24/25 Semester | Final Review Guide

Independent Variable

Independent variable the variable that the researcher deliberately changes or manipulates in an experiment.

Dependent Variable

Dependent Variable the variable that is observed for changes in an experiment.

Confounding Variable

It’s a variable that wasn’t accounted for or controlled in the study but sill affects the results.

Control Group

Control Group is a group of participants who were not exposed to the independent variable, providing a baseline for comparison with the experimental group.

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) are committees responsible for reviewing and approving research proposals to ensure that they meet ethical standards are to protect the rights and welfare of research participants.

Protect Participants from Harm

Protects participants from Harm emphasizes the obligation of researchers to minimize risks and ensure the well-being of research participants throughout the study process.

Informed Consent

Informed Consent the process through which individuals voluntarily agree to participate in a research study after being provided with comprehensive information about eh study’s purpose, procedures, risks, benefits, and their rights as participants.

Informed Assent

Informed Assent similar to informed consent, but specifically applies to research involving children or individuals who may have limited decision making.

Confidentiality

Confidentiality requires researchers to handle sensitive data and personal information obtained during the study with the utmost discretion and confidentiality.

Deception

In psychology, deception may involve misleading participants about the true purposes or nature of the study, the procedures involved, or the expected outcomes.

Confederates

Confederates are individuals who are part of a research study but are actually working in collaboration with the researcher and are aware of the true purpose of the study.

Debriefing

Debriefing providing participants with comprehensive information about eh true nature, purpose, and procedures of a research study immediately after their participation.

Case Study

A research method in psychology that involves an in-depth examination of a single individual, groups, or phenomenon.

Operational Definition

Operational Definitions specifies how a researcher will measure and manipulate variables in a study.

Random Assignment

Random Assignment research method used to assign participants to different groups in an experiment randomly.

Naturalistic Observation

Naturalistic Observation research method in psychology where researchers observe and record behavior in real-world settings without intervention or manipulation.

Sympathetic Nervous System

Division of the NS that arouses the body, mobilizing energy in stressful situations.

Hippocampus

Part of the limbic system responsible for memory and learning.

Split Brain Characteristics

Each side of the brain seems to act independent without awareness of the other. Can’t read through the left eye or right portion of the screen.

Wernicke’s Area

Area of the brain that is involved in the comprehension of speech.

Broca’s Area

Area of the left frontal lobe that controls the muscle movements involved in speech.

Frontal lobe

Located in front & top, associated with reasoning, motor skills, higher level cognition and expressive language. (Executive Function)

Temporal lobe

Above the ears, containing the neurons responsible for the sense of hearing and meaningful speech.

Amygdala

Fear center, responsible for the fight or flight reaction, located in the limbic system.

Plasticity

The ability to change both the structure and function of many cells in the brain in response to experience or trauma.

Weber’s Law

To be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage.

Absolute Threshold

50%, smallest level of stimulus that can be detected.

Difference Threshold

Noticeable difference, amount of something must be changed in order for a difference to be detectable.

Linear Perspective

Makes parallel lines appear to converge at a vanishing point on the horizon.

Kinesthesis

System for sensing the position and movement of body parts.

Interposition

Object that is partially observed is perceived as being farther away.

Shape Constancy

Objects having a constant size despite viewing in different angles.

Gestalt Principles

Proximity, elements close to each other are perceived as part of the same group; similarity, elements that look similar are seen as belonging together; continuity, eye is drawn to continuous lines and patterns even if parts of the lines are missing; closure, mind fills in missing information to see complete shapes; figure-Ground, brain separates objects from their background on one while relegating the other to the backdrop; and common Fate, elements moving in the same direction/speed are perceived as a single unit.

Dendrites

Bushy branching extension of a neuron that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body.