hypothesis

statement that can be used to test a prediction

theory

synthesizes observations in order to explain phenomena and guide predictions to be tested through research

operational definition

the precise manner in which a variable of interest is defined and measured

replicate

repeat an experiment, with new sample or changes to procedure to support findings of first study

variables

measurable characteristics that can vary over time across people

population

all members of an identified group in which the researcher is interested

sample

a subset of a pop chosen for inclusion in an experiment

random sample

subset of pop that everyone is equally likely to be chosen

representative sample

subgroup of pop that closely reflect pop of interest

informed consent

acknowledgement of study that participants that they will understand what their participation will entail

debriefing

sharing info with participants after study, including purpose of study and deception used in it

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

committee that reviews research proposals to protect rights and welfare of all participants

descriptive research

research methods that describe and explore behaviors, can't state cause/effect relationships

naturalistic observation

type of descriptive research that studies participants in their natural environment through systematic obs

observer bias

errors introduced into recording of obs due to the researcher's value system, expectations, or attitudes

case study

type of desc res that closely examines one individual or small group

survey method

type of descriptive research that uses questionnaires or interviews to gather data

correlation method

type of descriptive research examining the relationships among variables

correlation

an assoc or relationship between two variables

correlation coefficient

statistical measure that indicates the strength and direction of the relationship between two or more variables

experimental method

a type of research that manipulates a variable of interest (independent variable) to uncover cause/effect relationships

random assignment

each person has equal chance of being assigned to exp or control groups

exp group

exposed to treatment variable

control group

not exposed to treatment variable

placebo

inert substance given to members of control group

independent variable

variable that is manupulated

dependent variable

characteristic or response that is measured

extraneous variable

variable that could unintentionally influence the outcome of the study

confounding variable

type of extraneous variable that changes in sync with the independent variable

double-blind study

neither researchers nor participants know what type of treatment is given

experimenter bias

expectations that influence outcome of study

positive psychology

approach that focuses on positive aspects of human beings

Experts at a large university were asked to devise and evaluate a campaign to reduce binge drinking. Using findings from prior research, they created a program to curb binge drinking among students. This is an example of:
A. basic research.

B. applied research.

C. naturalistic observation.

D. case studies.

B. applied research.

An instructor in the psychology department assigns a project requiring students to read several journal articles on a controversial topic. They are then required to weigh various pieces of evidence from the articles, synthesize the information, and determine how the various findings contribute to understanding the topic. This process is known as:
A. empiricism.

B. critical thinking.

C. basic research.

D. applied research.

B. critical thinking.

The Greek philosophers Plato & Aristotle believed that truth and knowledge exist in the soul before birth and that humans have innate knowledge. This position supports:
A. empiricism.

B. the nurture side of the nature—nurture issue.

C. the nature side of the nature-nurture issue.

D. dualism.

C. the nature side of the nature-nurture issue.

Positive psychology explores human flourishing and other positive aspects of human nature. This focus is most clearly aligned with which perspective?

A. psychoanalytic

B. psychodynamic

C. biopsychosocial

D. humanistic

D. humanistic

The goal of _________ is to provide empirical evidence or data based on systematic observation or experimentation.

A. operational definitions

B. critical thinking

C. the scientific method

D. a hypothesis

C. the scientific method

A psychologist studying identical twins was interested in their leadership qualities and educational backgrounds. These characteristics are generally referred to as:

A. operational definitions.

B. hypotheses.

C. variables.

D. empiricism.

C. variables.

The less time students spend studying, the lower their grades will be. This is an example of a(n):
A. positive correlation.

B. negative correlation.

C. confounding variable.

D. extraneous variable.

A. positive correlation.

A researcher interested in learning more about identical twins raised in separate households might use Sam and Anais as a(n) ____, which is a type of descriptive research invaluable for studying rare events.
A. experiment

B. case study

C. naturalistic observation

D. correlational study

B. case study

With a(n) _____study, neither the researchers nor the participants know who is getting the treatment or who is getting the placebo.
A. double-blind

B. experimental

C. correlational

D. blind

A. double-blind

A researcher forming a(n) ______ of high school seniors might select participants using a comprehensive database of all seniors in the United States, as all members of the population would have an equal chance of being selected for the study.

A. control group

B. experimental group

C. natural selection

D. random sample

D. random sample

basic research

data collected to support or refute a theory

applied research

data about changing outcomes, used for real-world applications

Titchener

Student of Wundt, began psychology at Cornell, structuralism

James

Harvard professor, inspired by Charles Darwin, functionalism

psychoanalytic perspective

personality development heavily affected by early life (freud)

behavioural perspective

behaviours and personality are primarily determined through learning (watson & skinner)

humanistic perspective

people are naturally inclined to grow and change their personality in a positive manner (muslow & rogers)

cognitive perspective

mental processes/mechanics heavily affects personality (miller)

biological perspective

anatomy and physiology heavily affects personality and emotions (field of neuroscience)

sociocultural perspective

social and cultural aspects heavily affect personality and emotions (vygotsky)

W.E.I.R.D

white, educated, industrialized, rich, democrats

biopsychosocial perspective

biology, sociocultural, and psychological factors affecting personality and emotions (commonly used by scientists)

evolutionary perspective

evolution heavily affects personality and behaviours (buss)