Psychology Test Ch.1

placebo

a bogus treatment that has the appearance of being genuine

case study

a carefully drawn biography that may be obtained through interviews, questionnaires, and psychological tests

population

a complete group of interest to researchers, from which a sample is drawn

independent variable

a condition in a scientific study that is manipulated so that its effects may be observed

correlational method

a mathematical method of determining whether one variable increases or decreases as another variable increases or decreases

dependent variable

a measure of an assumed effect of an independent variable

survey

a method of scientific investigation in which a large sample of people answer questions about their attitudes or behavior

correlation coefficient

a number between +1.00 and -1.00 that expresses the strength and direction (positive or negative) of the relationship between two variables

informed consent

a participant's agreement to participate in research after receiving information about the purposes of the study and the nature of the treatments

random sample

a sample drawn so that each member of a population has an equal chance of being selected to participate

stratified sample

a sample drawn so that indentified subgroups in the population are represented proportionately in the sample

social-cognitive theory

a school of psychology in the behaviorist tradition that includes cognitive factors in the explanation and prediction of behavior; formerly termed social learning theory

naturalistic observation

a scientific method in which organisms are observed in their natural environments

experiment

a scientific method that seeks to confirm cause-and-effect relationships by introducing independent variables and observing their effects on dependent variables

Theory

a set of hypothesized statements about the relationships among events

volunteer bias

a source of bias or error in research reflecting the prospect that people who offer to participate in research studies differ systematically from people who do not

selection factor

a source of bias that may occur in research findings when participants are allowed to choose for themselves a certain treatment in a scientific study

reinforcement

a stimulus that follows a response and increases the frequency of the response.

double-blind study

a study in which neither the subjects nor the observers know who has received the treatments

critical thinking

a way of evaluating the claims and comments of other people that involves skepticism and examination of evidence

correlation

an association or relationship among variables, as we might find between height and weight or between study habits and school grades

scientific method

an organized way of using experience and testing ideas to expand and refine knowledge

Introspection

deliberate looking into one's own cognitive processes to examine one's thoughts and feelings

cognitive

having to do with mental processes such as sensation and perception, memory, intelligence, language, thought, and problem solving

blind

in experimental terminology, unaware of whether or not one has received a treatment

control groups

in experiments, groups whose members do not obtain the treatment, while other conditions are held constant

experimental groups

in experiments, groups whose members obtain the treatment

hypothesis

in psychology, a specific statement about behavior or mental processes that is tested through research

sample

part of a population

Applied Research

research conducted in an effort to find solutions to particular problems

Pure Resesarch

research conducted without concern for immediate appliations

biological perspective

the approach to psychology that seeks to understand the nature of the links between biological processes and structures such as the functioning of the brain, the endocrine system, and heredity, on the one hand, and behavior and mental processes, on the other

gender

the culturally defined concepts of masculinity and feminity

Structuralism

the school of psychology that argues that the mind consists of three basic elements-sensations, feelings, and images-that combine to form experience

Behaviorism

the school of psychology that defines psychology as the study of observable behavior and studies relationships between stimuli and responses

psychoanalysis

the school of psychology that emphasizes the importance of unconscious motives and conflicts as determinants of human behavior

gestalt psychology

the school of psychology that emphasizes the tendency to organize perceptions into wholes and to integrate separate stimuli into meaningful patterns

Functionalism

the school of psychology that emphasizes the uses or functions of the mind rather than the elements of experience

Psychology

the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

sociocultural perspective

the view that focuses on the roles of ethnicity, gender, culture, and socioeconomic status in behavior and mental processes

debrief

to explain the purposes and methods of a completed procedure to a participant