ap psych unit 0

Psychology

The science of behavioral and mental processes.

Psychodynamics

School of psychology that believes one’s behavior/personality is a result of interactions of the individual outside of their conscious awareness.

Behaviorism

A psychological theory that studies how people and animals learn and behave through interactions with their environment.

Cognitive Psychology

Study of mental processes in the broadest sense.

Biological Psychology

Literal study of the parts of the Brain, nervous system, endocrine system.

Evolutionary Psychology

Focuses on the origins of the human mind and behavior.

Socio-Cultural Psychology

School of psychology that emphasizes how society and culture can shape one’s behaviors and thought processes.

Humanistic Perspective

psychology emphasizes personal growth and self-actualization, focusing on individual potential and the importance of free will.

Psychiatry

Focuses on treatment via medical doctors licensed to prescribe drugs and otherwise treat physical causes of psychological disorders.

Basic Research

Pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base.

Applied Research

Scientific study that aims to solve practical problems.

Confirmation Bias

A tendency to search for information that supports our preconceptions and to ignore or distort contradictory evidence.

False Consensus Effect

The tendency to overestimate the extent to which others share our beliefs and behaviors.

Hindsight Bias

The tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it. (Also known as the I-knew-it-all-along phenomenon.)

Overconfidence

tendency of individual to overestimate abilities, leading them to make decisions without considering potential risks

P.O.R.E

Perceiving order in random events. A tendency to see patterns in events that are completely random.

Meta-Analysis

Set of statistical techniques for combining data from independent studies to produce a single estimate of effect. Very objective and accurate.

Naturalistic Observation

Involves the systematic study of behavior in natural settings rather than a laboratory. Participants cannot know they are being watched.

Case Studies

Oldest form of descriptive research. Focuses on a single person or group over a long period of time. Participants can know they’re being watched.

Correlational Study

Type of research technique based on the naturally occurring relationship between two or more variables. Involves the use of scatterplots.

Experimental Research

A research technique in which an investigator deliberately manipulates selected events or circumstances and then measures the effects of those manipulations on subsequent behavior.

Double-Blind Experiment

When the experimenter and subjects both do not know anything about the experiment.

Single-Blind Experiment

An experimental procedure where only the subjects do not know whether they are receiving the treatment or a placebo, while the experimenter is aware.

Experimenter Bias

unconscious influence a researcher’s expectations or beliefs have on design/interpretation of experiment

Social Desirability Bias

response bias where an individual tends to answer questions in a way that appears socially desirable or favorable rather than revealing true behaviors 

Likert Scales

survey tool used to measure attitude/opinions/levels of agreement; usually a 5 point scale of strongly disagree to strongly agree

Placebo Effect

Feeling as if in the experimental group while being in the control group.

Hawthorne Effect

When subjects of an experimental study change or improve their behavior because it is being evaluated or studied.

Confounding Variable

A factor other than the independent variable that might influence the dependent variable in an experiment, potentially skewing results.

Sampling Bias

A systematic error that occurs when the sample is not representative of the population being studied, leading to skewed results.

Self-Report Bias

a type of measurement error where individuals provide inaccurate or distorted information about their own thoughts, feelings, or behaviors in surveys or interviews

Informed Consent

a process where a patient gives voluntary agreement to participate in treatment or research after being fully informed of the details

Confidentiality 

Keeping participants' information private and secure.

Deception

Misleading participants about aspects of a study for valid research purposes.

Debrief

a post-experiment procedure where researchers explain the study's purpose to participants, especially if deception was used

Central Tendency

statistical measures (mean, median, and mode) used to identify the central or average value of a data set

Skewed Curve

an asymmetrical graph where data points cluster at one end, creating a long "tail" on the other side

Bimodal Distribution

a frequency distribution with two distinct peaks or modes, which indicates two separate subgroups or phenomena within the data

Standard Deviation

A computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean score.

Normal Curve

A normal distribution – A symmetrical bell-shaped curve describing the distribution of many types of data; most scores fall near the mean.

Statistical Significance

How likely it is than an obtained result occurred by chance or if it truly represented the overall population.

P-Value

A statistical measure used to determine the likelihood that an observed outcome is the result of chance.

Regression Toward Mean

the statistical phenomenon where an extreme measurement is likely to be followed by one that is closer to the average

Correlation Coefficient

a statistical measure of the strength and direction of a linear relationship between two variables, ranging from -1 to +1

Random Assignment

Randomly allocating participants to experimental or control groups to reduce bias.

Operational Definition

A precise explanation of how variables are measured in a study.

Representative Sample

A subset of a population that accurately reflects the whole.

Random Sampling

Selecting participants in a way that each has an equal chance of being chosen.

Convenience Sampling

Choosing participants based on availability and ease of access.

Directionality Problem

In correlation research, uncertainty about which variable affects the other.

Third Variable Problem

The possibility that an outside variable is influencing both correlated variables.