Unit 1 and 2 Psych

Psychology

The scientific study of behavior and mental processes, blending concepts from philosophy and biology/physiology.

Wilhelm Wundt

A German physiologist who established the first psychology laboratory in 1879, marking the formal beginning of modern psychology.

William James

An American psychologist known for developing functionalism, focusing on the purpose and function of the mind and behavior.

Functionalism

A school of thought emphasizing the adaptive purpose and function of mental processes in an organism's interaction with its environment.

Structuralism

A school of thought focused on breaking down mental processes into their most basic components through introspection.

Humanism

A psychological perspective that emphasizes human potential, free will, self-actualization, and the importance of personal growth.

Psychoanalytic

A perspective based on Sigmund Freud's theories, emphasizing the influence of unconscious drives and early childhood experiences on behavior.

Biopsychology

Examines the biological bases of psychological processes, including genetics, hormones, and the nervous system.

Evolutionary Psychology

Explains behavior and mental processes in terms of their adaptive value and how they are shaped by natural selection.

Behavioral Psychology

Focuses on observable behavior and how it is learned through conditioning, without reference to internal mental states.

Cognitive Psychology

Studies mental processes such as perception, memory, thinking, language, and problem-solving.

Sociocultural Psychology

Examines how social and cultural environments influence behavior and mental processes.

Hindsight Bias

The tendency to believe, after an event has occurred, that one would have predicted it beforehand.

Overconfidence

The tendency to be more certain than correct, often overestimating the accuracy of one's beliefs and judgments.

Longitudinal Research

A research design studying the same group of individuals repeatedly over an extended period.

Cross-Sectional Research

A research design comparing different groups of individuals at a single point in time.

Descriptive Research

Research methods aimed at observing and describing behavior without manipulating variables.

Case Study

An intensive, in-depth investigation of a single individual, group, or situation.

Survey

A research method involving the collection of data from a sample of individuals through questionnaires or interviews.

Naturalistic Observation

Observing and recording behavior in its natural environment without researcher intervention.

Correlation Research

A research method investigating the statistical relationship between two variables.

Scatter Plot

A graphical representation of the relationship between two variables with each point representing a pair of data values.

Line of Best Fit

A line drawn through points on a scatter plot that best represents the overall trend of the data.

Correlation Coefficient

A statistical measure that quantifies the strength and direction of a linear relationship between two variables.

Correlation does not equal causation

A principle stating that while two variables may be related, one does not necessarily cause the other.

Experiments

A research method where researchers manipulate independent variables to observe their effect on dependent variables.

Independent Variable (IV)

The variable manipulated by the experimenter in an experiment.

Dependent Variable (DV)

The variable measured in an experiment, expected to change in response to the manipulation of the independent variable.

Operational Definition

A clear statement of how a variable will be measured or manipulated in research.

Population

The entire group of individuals that a researcher is interested in studying.

Random Sample

A sample ensuring every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected.

Random Assignment

The process of assigning participants to experimental and control groups by chance.

Experimental Group

The group in an experiment that receives the treatment or manipulation of the independent variable.

Control Group

The group in an experiment that does not receive the treatment; serves as a baseline for comparison.

Experimenter Bias

A phenomenon where a researcher's expectations unconsciously influence the study's outcome.

Participant Bias

The tendency for participants' expectations to influence their behavior or responses in a study.

Blind Procedure

A procedure where participants are unaware of their group assignment in the experiment.

Double Blind Procedure

A procedure where both participants and researchers are unaware of group assignments.

Placebo

An inert substance or treatment given to the control group in an experiment.

Hawthorne Effect

The tendency of individuals to change their behavior in response to being observed.

Confounding Variables

Factors other than the independent variable that could affect the dependent variable.

Statistical Significance

The likelihood that an observed result occurred by chance, typically indicated by a p-value less than 0.05.

Mean

The arithmetic average of a set of scores, calculated by summing all values and dividing by their count.

Median

The middle score in a distribution when scores are arranged in order.

Mode

The score that occurs most frequently in a data set.

Range

The difference between the highest and lowest scores in a distribution.

Standard Deviation

A measure of the average amount scores deviate from the mean; a larger standard deviation indicates greater variability.

Normal Distribution

A symmetrical, bell-shaped curve representing most data points clustered around the mean.

Positive Skew

A distribution where the tail extends to the right; mean > median > mode.

Negative Skew

A distribution where the tail extends to the left; mean < median < mode.

Inferential Statistics

Statistical methods allowing researchers to make generalizations about a population based on sample data.

Validity

The extent to which a test or research method accurately measures what it is intended to measure.

Reliability

The consistency of a measure, yielding similar results under similar conditions.

Informed Consent

The ethical principle requiring researchers to fully inform participants about the nature of the research.

Debriefing

The process of informing participants about a study’s true purpose and details after participation.

Anonymity

Ensuring participants' identities remain unknown to researchers and cannot be linked to their data.

Coercion

Forcing or pressuring someone to participate in a study, which is ethically prohibited.

No Harm Principle

An ethical standard requiring researchers to protect participants from physical or psychological harm.

Neurons

The fundamental units of the nervous system, specialized cells transmitting electrical and chemical signals.

Axon

A long projection of a neuron conducting electrical impulses away from the cell body.

Dendrite

Branch-like extensions of a neuron that receive chemical messages from other neurons.

Synapse

The microscopic gap between the axon terminal of one neuron and the dendrite of another, where communication occurs.

Neurotransmitters

Chemical messengers transmitting signals across the synapse from one neuron to another.