UNIT 0 PSYCH VOCAB

Psychology

The scientific study of behavior and mental processes

Behavior

Observable actions

Mental processes

Internal experiences (thoughts, feelings)

Empiricism

Knowledge comes from experience; science should rely on observation and experimentation

Wilhelm Wundt

Father of psychology; created the first psychology lab (1879)

Edward Titchener

Introduced structuralism—used introspection to explore the mind

William James

Founded functionalism—focused on how mental processes help us adapt

Mary Whiton Calkins

First female APA president

Margaret Floy Washburn

First woman to earn a Ph.D. in psychology

Structuralism

Used introspection to analyze mind structure

Functionalism

Focused on how behaviors help people adapt

Behaviorism

Psychology = study of observable behavior

John B. Watson & B.F. Skinner

Behaviorists, rejected introspection

Humanistic Psychology

Emphasized human growth and potential

Carl Rogers & Abraham Maslow

Humanistic psychologists

Cognitive Psychology

Studies mental processes like memory, language, problem-solving

Biopsychosocial Approach

Combines biology, psychology, and social factors

Nature vs. Nurture

Debate over genetic inheritance vs. environment

Biological Domain

How brain, neurotransmitters, and genes affect behavior

Clinical Domain

Diagnosing and treating mental disorders

Cognitive Domain

Study of thinking, memory, and decision-making

Counseling Domain

Helps people cope with life challenges

Developmental Domain

Studies how we grow and change over time

Educational Domain

Studies how people learn

Experimental Domain

Conducts research to understand behavior

Human Factors Domain

How people interact with machines/environment

Industrial-Organizational (I/O)

Applies psychology to workplace behavior

Personality Domain

Studies individual traits and patterns

Psychometric Domain

Focuses on test design, validity, and intelligence

Social Domain

Studies how people influence each other

Scientific Method

Ask a question → form hypothesis → test → analyze → conclude

Theory

Explains behaviors/events using principles

Hypothesis

Testable prediction from a theory

Operational Definition

Specific description of how variables are measured

Replication

Repeating a study to confirm results

Case Study

In-depth study of one person or group

Naturalistic Observation

Observing behavior in natural settings

Survey

Collects data from large groups via questions

Population

All individuals being studied

Sample

Subset of the population

Random Sampling

Everyone has equal chance to be included

Correlation

Relationship between two variables

Correlation ≠ Causation

Indicates that correlation does not imply causation

Experiment

Manipulates variables to find cause-effect

Independent Variable (IV)

The factor that's changed

Dependent Variable (DV)

The result that's measured

Control Group

Does not receive the treatment

Random Assignment

Assigns participants by chance

Confounding Variables

Other factors that may influence outcome

Placebo Effect

Expectation affects results

Double-Blind Procedure

Neither participants nor experimenters know who got treatment