Psychology in Everyday Life - Key Terms

Vocabulary flashcards covering core terms, psychological perspectives, subfields, research methods, and study techniques from Psychology in Everyday Life.

critical thinking

Thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions, but instead examines assumptions, appraises the source, discerns hidden biases, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions.

structuralism

An early school of thought promoted by Wundt and Titchener that used introspection to reveal the structure of the human mind.

functionalism

An early school of thought promoted by James and influenced by Darwin that explored how mental and behavioral processes function to enable an organism to adapt, survive, and flourish.

behaviorism

The view that psychology should be an objective science that studies observable behavior without reference to mental processes.

humanistic psychology

A historically significant psychological perspective that emphasized human growth potential.

cognitive psychology

The study of mental processes, such as those that occur when we perceive, learn, remember, think, communicate, and solve problems.

cognitive neuroscience

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

psychology

The science of behavior and mental processes.

culture

The enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next.

biopsychosocial approach

An integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological, and social-cultural viewpoints to analyze behavior or 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.

dual processing

The principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks.

counseling psychology

A branch of psychology that assists people with problems in living (often related to school, work, or relationships) 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 sometimes provide medical treatments as well as psychological therapy.

community psychology

A branch of psychology that studies how people interact with their social environments and how social institutions affect individuals and groups.

positive psychology

The scientific study of human flourishing, with the goals of discovering and promoting strengths and virtues that help individuals and communities to thrive.

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).

peer reviewers

Scientific experts who critically evaluate a research article's quality, methodology, and originality before it is accepted for publication.

theory

An explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes observations and predicts behaviors or events.

hypothesis

A testable prediction, often implied by a theory.

operational definition

A carefully worded statement of the exact procedures and operations used in a research study.

replication

Repeating the essence of a research study, usually with different participants in different situations, to see whether the basic finding extends to other circumstances.

preregistration

Publicly communicating planned study design, hypotheses, data collection, and analyses before research begins.

case study

A descriptive technique in which one individual or group is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles.

naturalistic observation

A descriptive technique of observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate or control the situation.

survey

A descriptive technique for obtaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a particular group, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of the group.

population

All those in a group being studied, from which samples may be drawn.

random sample

A sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion.

correlation

A measure of the extent to which two factors vary together, and thus of how well either factor predicts the other.

experiment

A research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more independent variables to observe the effect on a dependent variable, while controlling other relevant factors.

random assignment

Assigning participants to experimental and control groups by chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between the groups.

experimental group

In an experiment, the group exposed to the treatment, that is, to one version of the independent variable.

control group

In an experiment, the group not exposed to the treatment; contrasts with the experimental group and serves as a comparison for evaluating the treatment's effect.

placebo [pluh-SEE-bo]

An inactive substance or condition (such as a sugar pill) administered to see if it triggers the effects of an active agent.

double-blind procedure

An experimental procedure in which both the research participants and the research staff are ignorant about whether the participants have received the treatment or a placebo.

placebo effect

Experimental results caused by expectations alone; any effect on behavior caused by the administration of an inert substance or condition that the recipient assumes is active.

independent variable

In an experiment, the factor that is manipulated and whose effect is being studied.

confounding variable

A factor other than the factor being studied that might influence a study's results.

dependent variable

In an experiment, the outcome that is measured; the variable that may change when the independent variable is manipulated.

informed consent

Giving potential research participants enough information about a study to enable them to choose whether they wish to participate.

debriefing

The postexperimental explanation of a study, including its purpose and any deceptions, given to its participants.

testing effect

Enhanced memory after retrieving, rather than simply rereading, information (also referred to as a retrieval practice effect or test-enhanced learning).

SQ3R

A study method incorporating five steps: Survey, Question, Read, Retrieve, and Review.