pysch semester 1 flashcards

Locke

English empiricist philosopher who believed that all knowledge is derived from sensory experience (1632-1704)

Wundt

father of psychology

Freud

psychoanalysis founder

Watson

Behaviorism; "Little Albert Study"; aversion therapy

Skinner

operant conditioning man

Rogers

Humanistic founder

Empiricism

what we know comes from experience

Psychology

the scientific study of behavior and mental processes

Nature vs. Nurture

Do genes (nature) or environmental factors (nurture) contribute more to a person's being?

biopsychosocial approach

an integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological, and social-cultural levels of analysis

Biological Approach

an approach to psychology focusing on the body, especially the brain and nervous system

Evolutionary Approach

traits that have been passed down from previous generations

Pyschodynamic Approach

how behavior springs from unconscious drives and conflicts

behavioral approach

how environment shapes behavior

Cognitive Approach

how we encode, process, store, and retrieve information

humanistic approach

focused on our inner capacities for growth and self-fulfillment

social-cultural approach

how situations and cultures affect our behavior and thinking

pyschometrics

the scientific study of the measurement of human abilities, attitudes, and traits

biological psychologists

explore the links between brain and mind

developmental psychologist

studies psychological development across the lifespan

cognitive pyschologists

psychologists who study the way people think, remember, and mentally organize information

educational psychologist

focuses on how effective teaching and learning take place

personality psychologists

Psychologists who study the characteristics that make individuals similar to, or different from, one another

social pyschologists

the scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another

Industrial/Organizational Psychologists

Psychologists who study ways to improve efficiency, productivity, and satisfaction among workers and the organizations that employ them

human factors psychologists

focus on the interaction of people, machines, and physical environments

Counseling Psychologists

Psychologists who specialize in the treatment of everyday adjustment problems.

Clinical Psychologists

Psychologists who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders and everyday behavioral problems.

Psychiatrists

medical doctors licensed to prescribe drugs and otherwise treat physical causes of psychological disorders

Forensic Psychologists

apply psychological principles to legal issues

Sports Psychologists

apply psychological principles to help athletes set goals, train, and concentrate their efforts

hindsight bias

I knew it all along phenomenon

Overconfidence

the tendency to be more confident than correct—to overestimate the accuracy of our beliefs and judgments.

critical thinking

thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions.

Theory

A hypothesis that has been tested with a significant amount of data

Hypothesis

A testable prediction, often implied by a theory

operational definition

a statement of the procedures used to define research variables (measurable)

Replication

repeating the essence of a research study, usually with different participants in different situations, to see whether the basic finding extends to other participants and circumstances

Population

all those in a group being studied, from which samples may be drawn

random sample

a sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion

case study

study of one individual in great detail

survey

the collection of data by having people answer a series of questions

naturalistic observation

observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation

experiment

A research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factors to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process

Correlation

A measure of the relationship between two variables

correlation coefficient

a statistical index of the relationship between two things (from -1 to +1)

Scatterplot

a graphed cluster of dots, each of which represents the values of two variables

positive correlation

A correlation where as one variable increases, the other also increases, or as one decreases so does the other. Both variables move in the same direction.

negative correlation

as one variable increases, the other decreases

illusory correlation

the perception of a relationship where none exists

random assignment

assigning participants to experimental and control conditions by chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between those assigned to the different groups

double-blind procedure

an experimental procedure in which both the research participants and the research staff are ignorant (blind) about whether the research participants have received the treatment or a placebo.

placebo effect

improvement resulting from the mere expectation of improvement

experimental group

the group that is exposed to the treatment

control group

the group that is not exposed to the treatment

independent variable

The experimental factor that is manipulated

dependent variable

The measurable effect, outcome, or response in which the research is interested.

confounding variable

a factor other than the independent variable that might produce an effect in an experiment

measures of central tendency

mean, median, mode

mean, median, mode

Average, middle, most common

Measures of Variance

range and standard deviation

standard deviation

a computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean score (68,95,99)

statistical significance

how likely it is that an obtained result occurred by chance or if it was caused by the experiment

sample size

the number of individuals in a sample

normal curve

A symmetrical, bell-shape that describes the distribution of many types of data; most scores fall near the mean (68 percent fall within one standard deviation of it) and fewer and fewer near the extremes.

percentile rank

indicates how well a student performed in comparison to the students in the specific norm group

skewed right distribution

The peak of the data is to the left side of the graph. There are only a few data points to the right side of the graph.

Skewed Left Distribution

The peak of the data is to the right side of the graph. There are only a few data points to the left side of the graph.

Confidentiality

Respecting the privacy of both parties and keeping details secret

No harm

mental and physical damage can not occur

informed consent

principle that research participants be told enough to enable them to choose whether they wish to participate

Debriefing

the post-experimental explanation of a study, including its purpose and any deceptions, to its participants

social psychologists

explore how we view and affect one another

attribution theory

the theory that we explain someone's behavior due to the situation

fundamental attribution theory

we explain behavior by overanalyzing the person and forget the impact of the situation

actor-observer effect

assuming that someone did something because thats who they are, but when you do it, there are external factors

self-serving bias

the tendency for people to take personal credit for success but blame failure on external factors

Attitudes

evaluations of people, objects, and ideas

central route persuasion

logic based

peripheral route persuasion

emotion based

foot-in-the-door phenomenon

the tendency to be more likely to agree to a large request after agreeing to a small one

cognitive dissonance

actions don't match beliefs of attitudes

Conformity

changing one's own behavior to match that of other people

normative social influence

picking up on cues to fit into a group

informational Social Influence

groups tells you what to do when you want to fit in

Compliance

changing one's behavior as a result of other people directing or asking for the change

Obedience

A form of compliance that occurs when people follow direct commands, usually from someone in a position of authority

social facilitation

improved performance in the presence of others

social inhibition

a decrease in performance in front of a crowd

social loafing

the tendency for people in a group to exert less effort

Deindividuation

the loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations

bystander effect

the tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present

group polarization

beliefs get stronger when talked to with people that think the same

Groupthink

you don't think in a group, wanting harmony overrides personal belief

Culture

Beliefs, customs, and traditions of a specific group of people.

Cultural Norms

prescriptions for how people should interact and what messages should mean in a particular setting

prejudice

an unjustifiable (and usually negative) attitude toward a group and its members. generally involves stereotyped beliefs, negative feelings, and a predisposition to discriminatory action.

sterotype

A generalized belief about a group of people

Discrimination

unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group and its members

ingroup

"Us"—people with whom we share a common identity.