Psychology Cumulative terms

PhD vs PsyD

- Ph.D. ( doctor of philosophy ) - Psy.D. ( doctor of psychology )

examples of population

-all families of newborn infants -all older adults at risk for falls -everyone who drink well water -all children at risk for vaccine preventative diseases

example of case study

Curtis studied Genie who was found at 13 having been locked in her bedroom and tied to a potty chair her entire life.

example of random assignment

Tom, a grad assistant, tosses a coin to determine whether a participant will be in the control or experimental group

Forensic psychology

a branch of psychology that deals questions of psychology as they arise in the context of the justice system

operational definition

a description of how we will measure our variables

confounding variable

a factor other than the independent variable that might produce an effect in an experiment

inter-rater reliability

a measure of reliability that assesses the consistency of observations by different observers

correlation coefficient

a number between -1 and +1 expressing the degree of relationship between two variables

Longitudinal research

a research design in which data-gathering is administered repeatedly over an extended period of time

cross-sectional research

a researcher compares multiple segments of the population at the same time

Hypothesis

a testable prediction

empirical method

acquiring knowledge based on observation, including experimentation, rather than a method based only on forms of logical argument or previous authorities

peer-reviewed journal articles

aimed at an audience of professionals and scholars who are actively involved in research themselves

random assignment

all subjects have an equal chance of being assigned to any group or condition in the study

behaviorism

an approach that advocates that psychologists restrict themselves to the scientific study of objectively observable behavior

structuralism

an attempt to analyze conscious experience by breaking it down into basic elements, and to understand how these elements work together

double-blind study

both the observer and the participants are unaware of which participants received which treatment

falsifiable

capable of being shown to be incorrect

examples of independent variables

concentration, time, volume of titrant

inductive reasoning

conclusions are drawn from observations

statistical analysis

conducted to find out if there are meaningful differences between the two groups

examples of personality traits

depression, trait anxiety, trait confidence, neuroticism, stability, extroversion, introversion, trait anger, stimulus seeking

control group

does not receive treatment

Generalizing

the ability to apply the findings of a particular research project to larger segments of society

Cognitive Psychology

the area of psychology that focuses on studying cognitions, or thoughts, and their relationship to our experiences and our actions.

Validity

the extent to which a given instrument or tool accurately measures what it's supposed to measure

positive correlation example

the more time you spend on a treadmill, the more calories you burn.

Population

the overall group of individuals that the researchers are interested in.

introspection

the process by which a person examines the contents of his or her mind and mental states

independent variable

the variable that is manipulated, or changed, in an experiment

Examples of random sampling

throwing a dice, drawing names out of a hat, lotteries

negative correlation

variables move in opposite directions

positive correlation

variables move in the same direction

Theory

well-developed set of ideas that propose an explanation for observed phenomena

observer bias

when observations may be skewed to align with observer expectations

cause and effect

when one variable affects another

clinical or case study

when they focus on one person or just a few individuals

examples of facts

witnesses, medications, what you were doing

confirmation bias

Individuals tend to value new info that support a belief they already hold, while disregarding info that goes against preconceived notions. In groups, group members seek out information that support the majority view

example of naturalistic observation

Jane Goodall observed gorillas, monkeys

examples of deductive reasoning

Major premise-keeping schools in good repair extends the number of years that school building can be used Minor premise- the proposed school bond issue provides money for school repairs Conclusion: the proposed school bond issue will extend the number of years that we can use our current school buildings

Examples of inductive reasoning

Mandatory rear seatbelt laws in Texas saved lives so Tennessee should do that too

Experimenter bias

refers to the possibility that a researcher's expectations might skew the results of the study

Correlation

relationship between two or more variables

personality traits

relatively consistent patterns of thought and behavior

archival research

relies on looking at past records or data sets to look for interesting patterns or relationships

deductive reasoning

results are predicted based on a general premise

-ology

scientific study of

Developmental psychology

scientific study of development across a lifespan

psychology

scientific study of the mind

example of confirmation bias

search engines

psyche

soul, mind

sport and exercise psychology

study the psychological aspects of sport performance, including motivation and performance anxiety, and the effects of sport on mental and emotional wellbeing

Participants

subjects of psychological research

random sample

subset of a larger population in which every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected

Examples of Generalization

1. We teach a client to say "Hello" at the center, and the client then says "Hello" at home during similar situations. 2. We teach a client potty training in the center, and the client is able to generalize that skill at home as well and can use them independently.

examples of hypothesis

1. salt and soil affects the growth of plants 2. chocolate causes pimples 3. colder temperatures cause leaves to change color 4. lung cancer is caused by smoking

Fact vs. Opinion

A fact is a statement that can be proven true or false. An opinion is an expression of a person's feelings that cannot be proven.

Theory vs. Hypothesis

A hypothesis is either a suggested explanation for an observable phenomenon, or a reasoned prediction of a possible causal correlation among multiple phenomena. In science, a theory is a tested, well-substantiated, unifying explanation for a set of verified, proven factors.

example of operational definition

A researcher measuring happiness and depression in college students decides to use a ten-question happiness scale to measure positive outlook in her subjects. In other words, her operational definition of happiness in this case is a given subject's score on the test.

functionalism.

A school of psychology that focused on how our mental and behavioral processes function - how they enable us to adapt, survive, and flourish.

example of survey research

A study in which people complete a questionnaire about how they feel about people of different ethnic groups.

sample

A subset of individuals selected from the population.

Example of introspection

Asked people to describe the brightness or loudness of a color

Examples of theories

Big Bang Theory, Evolution

Example of opinion

Brian makes the best cheeseburgers.

PhD

Doctor of Philosophy

PsyD

Doctor of Psychology

experimental group vs. control group

EXPERIMENTAL GROUP is the group receiving the independent variable CONTROL GROUP does not receive anything, in order to act as a comparison

Cause and Effect (Example)

Example: Many people think that they can get sick by going into cold weather improperly dressed; however, illnesses are not caused by temperature- they are caused by germs. So while shivering outside in the cold probably won't strengthen your immune system, you're more likely to contract an illness indoors because you will have a greater exposure to germs. In the above example, the paragraph explains how germs cause illnesses. The germs are the cause in the paragraph and the illness is the effect.

negative correlation example

More stress the worse you do on a test Less sleep, more tired

single-blind study

Only the researcher, and not the participants, knows who is in either the experimental or control group

Examples of cross sectional studies

Population surveillance analyses, and questionnaires

Sample vs. Population

Population: entire group of people about which information is wanted (e.g. American adults). Sample: a part or subset of the population that is used to gain information about the whole population.

Single Blind Study vs. Double Blind Study

SBS: participants do not know what treatment they are receiving DBS: neither the participants nor the researchers working directly with those participants know who is getting the real treatment or the pretend treatment

biopsychology

explores how our biology influences our behavior

Illusory correlations

false correlations, occur when people believe that relationships exist between two things when no such relationship exists

Clinical psychology

focuses on diagnosing and treating mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders

counseling psychology

focuses on emotional, social, vocational, and health-related outcomes in individuals who are considered psychologically healthy

Personality psychology

focuses on patterns of thoughts and behaviors that make each individual unique

Psychoanalytic theory

focuses on the role of a person's unconscious, as well as early childhood experiences

example of reliability

for a particular type of automobile tire with an expected life of 40,000 miles, if only 1 percent of the tires fail within that span, we would say that a tire has a reliability of 0.99.

experimental group

in an experiment, the group exposed to the treatment, that is, to one version of the independent variable

Surveys

lists of questions to be answered by research participants

dissertation

long research paper about research that was conducted as a part of the candidate's doctoral training

dependent variable

measured variable

Facts

observable realities

naturalistic observation

observing behavior in its natural setting

placebo effect

occurs when people's expectations or beliefs influence or determine their experience in a given situation

Examples of dependent variables

pH, temp, absorbency reading

opinions

personal judgements, conclusions, or attitudes that may or may not be accurate

Humanism

perspective within psychology that emphasizes the potential for good that is innate to all humans

American Psychological Association (APA)

professional organization representing psychologists in the United States

example of sample

prototype

example of psychology

psych; soul, spirit, mind

deductive reasoning vs inductive reasoning

reasoning from the general to the particular (or from cause to effect) vs reverse, one builds from specific idea or actions to conclusions about general ideas

attrition

reduction in number of research participants as some drop out of the study over time

Reliability

refers to the ability to consistently produce a give result