Psychology, Ch. 1, Thinking critically with psychological science – Flashcards
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Behaviorism
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the view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes. Most research psychologists today agree with (1) but not with (2).
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Humanistic psychology
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historically significant perspective that emphasized the growth potential of healthy people; used personalized methods to study personality in hopes of fostering personal growth
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Psychology
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the scientific study of behavior and mental processes
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Nature-nurture issue
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the longstanding controversy over the relative contributions that genes and experience make to the development of psychological traits and behaviors. Today's science sees traits and behaviors arising from the interaction of nature and nurture
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Levels of analysis
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the differing complementary views, from biological to psychological to social-cultural, for analyzing any given phenomenon
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Biopsychosocial approach
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an integrated perspective that incorporates biological, psychological, and social-cultural levels of analysis
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Basic research
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pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base
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Applied research
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scientific study that aims to solve practical problems
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Counseling psychology
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a branch of psychology that assists people with problems in living (often related to school, work, or marriage) and in achieving greater well-being
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Clinical psychology
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a branch of psychology that studies, assesses, and treats people with psychological disorders
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psychiarty
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a branch of medicine dealing with psychological disorders; practiced by physicians who sometimes provide medical (for example, drug) treatments as well as psychological therapy
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Hindsight bias
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the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it. (Also known as the I-knew-it-all-along phenomenon)
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Critical thining
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thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusoins
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Theory
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an explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes and predicts observations
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Hypothesis
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a testable prediction, often implied by a theory
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Operational definition
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a statement of the procedures (operations) used to define research variables. For example, human intelligence may be operationally defined as what an intelligence test measures
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Replication
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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
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Case study
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an observation technique in which one person is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles
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survey
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a technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of people, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of them
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population
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all the cases in a group, from which samples may be drawn for a study
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Random sample
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a sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion
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naturalistic observation
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observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation
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Correlation
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a measure of the extent to which two factors vary together, and thus of how well either factor predicts the other
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illusory correlation
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the perception of a relationship where none exists
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Experiment
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A research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factors to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process
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Random assignment
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assigning participants to experimental and control conditions by chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between those assigned to the different groups
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Double-blind procedure
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an experimental procedure in which both the reseach participants and the reseach staff are ignorant (blind) about wether the research participants have received the treatment or a placebo. Commonly used in drug-evaluation studies
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Placebo effect
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experimental results caused by expectations alone; any effect on behavior caused by the administration of an inert substance or condition, which is assumed to be an active agent
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Experimental group
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the group in an experiment that is exposed to the treatment, that is, to one version of the independent variable
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Control group
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the group in an experiment that contrasts with the experimental condition and serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment.
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Independent variable
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the experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied
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Dependant variable
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a variable that changes in response to the independant variable
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Culture
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the enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, and traditions shared by a large group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next
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SQ3R
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a study method incorporating five steps: survey, question, read, rehearse, review
