Introduction & History of Psychology (Vocabulary Flashcards)

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering key terms from the lecture notes on the scientific approach to psychology, its history, and core theories.

Psychology

The scientific study of behavior, thought, and experience.

Scientific method

Systematic, empirical observation to generate testable hypotheses and accumulate knowledge.

Systematic observation

Carefully planned, repeatable observation used to test hypotheses.

Unsystematic (anecdotal) observation

Observation based on casual, non-repeatable anecdotes rather than controlled data.

Hypothesis

A testable prediction derived from a theory or idea.

Control group

A baseline group that does not receive the experimental manipulation, used for comparison.

Random assignment

Assigning participants to groups by chance to reduce bias and support causal conclusions.

Empirical measurement

Data collected through observation or measurement rather than opinion.

Type I error

False positive: concluding there is an effect when there isn’t one.

Type II error

False negative: failing to detect a real effect due to sampling error or insufficient data.

Sample size

The number of observations in a study; larger samples increase reliability and statistical power.

Blind men and the elephant (paradigm)

Illustrates how multiple partial views can form a fuller understanding when combined.

Science is cumulative

Knowledge builds on previous findings; each new result extends the scientific record.

Science is democratic

Multiple perspectives and replications are needed to approach closer to truth.

Tentative language

Science communicates findings as tentative or probabilistic (e.g., 'tends to be'), not absolute.

Wundt

Wilhelm Wundt; founded the first modern psychology laboratory (1879), making psychology an experimental science.

William James

Introduced the first psychology course in the US; emphasized the mind’s purpose and function.

G. Stanley Hall

First US psychology laboratory and journal; mentored future influential psychologists.

Francis Cecil Suther

First African American PhD in psychology.

Margaret Floy Washburn

First woman to earn a PhD in psychology.

Levels of Processing

Memory theory: deeper, meaning-based processing yields better retention than shallow processing.

Scientific theory

Well-supported, testable framework that explains data, generates hypotheses, and is falsifiable.

Falsifiability

The quality of a theory being testable and potentially disprovable.