Psch 100 Chapter 1

Statistics

The use of numbers and data to describe and study behavior.

Debriefing

Explaining the study to participants after it is finished.

Illusory correlation

Seeing a relationship between two things when no real relationship exists.

Naturalistic observation

Watching behavior in a natural setting without interfering.

Regression to the mean

The tendency for extreme results to become closer to average over time.

Empiricism / empirical approach

Gaining knowledge through observation and evidence.

Descriptive statistics

Numbers used to summarize and describe data.

Experiment

A study where researchers change one variable to see its effect on another.

Levels of analysis

Different ways of explaining behavior, such as biological, psychological, and social.

Case study

A detailed study of one person or a small group.

Clinical psychology

The field that studies, diagnoses, and treats mental disorders.

Scatterplot

A graph showing the relationship between two variables.

Experimental group

The group that receives the treatment or independent variable.

Biopsychosocial approach

Explaining behavior using biological, psychological, and social factors.

Mode

The value that appears most often in a set of data.

Critical thinking

Carefully examining evidence before accepting a claim.

Cognitive neuroscience

The study of how brain activity relates to thinking and behavior.

Variable

Anything that can change or have different values.

Preregistration

Recording a study's plan before collecting data.

Theory

An explanation that organizes observations and predicts behavior.

Control group

The group that does not receive the experimental treatment.

Basic research

Research done to increase knowledge rather than solve an immediate problem.

Median

The middle value in an ordered set of numbers.

Functionalism

An early approach that studied how thoughts and behaviors help people adapt.

Correlation coefficient

A number from -1 to +1 showing the strength and direction of a correlation.

Meta-analysis

A study that combines results from many previous studies.

Placebo

A fake treatment that looks like the real treatment.

Applied research

Research designed to solve practical problems.

Psychiatry

A medical field that diagnoses and treats mental disorders.

Structuralism

An early approach that studied the basic parts of conscious experience.

Dependent variable

The variable that is measured in an experiment.

Random assignment

Placing participants into groups by chance.

Replication

Repeating a study to see if the same results occur.

Survey

A method of collecting information by asking people questions.

Positive psychology

The study of happiness, strengths, and well-being.

Range

The difference between the highest and lowest values.

Informed consent

Participants agreeing to a study after learning its important details.

SQ3R

A study method: Survey, Question, Read, Retrieve, and Review.

Natural selection

The process where traits that help survival and reproduction become more common.

Correlation

A relationship between two variables.

Nature-nurture debate

The debate over how much genes and environment influence behavior.

Standard deviation

A measure of how spread out scores are from the average.

Cognitive psychology

The study of thinking, memory, language, and problem solving.

Operational definition

A clear description of exactly how a variable is measured.

Psychology

The scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

Normal curve

A bell-shaped distribution where most scores are near the average.

Culture

Shared beliefs, behaviors, values, and traditions of a group.

Behaviorism

The approach that studies observable behavior and how it is learned.

Population

The entire group a researcher wants to study.

Hypothesis

A specific, testable prediction.

Inferential statistics

Methods used to make conclusions about a population using sample data.

Peer review

Evaluation of research by other experts before publication.

Counseling psychology

The field that helps people handle life problems and improve well-being.

Random sample

A sample where everyone in the population has an equal chance of being selected.

Hindsight bias

The tendency to believe after an event that you knew it would happen.

Behavior genetics

The study of how genes and environment influence behavior.

Humanistic psychology

An approach focused on personal growth, free will, and human potential.

Statistical significance

Evidence that a result is unlikely to have happened by chance.

Evolutionary psychology

The study of how evolution may have shaped behavior and thinking.

Testing effect

Remembering information better by testing yourself on it.

How is psychology a science?

Psychology uses observation, measurement, experiments, and evidence to study behavior and mental processes.

What does it mean to say two variables are correlated?

It means changes in one variable are related to changes in another variable.

Explain 2-3 subfields in psychology. How are they similar? How are they different?

Clinical psychology treats mental disorders, cognitive psychology studies thinking, and biological psychology studies the brain. All study behavior, but they focus on different causes and topics.

What are the main features of critical thinking? Why is it important?

It involves questioning claims, checking evidence, considering other explanations, and avoiding bias. It helps us make accurate conclusions.

What are the major movements of psychology?

Structuralism, functionalism, behaviorism, psychoanalytic psychology, humanistic psychology, cognitive psychology, and modern biological approaches.

What are illusory correlations and how do they impact our day-to-day reasoning?

They are false beliefs that two things are related. They can cause stereotypes and incorrect conclusions.

How is the biopsychosocial model important for psychologists?

It helps psychologists understand behavior by considering biological, psychological, and social influences together.

How do psychologists establish cause-and-effect relationships?

They use controlled experiments and manipulate an independent variable while measuring a dependent variable.

Why do psychologists study animals? What are some ethical concerns about studying animals?

Animals can help researchers understand behavior and biology. Researchers must reduce suffering and provide proper care.

What are the key features of experimentation?

Manipulating an independent variable, measuring a dependent variable, using control groups, and randomly assigning participants.

Why do psychologists use different measures of central tendency?

Mean, median, and mode describe the center of data differently and are useful for different types of data.