Chapter 1 - Psych

Psychology

The scientific study of behavior and mental processes, focusing on both outer actions and inner experiences.

Common Misconceptions About Psychology

Psychology is not just therapy, not all about Freud, not exclusively for mental disorders, nor untested ideas.

Three Big Questions in Psychology

(1) Nature or nurture? (2) Change or stability? (3) Universal or unique?

Applied Psychology Specializations

Fields where psychologists apply their expertise to real-world problems.

Basic Research Psychology Specializations

Areas where psychologists conduct research to further the understanding of behavior and mental processes.

Applied Psychology Specializations Examples

Clinical psychology, counseling psychology, community psychology, forensic psychology, educational psychology, industrial/organizational psychology.

Basic Research Psychology Specializations Examples

Developmental psychology, personality psychology, physiological psychology, comparative psychology, social psychology, health psychology.

Psychology's Evolution

Evolved from philosophy (mind questions) and physiology (biological functioning of brain and body).

Structuralism

A perspective focused on breaking down mental processes into their structure or basic parts.

Functionalism

A perspective emphasizing the function of mental processes and behaviors.

Psychoanalysis

A perspective focusing on unconscious mental activity and the long-lasting influence of childhood experiences.

Behaviorism

A perspective insisting on studying observable behavior instead of internal processes.

Humanism

A perspective emphasizing that human nature is generally good and people are motivated to grow toward potential.

Multiculturalism

A perspective highlighting the influence of culture on behavior and mental processes.

Evolutionary Psychology

A perspective emphasizing Darwin’s theory of evolution as an influence on behavior.

Cognitive Psychology

A perspective emphasizing thinking, language, attention, memory, and intelligence.

Neuroscience

A perspective studying the link between behavior and the biological functioning of the brain.

Positive Psychology

A perspective emphasizing people’s strengths and successes.

Biopsychosocial Theory

A comprehensive perspective acknowledging biological, psychological, and social influences on behavior.

Pseudopsychology

Nonscientific techniques that claim to explain behavior without research.

Critical Thinking

The process of analyzing, evaluating, and forming judgments based on evidence.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to prefer information that supports what we already believe.

Belief Perseverance

The tendency to maintain a belief even when evidence contradicts it.

Descriptive Research

Research aimed at simply describing characteristics of a population.

Correlational Research

Research that examines the relationship between two variables.

Correlation–Causation Fallacy

Mistakenly assuming correlation between two variables implies one causes the other.

Experimental Research

Research that determines cause-and-effect by manipulating one variable and observing changes in another.

Independent Variable (IV)

The variable that is manipulated in an experiment.

Dependent Variable (DV)

The variable that is measured in an experiment.

Experimental Group

The group exposed to the independent variable.

Control Group

The group not exposed to the independent variable, used for comparison.

Random Assignment

Randomly placing participants into groups to ensure fairness and reduce bias.

Double-Blind Procedure

An experimental setup in which neither participants nor researchers know who is in the experimental or control group.

Placebo Effect

A change in behavior due to belief in a treatment, not the treatment itself.

Five Steps of the Scientific Method

(1) Pose a question, (2) Conduct a literature review, (3) Develop a hypothesis, (4) Test the hypothesis by collecting data, (5) Analyze data and draw conclusions.

Literature Review

A summary of previous research on a topic.

Theory

A comprehensive explanation of a phenomenon based on evidence.

Hypothesis

A testable prediction based on a theory.

Operational Definition

A precise description of how a variable will be measured or manipulated.

Population in Research

The full group of people a study aims to understand.

Sample

The smaller group actually studied, drawn from the population.

Replication

Repeating a study to verify its findings.

Peer Review Process

Evaluation of research by other experts before publication.

Psychologists’ Ethical Obligations

Do no harm, obtain informed consent, allow withdrawal, maintain confidentiality, and debrief participants.

Informed Consent in Research

Permission granted by participants after being informed of risks, benefits, and procedures.