AP Psychology Unit 0; Scientific Foundations of Psychology

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Psychodynamic Perspective

Our unconscious mind draws conclusions from the past (specifically negative childhood memories) influencing our behaviors.

Behavioral Perspective

All behavior is learned. Conditioning, almost influenced by a reward system. Observable traits.

Social-Cultural Perspective

Behavior is based on someone’s social and cultural norms, or what they think is normal.

Evolutionary Perspective

Behavior is intrinsically motivated by survival instincts. Survival of the fittest of personality traits and behaviors.

Biological Perspective

Human behavior is explained by biological factors such as genetics, hormones, and neurotransmitters

Humanistic Perspective

Behavior is explained by what people do to meet their individual needs and reach their full potential. Everyone has different needs, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow.

Cognitive Perspective

To understand someone’s actions you must understand their predispositions and how they perceive/interpret actions. Largely based on memory, Interpretation, and perception.

Biopsychosocial approach

An integrate approach incorporating biological, psychological, and social-cultural levels of analysis. Ex: Similar style to others because it is learned when we see others wear it, culturally/socially normal, and we don’t want to stick out (unconscious mind wants others to like yourself).

Cultural Norms

Shared expectations, rules, beliefs, values, and behaviors that are considered typical in a specific group.

Confirmation Bias

Ignoring what doesn’t go along with what you believe, tendency to search for information supporting our preconceptions etc.

Hindsight Bias

The tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that we would have fore seen it. I knew it all along thing, after learning something our brains make connections.

Overconfidence

Tendency to overestimate the accuracy of our beliefs and judgements.

Experimental

Research method involving manipulation of variables to observe effects. Random assignment, experiment, control, variables.

Key words of experiment

Experiment, Variables, Control, Manipulate, Random Assignment

Case Study (non-experimental)

A descriptive technique where an individual or group is studied in the hope of revealing universal principles. Specifically used when manipulation of the thing being tested is unethical or impossible. Ex; pole in head guy

Correlation (non-experimental)

A measure of the extent two variables influence each other, how well one predicts the other. Uncontrolled, statistical relation.

Meta-Analysis

Combining multiple studies to form one conclusion. 

Key words of Meta-Analysis

Combine, conclusion, multiple studies

Naturalistic Observation (non-experimental)

Observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without manipulation or control. ABSOLUTELY NO OUTSIDE INFLUENCE.

8 Psychology Perspectives

Humanistic, Behavioral, Biological, Evolutionary, Cognitive, Psychodynamic, Social-Cultural, Biopsychosocial

4 Types of Bias

Cultural Norms, Confirmation Bias, Hindsight Bias, Overconfidence

5 Research Methodologies

Experimental, Case Study, Correlation, Meta Analysis, Naturalistic Observation

Falsifiable

A hypothesis must be able to be proven false through evidence or experimentation. Must be a possible scenario that could prove the theory incorrect. Not falsifiable, cannot be rigorously tested or scientifically supported.

Operational Definitions

Carefully worded statement of the exact procedures used in a research study.

Experimental Group

Group exposed to treatment, version of independent variable or independent variable.

Control Group

Group not exposed to treatment, contrasts to serve as comparison to experimental group

Confounding Variables

Cannot be controlled but could influence results

Single Blind

Participants unaware of the experimental conditions under which they are operating

Double Blind

Pateints and experimenters unaware of experimental conditions, especially strong with drug evaluation, eliminates expectation bias

Sample

Subset of population selected for study with aim of making inferences to the population, important to assure representative/generalizability of group.

Population

All those eligible for the sample

Representative Sample

Selection of study units from a larger group in an unbiased way to accurately reflect total population. Focused on quality of people (making sure representative)

Random Sampling

So that all in representative sample have equal probability of being chosen for sample

Sampling Bias

Systematic/directional error, choice of units affects validity of experiment due to things like convenience sampling or choosing a group with all the same preexisting differences.

Random Assignment

Assigning participants to experimental and control groups by chance, diff from random sampling as it is only in experiments.

Peer Review

Evaluation of scientific and academic work by other experts in same field

Variables in NON experimental methodology

• not controlled

• factors contributing to result

Institutional Review Board

Committee named by an agency or institution to review research proposals for ethical acceptability. Like the UN of ethical research

Informed consent

A participant knows enough to enable them to choose whether they wish to participate or not, legally binding.

Informed Assent

Obtaining agreement from participants not legally able to provide informed consent by providing them with information about study to comprehend what their participation involves, potential risks, etc.

Protection from Harm

Ethical principle requiring researchers to protect and create safeguards to avoid any kind of harm.

Confidentiality

Ethical principle requiring a limitation on the disclosure of a participant’s identifiable information.

Deception

Distortion or withholding of fact with the purpose of misleading. Not disclosed true purpose of experiment, etc.

Research Confederates

Aides of experimenter, like moles of an experiment, their behavior is rehearsed and they pose as a participant.

Debriefing

At the end of an experiment, providing participants with fuller explanation, including any deceptions and the purpose.