Research Design, Analysis, and Biological Psychology Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards generated across all five lecture sources covering research design, ethics, methodological validity, statistics, and foundational biological psychology concepts.

Empiricism

A core principle of science stating that claims must be based on evidence and data derived from direct observation and experimentation.

Ethnocentric Bias

When researchers fail to recognize how their own cultural values and experiences shape the way they interpret behavior in other cultures.

Illusory Correlation

Perceiving a relationship between events when no actual relationship exists, such as in the Gambler's Fallacy.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one's existing beliefs or theories.

Vosniadou Mental Models of Earth

A framework describing children's developmental mental models of Earth's shape, including Sphere, Flattened Sphere, Hollow Sphere, Dual Earth, Disc Earth, and Rectangular Earth.

Operational Definition

An explanation of a construct or variable in terms of the specific observable procedures used to measure or manipulate it in a study.

Falsifiability

The requirement that a scientific hypothesis or theory must be testable and open to potential refutation by empirical evidence.

Peer Review Process

The standard scientific workflow where an author submits a manuscript, an editor performs initial triage, external reviewers submit assessments, and an editorial decision is communicated.

Predatory Publishers

Online publishing outlets that charge fees to publish articles without providing legitimate peer review or standard editorial evaluation.

Asch Conformity Experiment

A social psychology experiment demonstrating that $32\text{\%}$ of participants conformed to an incorrect majority consensus during line-judgment tasks.

Milgram Obedience Experiment

A study examining obedience where an experimenter (E) instructed a teacher (T) to administer increasing levels of electric shocks to a learner (L).

Nuremberg Code (1947)

An early set of ethical guidelines requiring voluntary participation, informed consent, and an assessment that research benefits outweigh risks.

The Belmont Report (1978)

A landmark ethical document establishing three key principles for human subjects research: Respect for persons, Beneficence, and Justice.

Assent

The agreement given by a minor to participate in research, accompanying the signed written consent provided by a parent or guardian.

Passive Deception

A method of deception in research that involves withholding information from participants through omission.

Active Deception

A method of deception in research that involves commission, or intentionally misleading participants about study details.

Debriefing

A post-experimental session required when deception is used to explain study aims, clarify participant roles, normalize behavior, and restore trust.

Internal Validity

The degree of accuracy in concluding that a causal relationship exists between an independent variable and a dependent variable.

Construct Validity

How well an operationalized test or measurement accurately captures the theoretical construct it was designed to measure.

External Validity

The extent to which study findings can be generalized across different populations, settings, and real-world conditions.

Pearson's Product Moment Correlation ($r$)

A statistic ranging from $-1$ to $+1$ measuring the direction and strength of a linear relationship between two continuous variables.

Anscombe's Quartet

A set of four datasets that share identical summary statistics (mean of $x = 9$, mean of $y = 7.5$, correlation $r = .816$) but exhibit completely different visual distributions.

Biological Psychology

The scientific study of how biological processes affect thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.

Physiological Psychology

A subfield of biopsychology that directly manipulates the nervous system of non-human animals in controlled experiments.

Psychopharmacology

A subfield of biopsychology focused on manipulating neural pathways and behavior using pharmacological agents, typically with a therapeutic focus.

Neuropsychology

A subfield of biopsychology investigating the psychological effects of brain damage or dysfunction in human patients.

Psychophysiology

A subfield studying the relationship between physiological activity (measured via EEG, heart rate, BP) and psychological processes in human volunteers.

Cognitive Neuroscience

A subfield studying the neural mechanisms of human cognition, primarily utilizing non-invasive functional brain imaging techniques.

Comparative Psychology

A subfield investigating the evolution, genetics, and adaptiveness of behavior across different species.

Snowball Sampling

A low-cost, low-effort participant recruitment technique that relies on word-of-mouth recommendations from current study subjects.

Exculpatory Language

Prohibited language in research consent forms that improperly causes participants to waive legal rights or releases investigators from liability.

Cerebral Angiogram

A structural neuroimaging technique where radio-opaque dye is injected into the femoral artery to visualize cerebral blood vessels.

Computed Tomography (CT)

An imaging modality that compiles cross-sectional X-ray images to visualize internal structures and tissue damage.

Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

A functional brain imaging scan that tracks metabolic activity in active neurons using injected radio-labelled $2\text{-deoxyglucose}$.

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)

A non-invasive functional neuroimaging method that records Blood Oxygen Level-Dependent (BOLD) signals reflecting cerebral oxygen consumption.

Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI)

An imaging method that visualizes axonal pathways and neural interconnectivity based on the directional diffusion of water molecules.

Afferent Neurons

Sensory neurons that transmit signals arriving from the Peripheral Nervous System ($\text{PNS}$) toward the Central Nervous System ($\text{CNS}$).

Efferent Neurons

Motor neurons that carry command signals exiting the Central Nervous System ($\text{CNS}$) toward muscles and glands.

Interneurons

Integrative neurons residing entirely within the Central Nervous System ($\text{CNS}$) that comprise approximately $99\text{\%}$ of all neurons.

Axon Hillock

A specialized region on the neuronal soma responsible for integrating incoming electrical signals.

Initial Segment

The trigger zone of an axon rich in voltage-gated channels where action potentials are generated.

Ligand-Gated Channels

Membrane ion channels that open or close in response to the chemical binding of specific molecules like neurotransmitters.

Mechanically-Gated Channels

Ion channels that open or close in response to physical deformation caused by pressure, touch, or stretch.

Voltage-Gated Channels

Membrane ion channels that open or close in response to changes in electrical membrane potential.

Neuron at Rest

The baseline state of an inactive neuron holding a $-70\text{mV}$ membrane potential with intracellular $\text{K}^+$ and extracellular $\text{Na}^+$ and $\text{Cl}^-$.