✨ UNIT 0: Scientific Foundations of Psychology 

Major Approaches: 

• Structuralism (Wundt & Titchener): Introspection to understand structure of the mind. 

• Functionalism (William James): Purpose/function of consciousness. 

• Behaviorism (Watson, Skinner): Observable behavior only. 

• Psychoanalytic (Freud): Unconscious drives and childhood. 

• Humanistic (Rogers, Maslow): Growth potential, self-actualization. 

• Cognitive: Thoughts, memory, language, problem-solving. 

• Biological: Brain, genetics, neurotransmitters. 

• Evolutionary: Survival advantage, natural selection. 

• Sociocultural: Culture and social environment's effect on behavior. 

Key Figures: 

• Wilhelm Wundt: First psych lab, introspection. 

• William James: Functionalism. 

• Mary Whiton Calkins: First female APA president. 

• Margaret Floy Washburn: First PhD in psych (female). 

• G. Stanley Hall: First APA president. 

Research Methods: 

• Theory: General principle based on observations. 

• Hypothesis: Testable prediction. 

• Operational Definitions: Define variables in measurable terms. 

• Replication: Repeating a study. 

Types of Studies: 

• Descriptive: Case study, naturalistic observation, surveys. 

• Correlational: Measures relationships, but not causation. 

• Experimental: Shows cause and effect. 

• Cross- Sectional study: compares different population groups at one point in time  

Experimental Design: 

• IV: What is manipulated. 

• DV: What is measured. 

• Control Group: No treatment. 

• Experimental Group: Gets treatment. 

• Random Assignment: Equal chance in either group. 

• Double-Blind: Neither participant nor researcher knows group. 

Biases & Ethics: 

• Confirmation Bias: Seeking info that confirms beliefs. 

• Placebo Effect: Expectations affect results. 

• Informed Consent / Debriefing / Confidentiality / No Harm. 

Statistics: 

• Standard Deviation: Spread of scores. 

• Correlation Coefficient (r): -1 to +1 strength/direction. 

• Statistical Significance (p < .05): Not due to chance.