Psych Unit 1 Myers Chapter 1 Modules 1-3 (Imported from Quizlet)

Empiricism

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

Structuralism

an early school of psychology that used introspection to explore the elemental structure of the human mind. Edward Titchener

Functionalism

a school of psychology that focused on how our mental and behavioral processes function--how they enable us to adapt, survive, and flourish. William James

Experimental Psychology

the study of behavior and thinking using the experimental method.

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

historically significant perspective that emphasized the growth potential of healthy people and the individual's potential for personal growth.

Cognitive Neuroscience

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

Psychology

the science 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.

Natural Selection

the principle that, among the range of inherited trait variations, those contributing to reproduction and survival will most likely be passed 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

a branch of psychology that studies the links between biological (including neuroscience and behavior genetics) 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 roots of behavior and mental processes using the principles of natural selection.

Psychodynamic Psychology

a branch of psychology that studies how 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 measurement of human abilities, attitudes, and traits.

Basic Research

pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base.

Developmental Psychology

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

Applied Research

scientific study that aims to solve practical problems.

Industrial-Organized (I/O) Psychology

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

Human Factors Psychology

the study of how people and machines interact and the design of safe and easily used machines and environments.

Counseling Psychology

a branch of psychology that assists people with problems in living (often related to school, work, or marriage) 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 often provide medical (for example, drug) treatments as well as psychological 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.

Testing Effect

enhanced memory after retrieving, rather than simply rereading, information. Also sometimes referred to as a retrieval practice effect or test-enhanced learning.

SQ3R

a study method incorporating five steps: Survery, Question, Read, Rehearse, Review.

Psychology

The scientific study of behavior and mental processes

Who thought the mind was separate from the body and continues after the body has died?

Socrates, Plato, Descartes

Who thought the soul is not separable from the body and the same holds good of particular parts of the soul?

Aristotle

Who is one of the founders of modern Science? He was fascinated by the human mind and its failings.

Francis Bacon

Who argued that when someone is born his or her mind is born blank? This finding helped form modern empiricism

John Locke

Who was the first scientist to conduct a laboratory experiment?

William Wundt

Who created the idea of introspection?

Edward Titchener

Who is William James?

Philosopher-psychologist

Hindsight Bias

I-knew-it-all-along-phenomenon, the tendency to believe after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it

False Consensus Effect

the tendency to overestimate the extent to which others share our beliefs and behsviors

Which research technique is most directly useful for avoiding the thinking error known as the false consensus effect?

random sampling

Descriptive research method?

Describes, does not explain. It describes behavior not explains it. Cannot enter the realm of explaining or else it's not descriptive anymore. 3 types of descriptive

Naturalistic Observation

Studying a subject in its natural environment rather than in a lab. Pros: no lab effect, natural Cons: uncontrolled, not replicable, bias, abundance of information. Example: Darwin.

Case Study

Study focused on a single individual or group. Pros: in-depth, a lot of information, can observe a rare case in detail. Cons: Not replicable or representative. Ex: Phineas Gage.

Survey

Asking large #s of standardized self-report Qs to large #s of people. Pros: # of subjects, representative, replicable, cheap, distributable. Cons: survey design, sample bias. Ex: Exit polls

Experimental

Does explain... cause and effect. Scientific research, one variable manipulated and another studied. Pros: Replicable, generalizable, causation. Cons: Lab setting not natural, ethical limits, $$. Ex: Turkey and sleepiness.

Independent Variable (I.V)

The manipulated / changed variable (method of encoding)

Dependent Variable

Variable that is measured

Experimental condition

receives "treatment," or the condition of the I.V. of interest

Control condition

receives NO treatment of a placebo/compare to experimental group *MUST expose to like conditions

Random assignment

assigned to different conditions by chance

Operational Definitions

Define variables so experiment can be replicated

Central Tendency

composite numbers describing the distribution of scores

Statistically Significant

empirically comparing the difference between the data of the experimental and control groups. A statistically significant result means that the result is likely NOT due to chance.