Psychology Perspectives, Biases, and Research Methods

biological perspective

an approach to the study of psychology that focuses on the role of physiological processes in determining behavior

psychodynamic perspective

an approach to the study of psychology that focuses on the role that unconscious mind affects behavior

sociocultural perspective

an approach to the study of psychology that focuses on the role that a person's society and culture affect behavior

evolutionary perspective

an approach to the study of psychology that focuses on the role that natural selection plays on the mind and behavior

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

overconfidence

the tendency to overestimate the accuracy of our beliefs and judgments

operational definition

a description of something in terms of the procedures, actions, or processes by which it could be observed and measured

replication

repeating the essence of a research study, usually with different participants in different situations, to see whether the basic finding can be reproduced

behavioral perspective

an approach to the study of psychology that focuses on the role of the environment in determining behavior

cognitive perspective

an approach to the study of psychology that focuses on the role that thoughts and interpretations of the environment affect behavior

humanistic perspective

an approach to the study of psychology that focuses on the potential for healthy personal growth

biopsychosocial perspective

an eclectic approach to the study of psychology that a focuses on the interaction of physiology, the mind, and the environment in determining behavior

confirmation bias

a tendency to search for information that supports our preconceptions and to ignore or distort contradictory evidence