Psychology Vocabulary Flashcards

Flashcards covering key vocabulary terms from introductory psychology lecture notes. These flashcards aim to help students review important definitions, concepts, and theories in preparation for exams.

Hypothesis

A tentative explanation that must be falsifiable, meaning it can be supported or rejected through research.

Operational Definition

Clear, precise, and quantifiable definition of a variable, allowing for replication and reliable data collection.

Qualitative Data

Descriptive data, such as eye color.

Quantitative Data

Numerical data that is ideal and necessary for statistical analysis.

Population

The entire group to which research findings could apply.

Sample

The specific people or person chosen for a study.

Correlation

Identifies the relationship between two variables but does not establish causation.

Directionality Problem

The difficulty in determining which direction the correlation goes; for example, does depression cause low self-esteem, or vice versa?

Third Variable Problem

A different variable is responsible for the relationship between two observed variables (e.g., ice cream sales and murder rates).

Positive Correlation

Variables increase and decrease together.

Negative Correlation

As one variable increases, the other decreases.

Experiment

Purposefully manipulates variables to determine cause and effect.

Independent Variable

The variable purposefully altered by the researcher to look for an effect.

Experimental Group

The group that receives the treatment (part of the independent variable); there can be multiple experimental groups.

Control Group

The group that receives a placebo or serves as a baseline for comparison (part of the independent variable); there can only be one control group.

Dependent Variable

The variable being measured, which is dependent on the independent variable.

Placebo Effect

Any observed effect on behavior caused by the placebo itself, showing the effectiveness of the experimental treatment.

Double-Blind Experiment

An experiment where neither the participant nor the experimenter knows which condition people are assigned to.

Single-Blind Experiment

Only the participant is blind to their condition, used if the experimenter cannot be blind.

Confound

An error or flaw in a study that is accidentally introduced.

Random Assignment

Assigning participants to either the control or experimental group at random to increase the chance of equal representation among groups.

Naturalistic Observation

Observing people in their natural settings.

Case Study

Studies one person (usually) in great detail.

Meta-Analysis

Combines multiple studies to increase sample size and examine effect sizes.

Descriptive Statistics

Show the shape of the data.

Measures of Central Tendency

Includes mean, median, and mode.

Mean

The average, used in normal distribution.

Median

The middle number, used in skewed distribution.

Mode

The number that occurs most often.

Bimodal

Has two modes, usually indicating good and bad scores.

Skew

Created by outliers, can be negative or positive.

Negative Skew

The mean is to the left (negative side), and the mode is to the right.

Positive Skew

The mean is to the right.

Range

Distance between the smallest and biggest number.

Standard Deviation

The average amount the scores are spread from the mean (bigger number = more spread).

Inferential Statistics

Establishes significance (meaningfulness).

Statistical Significance

Results not due to chance; experimental manipulation caused the difference in means.

Effect Size

Data has practical significance; bigger is better.

Confidentiality

Names kept secret.

Informed Consent

Participants must agree to be part of the study.

Debriefing

Participants must be told the true purpose of the study after participation, especially if deception was used.

Social Desirability

People lie to look good on surveys.

Wording Effects

Framing a question can impact answers on surveys.

Random Sample (Selection)

Method for choosing participants for a study where everyone has a chance to take part.

Representative Sample

Sample mimics the general population (ethnic, gender, age).

Convenience Sample

Select participants on availability (less representative and less generalizability).

Sampling Bias

Sample isn’t representative due to convenience sampling.

Experimenter Bias / Participant Bias

Experimenter or participant expectations influence the outcome.

Confirmation Bias

Find information that supports preexisting beliefs.

Hindsight Bias

"I knew it all along".

Overconfidence

Overestimate our knowledge/abilities.

Hawthorne Effect

People change behavior when watched.

Evolutionary Psychology

Study of how natural selection influences behavior.

Heredity (Nature)

How genes influence behavior.

Environment (Nurture)

How outside situations influence behavior (school).

Central Nervous System

Brain and spinal cord.

Peripheral Nervous System

Rest of the nervous system, relays to the central nervous system.

Somatic Nervous System

Voluntary movement, has sensory and motor neurons.

Autonomic Nervous System

Involuntary organs (heart, lungs, etc.).

Sympathetic Nervous System

Fight/flight (generally activates).

Parasympathetic Nervous System

Rest/digest (generally inhibits).

Neuron

Basic cell of the nervous system.

Dendrites

Receive incoming neurotransmitters.

Axon

Action potential travels down this.

Myelin Sheath

Speeds up action potential down axon, protects axon.

Synapse

Gap between neurons.

Sensory Neurons

Receive sense signals from the environment and send signals to the brain.

Motor Neurons

Send signals to move from the brain.

Interneurons

Cells in the spinal cord/brain responsible for reflex arc.

Reflex Arc

Important stimuli skip the brain and route through the spinal cord for immediate reactions.

Glia

Support cells, give nutrients and clean up around neurons.

Resting Potential

Neuron maintains a -70mv charge when not doing anything.

Depolarization

Charge of neuron briefly switches from negative to positive, triggers the action potential.

Neurotransmitters

Chemicals released in the synaptic gap, received by neurons. Classified as excitatory (increase APs) or inhibitory (decrease APs).

GABA

Major inhibitory neurotransmitter.

Glutamate

Major excitatory neurotransmitter.

Dopamine

Reward & fine movement, assoc. w/ addiction.

Serotonin

Moods, emotion, sleep, too little assoc. w/ depression.

Acetylcholine (ACh)

Memory and movement, assoc. w/ Alzheimer’s.

Norepinephrine

Sympathetic NS - too little assoc. w/ depression.

Endorphins

Decrease pain.

Hormones

Chemical messengers released into the bloodstream.

Agonist

Drug that mimics a neurotransmitter.

Antagonist

Drug that blocks a neurotransmitter.

Reuptake

Unused neurotransmitters are taken back up into the sending neuron.

Psychoactive Drugs

Chemicals that affect the nervous system and result in altered consciousness.

Tolerance

Needing more of a drug to achieve the same effects.

Withdrawal

Symptoms associated with sudden stoppage of drug use.

Cerebellum

Movement, balance, coordination, procedural memory.

Brainstem / Medulla

Vital organs (HR, BP, breathing).

Reticular Activating System

Alertness, arousal, sleep, eye movement.

Cerebral Cortex

Outer portion of the brain – higher-order thought processes.

Limbic System

Includes the amygdala, hippocampus, hypothalamus, thalamus, and pituitary gland.

Amygdala

Emotions, fear.

Hippocampus

Episodic and semantic memory.

Hypothalamus

Reward/pleasure center, eating behaviors, link to endocrine system, homeostasis.

Thalamus

Relay center for all senses but smell.

Occipital Lobe

Vision.

Frontal Lobe

Decision making, planning, judgment, movement, personality, language, executive function.

Motor Cortex

Back of frontal lobe - map of our motor receptors, controls skeletal movement.