Chapter(s) 1 - 4 - PSY 219

Scientific Method

A way to learn about things by asking questions and doing experiments.

Hypothesis

An idea you can test to see if it's true or false.

Empirical Evidence

Facts you find by watching or experimenting.

Replication

Doing a study again to check if the results are the same.

Nature vs. Nurture

A debate about what affects us more: our genes or our environment.

Differential Susceptibility

Some people are more affected by their surroundings because of their genes.

Life-Span Perspective

Understanding that we grow and change throughout our lives.

Critical Period

A special time when we are very open to learning certain things.

Sensitive Period

A time when it's easier to learn specific skills.

Ecological-Systems Approach

Looking at how different environments affect our growth.

Microsystem

The small, immediate environment like home and friends.

Exosystem

The larger community that affects us, like schools and local services.

Macrosystem

The big cultural influences around us, like laws and traditions.

Chronosystem

The changes in our environment over time and their effects.

Mesosystem

How different parts of our lives, like family and school, connect.

Cohort

A group of people born at the same time.

Socioeconomic Status (SES)

How your social and economic position affects what you have access to.

Culture

The beliefs and activities shared by a group of people.

Social Construction

How society shapes what we think is normal.

Difference-equals-deficit Error

The mistake of thinking that being different means being worse.

Ethnic Group

A group of people with similar cultural backgrounds.

Race

A way to categorize people based on physical traits.

Intersectionality

How overlapping social identities can lead to different experiences.

Plasticity

The ability to change and adapt over time.

Dynamic-Systems Approach

Understanding that growth is complex and changes with time.

Scientific Observation

Watching behavior in a careful and systematic way.

Experiment

A way to test cause-and-effect by changing something and seeing what happens.

Independent Variable

The thing you change in an experiment to see its effects.

Dependent Variable

The thing you measure in an experiment to see if it changes.

Survey

Asking people questions to gather information.

Meta-Analysis

Combining results from many studies to find patterns.

Cross-Sectional Research

Studying different groups of people at one time.

Longitudinal Research

Studying the same group of people over a long time.

Cross-Sequential Research

Mixing different age groups and studying them over time.

Correlation

A relationship where one thing changes when another thing does.

Quantitative Research

Using numbers and statistics to gather information.

Qualitative Research

Understanding people's behavior through observation and talking to them.

Developmental Theory

Ideas that explain how we grow and change as we age.

Behaviorism

Focusing on what people do and how rewards affect them.

Classical Conditioning

Learning by pairing something neutral with something that causes a reaction.