psych unit 1: key concepts

Psychology

scientific study of behavior and mental processes; describe, explain, and influence behavior

Basic vs. Applied

Pursuit of knowledge about phenomena for its own sake vs. discovering ways to use scientific findings to accomplish practical goals

Scientific Method

Ask questions, form a hypothesis, design an experiment, collect data, analyze, draw conclusion

Origins of psychology

• philosophy; Plato and Aristotle explored min, behavior, and human nature

• science in 1879; William Wundt established first lab, approaching structuralism and functionalism

• modern developed: psychoanalysis, behaviorism, Gestalt, humanism, cognative

Biological Approach

focuses on how the brain, genes, hormones, and vernois system influence behavior and mental processes

Behavioral Approach

focuses on observable behavior and how it. is shaped by learning, rewards, punishments, and the environment

Cognitive Approach

focuses on thoughts, memory, attention, perception, and problem-solving

Psychodynamic Approach

focuses on how unconscious thoughts, emotions, and past experiences influence. behavior

Humanistic Approach

focuses on free will, personal growth, self-esteem, and reaching one’s potential

Descriptive Research

used to observe and describe behavior without trying to explain why it happens

Correlational Research

used to determine whether two or more variables are related. It can show a relationship but cannot prove cause and effect

Experimental Research

used to determine cause and effect by changing one variable and observing its effect on another. Researchers usually use a control and experimental group

Qualitative vs. Quantitative

uses words and descriptions, usually smaller groups, explores experiences and meanings, depth and understanding vs. uses numbers and words, bigger groups, measures variables, patterns and relations

Mean

refered to as average; add up scores/ # of scores

Mode

score that appears the most; may be more than one- bimodal

Median

central score in the distribution; write numbers out in ascending order to find

Descriptive Statistics

summarizes and organizes the data you already collected; mean, mode, median, percentages, graphs. what does the data look like?

Inferential Statistics

uses data from a sample to make conclusions or predictions about a larger population; hypothesis tests, confidence intervals. what can we conclude from the data?

Positive Correlation

when one variable increases, the other also tends to increase, ex. more hours of studying → higher test scores

Negative Correlation

when one variable increases, the other tends to decrease, ex. more hours exercising → less body fat

Zero Correlation

there is no clear relationship between the two variables, ex. shoe size & test scores

Correlation

2 variables are related, but it doesn’t mean that one causes the other

Causation

1 variable directly produces a change in another

Jean Piaget: Cogitive Development

Focused on how children's thinking and reasoning develop as they grow. He beleived children actively build knowledge through experiences and move through four stages of cognitive development

Sigmund Freud: Psychodynamic Theory

focused on how unconscious thoughts, emotions, and early childhood experiences shape personality and behavior. He believed development occurs through five psychosexual stages