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Psychology Exam-1
Chapters 1 and 2
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Psychology | The scientific study of behavior and mental processes. |
| Critical Thinking | The process of objectively evaluating, comparing, analyzing, and synthesizing information. |
| Psychoanalytic Perspective | Developed by Freud, which focuses on unconscious processes and unresolved conflicts. |
| Psychodynamic Perspective | Emphasizes unconscious dynamics, internal motives, conflicts, and past experiences. |
| Behavioral Perspective | Emphasizes objective, observable environmental influences on overt behavior. |
| Humanistic Perspective | Perceives human nature as naturally positive and growth seeking; it emphasizes free will and self-actualization. |
| Positive Psychology | The study of optimal human functioning; it emphasizes the positive emotions, traits, and institutions. |
| Cognitive Perspective | Focuses on thinking, perceiving, and information processing. |
| Biological Perspective | Focuses on genetics and biological processes in the brain and other parts of the nervous system. |
| Evolutionary Perspective | Stresses natural selection, adaptation, and evolution. |
| Sociocultural Perspective | Emphasizes the social interaction and cultural determinants of behavior and mental processes. |
| Biosychosocial Model | An integrative, unifying theme of modern psychology that sees biological, psychological, and social processes as interacting influences. |
| Basic Research | Research that typically focuses on fundamental principles and theories. Mostly used in universities and labs. |
| Applied Research | Research that is generally conducted outside the laboratory. Mostly used in real world application. |
| Scientific Method | The cyclical and cumulative research process used for gathering and interpreting objective information in a way that minimizes error and yields dependable results. |
| Hypothesis | A tentative and testable explanation about the relationship between two or more variables. |
| Operational Definition | A precise description of how the variables in a study will be observed, manipulated, and measured. |
| Statistical Significance | A statistical statement of how likely it is that a study's result occurred merely by chance. |
| Meta-analysis | A statistical technique for combining and analyzing data from many studies in order to determine overall trends. |
| Theory | An organized, interrelated set of concepts that explain a phenomenon or body of data. |
| Nature-nurture Controversy | An ongoing dispute about the relative contributions of nature (hereditary) and nurture (environment) in determining the development of behavior and mental processes. |
| Descriptive Research | A research method in which the researcher observes and records behavior and mental processes without manipulating variables. |
| Naturalistic Observation | The process of observing and recording a research participant's behavior and mental processes in his or her natural setting, without interfering. |
| Survey/Interview | A research technique that questions a large sample of people to assess their behavior and mental processes. |
| Case Study | An in-depth study of a single research participant or a small group of individuals. |
| Archival Research | A descriptive research approach that studies existing data to find answers to research questions. |
| Correlational Research | Research that measures the degree of relationship (if any) between two or more variables in order to determine how well one variable predicts another. |
| Correlation Coefficient | A number from -1.00 to +1.00 that indicates the direction and strength of the relationship between two variables. |
| Experimental Research | A carefully controlled scientific procedure that involves the manipulation of variables to determine cause and effect. |
| Dependent Variable (DV) | The variable that is observed and measured for change; the factor that is affected by (or dependent on) the independent variable. |
| Independent Variable (IV) | The variable that is manipulated to determine its casual effect on the dependent variable; also called the treatment variable. |
| Experimental Group | The group that is manipulated during an experiment. |
| Control Group | The group that is not manipulated during an experiment. |
| Sample Bias | A bias that may occur when research participants are unrepresentative of the larger population. |
| Random Assignment | A research technique that involves using chance to assign participants to experimental or control conditions, thus minimizing the possibility of biases or preexisting differences in the group. |
| Confounding Variable | A stimulus, other than the variable an experimenter inadvertently introduces into a research setting, that may affect outcome of the study and lead to erroneous conclusions. |
| Experimenter Bias | Bias that occurs when a researcher influences research results in the expected direction. |
| Ethocentrism | The belief that one's culture is typical of all cultures |
| Participant Bias | Bias that can occur when experimental conditions influence the participant's behavior or mental processes. |
| Single-blind Study | An experiment where only the researcher, and not the participants, knows who is in either the experimental or control group. |
| Double-blind Study | An experimental technique in which both the researcher and the participants are unaware of (blind to) who is in the experimental or control groups. |
| Placebo | An inactive substance or fake treatment used as a control technique, usually in drug research, or given by a medical practitioner to a patient. |
| Informed Consent | A participant's agreement to take part in a study after being told what to expect. |
| Debriefing | A discussion procedure conducted at the end of an experiment or study. |
Created by:
utscha
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