Unit 0 - Research Methods

Key vocab

Psychodynamic Perspective

A psychological approach that emphasizes the influence of the unconscious mind and childhood experiences on behavior and personality. It originated with the work of Sigmund Freud.

Socio-Cultural Perspective

A psychological approach that explores how social and cultural factors influence behavior, thoughts, and emotions. It examines the impact of society, culture, and interpersonal relationships on individual psychology.

Behavioral Perspective

A psychological approach that focuses on observable behaviors and the ways they're learned through interactions with the environment, emphasizing principles of conditioning. It is associated with theorists like B.F. Skinner and John Watson.

Evolutionary Perspective

A psychological approach that examines how evolutionary principles, such as natural selection, shape behaviors and mental processes. It explores the adaptive functions of behavior and cognition in human ancestors.

Humanistic Perspective

A psychological approach that emphasizes individual potential and stresses the importance of growth and self-actualization. It focuses on personal experiences and the inherent goodness of people, often associated with theorists like Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow.

Biological Perspective

A psychological approach that examines the interplay between biological processes and psychological phenomena, including the influence of genetics, neurochemistry, and brain structure on behavior and mental states.

Cognitive Perspective

A psychological approach that focuses on the processes of thinking, perception, memory, and problem-solving. It examines how people understand, diagnose, and solve problems, influencing behavior and mental functions.

Electicism

A psychological approach that integrates elements from multiple theories to provide a more comprehensive understanding of behavior and mental processes.

Cognitive Bias

A systematic pattern of deviation from norm or rationality in judgment, leading to the influence of personal beliefs and emotions on decision-making.

Cultural Norm

Shared expectations and rules that guide behavior within a specific group or culture.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to search for, interpret, and remember information that confirms one's preexisting beliefs or hypotheses, often leading to faulty reasoning.

Falsifiable Hypothesis

A hypothesis that can be proven false through experimentation or observation, allowing for the possibility of disproving a theory.

Representative Sample

A subset of a population that accurately reflects the characteristics of the entire population, ensuring that research findings can be generalized.

Random Sampling

A technique used in research where each member of a population has an equal chance of being selected for a sample, reducing bias and enhancing the representativeness of the findings.

Convenience Sampling

A non-random sampling method where participants are selected based on their easy availability and proximity to the researcher, which may introduce bias.

Sampling Bias

The systematic error that occurs when certain members of a population are more likely to be selected for a sample than others, leading to unrepresentative results.

Experimental Bias

A type of bias that occurs when researchers inadvertently influence the outcome of an experiment through their expectations or behaviors, potentially affecting the results.

Social Desirability Bias

A type of bias that occurs when participants provide inaccurate responses to align with socially acceptable norms or expectations. This can distort survey results and affect the validity of research findings.

Illusory Correlation

A cognitive bias where a perceived relationship between variables is created based on the co-occurrence of two events, often leading to incorrect conclusions about their connection.

Correlation Coefficient

A numerical measure that quantifies the strength and direction of a relationship between two variables, ranging from -1 to +1.

Self Report Bias

A type of bias that occurs when individuals' responses in surveys or studies are influenced by their own perceptions, leading to inaccurate reporting of their thoughts, feelings, or behaviors.