question

Psychology

answer

the scientific study of behavior and mental processes; also has to deal with your surroundings, how you feel/think, memory work

question

4 basic goals of psychology

answer

describe, predict, explain, and control/influence behavior and mental processes

question

Aristotle

answer

first western thinker to study psychological topics, combined the logic of philosophy with empirical observation, De Anima is his best known work which includes the topics senses, perception, memory, thinking and motivation ; sleep, dreams, senses, memory

question

Descartes

answer

part of the Renaissance Era, proposed the doctrine interactive dualism: the idea that the mind and body were separate entities that interact to produce sensations, emotions, and other conscious experiences

question

Darwin

answer

nature(inborn of the individual) vs. Nurture(environmental influence)

question

Physiology

answer

branch of biology that studies the functions and parts of living organisms including humans ; measure the otherwise unobservable mental processes of the mind

question

William Wundt

answer

founder of psychology and psych as an experimental science, first research lab on psych ; Defined psych as the study of consciousness- who we are ; no soul b/c you couldn't measure it

question

Edward B. Titchener

answer

One of Wundt's devoted students ;Structuralism(first major school of thought in psych); Try to understand how you think; Break down to components; First school of thought;

question

Structuralism

answer

Held that even our most complex conscious experiences could be broken down into elemental structures, or component parts of sensations and feelings

question

Stimulus

answer

anything perceptible to the senses, such as sight, sound, smell, touch, or taste

question

Reasons why Introspection didn't work

answer

- unreliable method of investigation - could not be used to study children or animals - complex topics (learning, development, mental disorders, and personality) could not be investigated using introspection

question

William James

answer

Functionalism; How behavior functions; Helps you adapt and interact with your environment; Principles of Psychology - took more than a decade to write which became leading psychology textbook about brain function, habit, memory, sensation, perception, and emotion; Fascinated by the idea that different species had evolved over time;

question

Functionalism

answer

early school of psych that emphasized studying the purpose, or function, of behavior and mental experiences

question

Difference between structuralists and functionalists:

answer

functionalists did not limit their methods to introspection, they expanded the scope of psychological research to include direct observation of living creatures in natural settings, also examined how psych could be applied to areas like education, child rearing, work environment ; Debated the notion of evolution, Stressed the importance of adaptation to environmental challenges

question

evolutionists

answer

believed that species had not been created once and for all but had changed over time

question

Charles Darwin

answer

Stressed the importance of adaptation to environmental challenges; On the Origin of Species-evolution through the mechanism of natural selection; propose that complex organisms evolved from simpler species

question

G. Stanley Hall

answer

received the first Ph.D. in psych in the US; founded the first psych research lab in U.S. @ Johns Hopkins University; Published the American Journal of Psych- first US journal devoted to psych; founded the American Psychological Association (APA)

question

Mary Whiton Calkins

answer

teach experimental psych at a new women's college (Wellesley College); elected president of the APA- the first woman to hold the position

question

Margaret Floy Washburn

answer

First American woman to earn an official Ph.D. in psych; published an influential text The Animal Mind - summarized research on sensation, perception, learning and other "inner experiences" of different animal species; became the 2nd woman elected president of the APA

question

Francis C. Sumner

answer

First African American to receive a Ph.D. in psych

question

Kenneth Bancroft Clark

answer

Research on the negative effects of discrimination was important in U.S. Supreme Court's 1954 decision to end segregation in schools; became the first African American president of the APA

question

Sigmund Freud

answer

Psychoanalysis; Unconscious forces on behavior; sex-Believed that human behavior was motivated by unconscious conflicts that were almost always sexual or aggressive in nature , Trying to help fix problems- change adaptation; eveloped a theory of personality based on uncovering causes of behavior that were unconscious, or hidden from the person's; conscious awareness; Past experiences/childhood experiences were thought to be critical in the formation of adult personality and behavior Believed that when unconscious conflicts became extreme, psychological disorders could result

question

psychoanalysis

answer

personality theory and form of psychotherapy that emphasizes the role of unconscious conflicts in determining behavior and personality

question

Behaviorism

answer

school of psych and theoretical viewpoint that emphasizes the study of observable behaviors, especially as they pertain to the process of learning not mental processes;rejected the emphasis on consciousness promoted by structuralism and functionalism & Freudian notions about unconscious influences, claiming they were unscientific/impossible to test; studied animal behaviors in lab; psych should focus on overt behavior-observable behaviors that could be objectively measured and verified

question

Goal of behaviorists

answer

to discover the fundamental principles of learning- how behavior is acquired and modified in response to environmental influences

question

Ivan Pavlov

answer

Demonstrated that dogs could learn to associate a neutral stimulus (sound of a bell) with an automatic behavior(reflexively salivating to food)

question

James B. Watson

answer

Observable behavior- how do we learn; found school of behaviorism as a new school of psych; Strongly objected to both its method of introspection and its focus on conscious mental processes

question

B.F. Skinner

answer

Used reinforcement or punishment to shape the behavior of rats and pigeons

question

3 key scientists in the development of behaviorism

answer

Ivan Pavlov, James B. Watson, B.F. Skinner

question

2 leaders in the development of humanistic psych

answer

Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow

question

Humanistic psych

answer

school of psych and theoretical viewpoint that emphasizes each person's unique potential for psychological growth and self-direction; referred to as "third source" b/c it was so different from psychoanalysis & behaviorism

question

Carl Rogers

answer

Influenced by his experiences w/his psychotherapy clients, Emphasized the conscious experiences of his clients - each person's unique potential for psychological growth and self-direction; Emphasized self-determination, free will, & importance of choice in human behavior

question

The Scientific Method

answer

A set of assumptions, attitudes, and procedures that guides all scientists, including psychologists, in conducting research

question

When Events are lawful

answer

psychologists assume that behavior and mental processes follow consistent patterns

question

When events are explainable

answer

psychologists assume that behavior and mental processes have a cause or causes that can be understood through careful, systematic study

question

Scientific skepticism

answer

psychologists critically evaluate the evidence for new findings, especially those that seem contrary to established knowledge

question

Empirical evidence

answer

evidence that is the result of objective observation, measurement, and experimentation

question

4 basic steps of the scientific method

answer

•Formulate a specific question that can be tested •Design a study to collect relevant data- •Analyze the data to arrive at conclusions •Report the results

question

Hypothesis

answer

A tentative statement about the relationship between two or more variables; a testable prediction or question

question

Variable

answer

A factor that can vary, or change, in ways that can be observed, measured, and verified

question

Operational definition

answer

A precise description of how the variables in a study will be manipulated or measured

question

Descriptive research

answer

includes research strategies for observing and describing behavior, including identifying the factors that seem to be associated with a particular phenomenon. Answers the who, what, where, and when kinds of questions about behavior

question

Experimental research

answer

used to show that one variable causes change in a second variable. The researcher deliberately varies one factor, then measures the changes produced in a second factor

question

Statistics

answer

A branch of mathematics used by researchers to organize, summarize, and interpret data

question

Statistically significant

answer

A mathematical indication that research results are not very likely to have occurred by chance. Statistically significant results confirm the hypothesis

question

Replicate

answer

To repeat or duplicate a scientific study in order to increase confidence in the validity of the original findings

question

Theory

answer

A tentative explanation that tries to integrate and account for the relationship of various findings and observations; not the same as hypotheses; A useful theory is one that furthers the understanding of behavior, allows testable predictions to be made, and stimulates new research

question

Difference between a hypothesis and theory

answer

A hypothesis is a specific question or prediction to be tested. In contrast, a theory integrates and summarizes numerous research findings and observations on a particular topic

question

Pseudoscience

answer

Fake or false science that makes claims based on little or no scientific evidence

question

Confirmation bias

answer

The tendency to seek out evidence that confirms an existing belief while ignoring evidence that might contradict or undermine the belief

question

Naturalistic observation

answer

The systematic observation and recording of behaviors as they occur in their natural setting; basic goal of naturalistic observation is to detect the behavior patterns that exist naturally—patterns that might not be apparent in a laboratory or if the subjects knew they were being watched; allows researchers to study human behaviors that cannot ethically be manipulated in an experiment

question

Case study

answer

An intensive study of a single individual or small group of individuals

question

Survey

answer

A questionnaire or interview designed to investigate the opinions, behaviors, or characteristics of a particular group

question

Sample

answer

A selected segment of the population used to represent the group that is being studied; a subset of a population

question

Representative sample

answer

very closely parallels, or matches, the larger group on relevant characteristics, such as age, sex, race, marital status, and educational level

question

Random selection

answer

Process in which subjects are selected randomly from a larger group such that every group member has an equal chance of being included in the study

question

Correlational study

answer

A research strategy that allows the precise calculation of how strongly related two factors are to each other

question

Correlation coefficient

answer

A numerical indication of the magnitude and direction of the relationship (the correlation) between two variables; always falls in the range from −1.00 to +1.00; The correlation coefficient has two parts—the number and the sign. The number indicates the strength of the relationship, and the sign indicates the direction of the relationship between the two variables

question

Positive correlation

answer

A finding that two factors vary systematically in the same direction, increasing or decreasing together

question

Negative correlation

answer

A finding that two factors vary systematically in opposite directions, one increasing as the other decreases - move in opposite directions

question

Independent variable

answer

The purposely manipulated factor thought to produce change in an experiment; also called the treatment variable

question

Dependent variable

answer

The purposely manipulated factor thought to produce change in an experiment; also called the treatment variable ; depend on" variations in the independent variable An experiment can provide evidence of a cause-and-effect relationship between the independent and dependent variables

question

Confounding variable

answer

A factor or variable other than the ones being studied that, if not controlled, could affect the outcome of an experiment; also called extraneous variables, these factors are not the focus of the experiment

question

Random assignment

answer

The process of assigning participants to experimental conditions so that all participants have an equal chance of being assigned to any of the conditions or groups in the study

question

Control group or control condition

answer

In an experiment, the group of participants who are exposed to all experimental conditions, except the independent variable; the group against which changes in the experimental group are compared ; acts as a baseline which changes in the experimental group can be compared

question

Experimental group or experimental condition

answer

the group of participants who are exposed to all experimental conditions, including the independent variable - only participants in here are exposed to independent variables

question

Double-blind technique

answer

An experimental control in which neither the participants nor the researchers interacting with the participants are aware of the group or condition to which the participants have been assigned ; both the participants and the researchers interacting with them are blind, or unaware of the treatment or condition to which the participants have been assigned

question

Demand characteristics

answer

In a research study, subtle cues or signals expressed by the researcher that communicate the kind of response or behavior that is expected from the participant

question

Placebo

answer

A fake substance, treatment, or procedure that has no known direct effects ; which is a so-called "sugar pill" or other inactive substance or procedure

question

Placebo effect

answer

Any change attributed to a person's beliefs and expectations rather than an actual drug, treatment, or procedure

question

Natural experiment

answer

A study investigating the effects of a naturally occurring event on the research participants

question

Positron emission tomography (PET scan)

answer

An invasive imaging technique that provides color-coded images of brain activity by tracking the brain's use of a radioactively tagged compound, such as glucose, oxygen, or a drug

question

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

answer

A noninvasive imaging technique that produces highly detailed images of the body's structures and tissues, using electromagnetic signals generated by the body in response to magnetic fields ; does not involve invasive procedures such as injections of radioactive substances ; A computer analyzes the electromagnetic signals generated by brain-tissue molecules in response to the magnetic fields

question

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

answer

A noninvasive imaging technique that uses magnetic fields to map brain activity by measuring changes in the brain's blood flow and oxygen levels

question

5 key provisions in the most recent APA ethical principles regulating research with human participants

answer

Informed consent and voluntary participation, students as research participants, The use of deception, Confidentiality of information, information about the study and debriefing

question

Comparative psychology

answer

The branch of psychology that studies the behavior of different animal species

Ch. 1 Psych terms – Flashcards

Unlock all answers in this set

Haven't found what you were looking for?

Search for samples, answers to your questions and flashcards