AP Psych Vocab #1

Applied Research

scientific study that focuses on solving problems and innovating new technology

Basic Research

pure research that aims to confirm an existing theory or to learn more about a concept or phenomenon

Behaviorism

theory based on the idea that behaviors are learned through conditioning and conditioning occurs through interaction with the environment, rewards and punishments

Psychoanalysis

focus on the role of the unconscious in affecting conscious behavior

Biopsychosocial

perspective that asserts that biology, psychology, and social factors interact to determine an individual's health, eclectic

Psychiatrist

Practitioners who are concerned with diagnosis and treatment of psychological problems and disorders. They can prescribe meds.

Psychologist

a professional who practices psychology and studies the mind and human behaviors

Representative Sample

same from a larger group that accurately represents the characteristics of a larger population

Convenience Sample

Non-probability sampling method where people are selected to be in the sample because they are the easiest for the researcher to access.

Humanistic Perspective

considers the basic human needs of an individual and how important they really are to the overall happiness of that person

Cognitive Perspective

focuses on how internal thoughts and feelings influence a person’s behavior

Biological Perspective

the biology of the brain and how they contribute to personality differences

Random Sample

everyone in a population has the same change of being selected for a study

Sociocultural Perspective

individual’s behavior based on the influence of the individual’s culture, how your culture affects you

Confounding Variable

a variable that the experimenter did not account for initially that affected the dependent variable

Case Study

research design involving an in-depth and detailed examination of a single subject or case, usually an individual or a small group

Correlation

Indicates the possibility of a cause-effect relationship, but does not prove causation or the direction of the influence

Dependent Variable

the variable that is measured in an experiment

Independent Variable

the variable that is changed in an experiment

Single-Blind Study

clinical trial where only the researcher doing the study knows which treatment each participant is receiving until the trial is over

Double-Blind Study

neither the participant or the researcher knows who is in the control group and who is in the experimental group

Placebo Effect

a group of people feel an effect of a drug when they have actually only received the placebo (the distracter)

Standard Deviation

measure of dispersion in a data set relative to the data’s average value

Control Group

the group in an experiment that does not have the independent variable applied to it

Experimental Group

the group in an experiment that DOES have the independent variable applied to it