DP1 Psychology: Unit 0 Terms & Questions

Bias

A limitation in objective thinking: a tendency to experience information though a cognitive filter, including experience or preference

Causality

The relationship between variables. Goals of most studies are a cause-and-effect relationship, but most of the time it is a correlation

Change

How to apply theory and finding with the goal of changing human behavior

Measurement

Objectively quantify variables or results of an experiment/study, can be difficult in psychology since we are measuring human behavior

Perspective

An approach to the understanding of human beings from different viewpoints

Responsibility

The relationship between parties involved - typically researchers and participants - and the need to act within certain social parameters

Participant Bias

A tendency for research participants to behave in a certain way because they know they are being observed or they believe they know what the researcher wants

Publication Bias

The possibility that published studies are not representative of all work done on a particular phenomenon. Only publishing favorable, statistically significant results

Researcher Bias

A tendency for researchers to engage in behaviors and selectively notice evidence that supports their hypotheses or expectations

Confirmation Bias

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

Sampling Bias

A flawed sampling process that produces an unrepresentative sample

Gender Bias

Behavior, sampling, results, etc that shows favoritism toward one gender over the other

Cultural Bias

An outlook influenced by the beliefs, social norms, and traits of a particular group - overrepresentation of one particular group of people over an another

Causation

A cause and effect relationship in which one variable controls the changes in another variable - very rare if not impossible in psychology

Correlation

A measure of the extent to which two factors vary together, and thus of how well either factor predicts the other - a relationship between two variables, could be strong, weak, positive, or negative

Determinism

the philosophy that holds that every event, action, and decision results from cause and effect - there is no choice

Free Will

The idea that human beings are free to make their own choices - nothing is cause and effect

Agency

The ability to think, act, and make choices independently

Locus of Control

A person's tendency to perceive the control of rewards as internal to the self or external in the environment

True Experiment

Experiment in which subjects are assigned randomly to an experimental group that receives manipulated IV and a control group that does not receive manipulation. Outcomes are then measured

Independent Variable (IV)

The variable that a researcher actively manipulates

Dependent Variable (DV)

The variable that is measured by the researcher

Control Variables

The variables you keep the same in an experiment

Linear Causality

The idea that one event is the cause and another is the effect; in behavior, the idea that one behavior is a stimulus, the other a response

Domino Causality

A cause and effect relationship where the effects become causes and there is a sequential unfolding of effects over time

Cyclical Causality

The cause leads to an effect that causes the original cause - a circle of cause and effects

Qualitative Data

descriptive data drawn from non statistical sources, including participant observation, personal stories, interviews, and life histories

Quantitative Data

Data associated with mathematical models and statistical techniques used to analyze spatial location and association - numerical data

Operationalize

To turn a conceptual definition of a variable into a specific measured variable or manipulated variable in order to conduct a research study

Hypothesis

A testable prediction, often implied by a theory

Null Hypothesis

The hypothesis that there is no significant difference between specified populations, any observed difference being due to sampling or experimental error - this is what we are trying to prove wrong

Construct

An abstract, unobservable concept used to describe and measure internal mental processes, traits, or behaviors

Objective

Unbiased, unprejudiced measurement - typically quantitative

Subjective

Influenced by personal feelings, experiences, or opinions - typically qualitative

Reflexivity

Analyzing and critically considering the researchers own role in, and effect on, the results of research

Anecdotal Data

A method of descriptively recording the behavior emitted by the learner, the response of others, and information about the environment - stories from participants

Empirical Data

Information gathered from direct observation or experimentation

Self-Reported Data

Data that are based on personal disclosures

Overconfidence Bias

The bias in which people's subjective confidence in their decision making is greater than their objective accuracy

Social Desirability Bias

A tendency to give socially approved answers to questions about oneself

Retrospective

Looking backward over a period of time

Triangulation

The use of multiple methods to study one research question

Data Triangulation

Conducting more than one form of data analysis to enhance your results

Method triangulation

Use of multiple methods of study to research the same phenomenon

Researcher Triangulation

Involves the use of several observers, interviewers, or researchers to compare and check data collection and interpretation

Biological Perspective of Psychology

Emphasizes studying the physical bases of human behavior, including the nervous system, endocrine system, immune system, and genetics

Cognitive Perspective of Psychology

Focuses on the important role of mental processes in how people process and remember information, develop language, solve problems, and think

Sociocultural Perspective of Psychology

Focuses on the relationship of social behaviors within cultures

Psychodynamic Perspective of Psychology

Focused on how behavior springs from unconscious drives and conflicts

Humanistic Perspective of Psychology

Focuses on free will and the motivation of personal development as people

Evolutionary Perspective of Psychology

Explores how natural selection affects the expression of behavior and mental processes to increase survival and reproductive success

Behavioral Perspective of Psychology

How we learn observable responses - typically focuses on reward and punishment

Ecological Perspective of Psychology

Focuses on the relationship between human behavior and the real world environment

Cross-Cultural Perspective of Psychology

How interacting cultural factors influence patterns of behavior

Interpretivism

A research perspective in which understanding and interpretation of the social world is derived from one's personal intuition and perspective

Positivism

The application of the scientific approach to the social world

Holistic

Concerning the whole rather than the parts - trying to look at the interaction of everything and how it could have an effect on behavior

Reductionist

Approach that seeks to define a complex set of facts by a simpler set of facts - trying to narrow down behavior to one action or symptom

Inductive

specific to general - starting with one or two data points, and using them to create a broad generalization or theory

Deductive

general to specific - starting with a broad generalization, then using it to collect specific data

The 6 Contexts

Bias, Causality, Change, Perspective, Measurement, Responsibility

The 3 Content Areas

Biological, Cognitive, Sociocultural

The 4 Contexts

Human Development, Learning & Cognition, Health & Well Being, Human Relationships

Characteristics of Agency

Intentionality, self-regulation, self-efficacy, and responsibility

Self-efficacy

An individual's belief that he or she is capable of performing a task

Biological Determinism

Explanations that attribute complex social phenomena to physical characteristics

Environmental Determinism

The view that the natural environment has a controlling influence over various aspects of human life including cultural development

Soft Determinism

A version of determinism that allows for some element of free will.

4 Aspects of Researcher Responsibility to a Participant

Protection from harm, informed consent, right to withdraw, maintain confidentiality

Cultural Competence

The ability to interact effectively with people of different cultures

Cultural Competence in the Indigenous Community

Incorporating traditional knowledge, holistic healing, acknowledging historical trauma, focusing on a community centered approach, and avoiding pathologizing beliefs.