Psych Chpt 1-2
Independent Variable
(statistics) a variable whose values are independent of changes in the values of other variables
Statistics
A branch of mathematics used by researchers to organize, summarize and interpret data
the change in math test scores
A cognitive psychologist decides to study the effects of chess practice on math abilities in middle school students. All students are tested on a standard math test at the beginning of the study. Students are then randomly assigned to a chess-group and a control group. Students in the chess group spend thirty minutes every school day learning chess strategy and playing chess. Students in the no-chess control group spend thirty minutes every school day watching educational television. At the end of three months, students take another standardized math test. The improvement or decline in their test score is computed and compared across the two groups. In this experiment, what is the DEPENDENT variable?
great importance is placed on following established tradition and customs.
A collectivistic culture is one in which
Positive Correlation
A correlation where as one variable increases, the other also increases, or as one decreases so does the other. Both variables move in the same direction.
Variable
A factor that can vary, or change, in ways that can be observed, measured, and verified
Statistically Significant
A mathematical indication that research results are not likely to have occurred by chance
Correlation Coefficient
A numerical indication of the magnitude and direction of the relationships (the correlation) between two variables
Survey
A questionnaire or interview designed to investigate the options, behaviors, or characteristics of a particular group
Correlational Study
A research strategy that allows the precise calculation of how strongly related two factors are to eachother
Sample
A selected segment of the population used to represent the group that is being studies
Representative Sample
A selected segment that very closely parallels the larger population being studies on relevant characteristics
Scientific Method
A set of assumptions, attitudes, and procedures the guide researchers in in creating questions to investigate, ingenerating evidence and in drawing conclusions
Theory
A tentative explanation that tries to integrate and account for the relationship of various findings and onservations
Hypothesis
A tentative statement about the relationship between two or more variables; a testable prediction or question
Psychoanalysis
A type of psychotherapy originated by Sigmund Fried in which free association, dream interpretation, and analysis of resistance and transference are used to explore repressed or unconscious impulses, anxieties, and internal conflicts
use of the scientific method and replication of their findings by other scientists
According to Science Versus Pseudoscience, which of the following is NOT one of the strategies used by proponents of pseudoscience to give credibility to their claims?
William James
American Philosopher and Psychologist who founded psychology in the US and established the psychological school called functionalism
Mary Whiton Calkins
American Psychologist who conducted research on memory, personality and dreams; established one of the first U.S. Psychology research labs; First woman president of the APA
G. Stanley Hall
American Psychologist who established the first psychology research laboratory in the US; Founded the APA
Abraham Maslow
American humanistic psychologist who developed a theory of motivation
B.F Skinner
American psychologist and leading proponent on behaviorism; developed a model of learning called operant conditioning; emphasized studying the relationship between environmental factors and observable behavior
John B Watson
American psychologist who founded behaviorism, emphasizing the study of observable behavior and rejecting the study of mental processes
Carl Rogers
American psychologist who founded the school of humanistic psychology
Francis C Summer
American psychologist who was the first African American to receive a doctorated in Psychology in the united states; chaired Howard University Psychology Department
Margaret Floy Washburn
American psychologist who was the first woman to earn a doctorate in Psychology in the United States; Published research on mental processes in animals
Natural Experiment
An experiment in which nature, rather than an experimenter, manipulates an independent variable.
Double-Blind Technique
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.
Case Study
An intensive study of a single individual or small group of individuals
Extraneous Variable
Any aspect of the experimental setting (e.g., lighting, temperature) that must be held constant to prevent unplanned environmental variation
Practice Effect
Any change in performance that results from mere repetition of a task.
Rehabilitation Psychology
Applies psychological knowledge to helping people with chronic and disabling health conditions, such as accident or stroke victims, adapt to their situation and attain optimal psychological, interpersonal, and physical functioning.
humanistic psychology; Abraham Maslow
As one of the advocates of _____, _____developed a theory of motivation that emphasized psychological growth.
Sigmund Freud
Australian Physician and founder of psychoanalysis
Cross-Cultural Psychology
Branch of psychology that studies the effects of culture on behavior and mental processes
Edward B Titchener
British Born American psychologist who founded structuralism, the first school of psychology
Mary Whiton Calkins
Conducted research on personality, dreams, and memory, and was the first woman elected president of the American Psychological Association
The Behavioral Perspective
Contempory psychologists who take this behavioral perspective continue to study how behavior is aquired or modified by environmental causes. Many psychologists also emphasize the this perspective in explaining and treating psychological disorders
help identify the factors that play an important role in the behavior that is being investigated and rule out the factors that do not
Correlational research is useful because it can:
Collectivistic Cultures
Cultures that emphasize the needs and goals of the group over the needs and goals of the individual
Individualistic Cultures
Cultures that emphasize the needs and goals of the individual over the needs and goals of the group
Naturalistic Observation
Dr. Ginsburg wants to study possible gender differences in the willingness of young children to engage in risky behaviors. To gather data, Ginsburg and a co-researcher carefully observe the willingness of boys and girls to try risky behaviors at a local zoo, such as petting a burro or feeding different animals. Dr. Ginsburg is using _____ to gather data
Functionalism
Early School of Psychology that emphasized studying the purpose, or function, of behavior and mental experiences
Structuralism
Early school of psychology that emphasized studying the most basic components, or structures, of conscious experiences
Structuralism
Edward Titchener is associated with which early approach or "school" of psychology?
Charles Darwin
English Naturalist and scientist whose theory of evolution through natural selection was first published in "On the origin of the species"
Empirical Evidence
Evidence that is the result of observation, measurement, and experimentation is referred to as _____ evidence.
Pseudoscience
Fake or False science that makes claims based on little or no scientific evidence
The Positive Psychology Perspective
Field of psychological research and theory focusing on the study of positive emotions and psychological states, positive individual traits and the social institutions that foster those qualities in individuals and communities.
The Humanistic Perspective
Focuses on the positive image of what it means to be human. Human nature is viewed as basically good, and humanistic theorists focus on methods that allow fulfillment of potential.
Wilhelm Wundt
German physiologist who founded psychology as a formal science; opened first psychology research laboratory 1879
placebo control group
Ginkgo biloba is an herb that is thought to increase blood flow in the brain and enhance memory processes. In a carefully controlled study investigating this claim, young adults were assigned to one of three groups. Those in group 1 took a capsule containing 120 milligrams of ginkgo biloba once a day. Those in group 2 took a capsule that looked identical but was a fake. Those in group 3 did not take any capsules. The participants assigned to group 2 constituted the _____ in this study.
experimental group
In Crum and Langer's hotel experiment, the group of participants who were informed that housekeeping work was good exercise was the:
the test scores increased about the same for the participants in the experimental group and for the participants in the placebo control group.
In a study described in Chapter 1, psychologist Paul Solomon and his colleagues investigated the effects of the herb gingko biloba on memory, concentration, and other mental tasks. All participants in the study took a battery of tests at the beginning and end of the six-week study. The results showed that:
Control Group (Control Condition)
In an experiment, the group of participants who are exposed to all experimental conditions, except the independent variable or treatment of interest; the group against which changes in the experimental group are compared.
Experimental Group (Experimental Condition)
In an experiment, the group of participants who are exposed to all experimental conditions, including the independent variable or treatment of interest.
Because the survey involved respondents who volunteered to participate, it is not a representative sample.
In an online survey, people were asked if they would cheat on their partner if there was no chance of getting caught. Approximately 23,000 internet users responded to the survey. Almost half of those responding said they would not, while the other half said they probably would. What is a significant limitation with surveys like this one?
The Cross-Cultural Perspective
In the late 1980s, it had emerged in full force as large numbers of psychologists began studying the diversity of human behavior in difference cultural settings and countries. Examples: -people exert more effort on a task when working alone than when working as part of a group, also called "social loafing"
Psychiatry
Medical Specialty area focused on the diagnosis, treatment, causes, and prevention of mental and behavioral disorders
Random Selection
Process in which subjects are selected randomly from a larger group such that every member has an equal chance of being included in the study
Biological ; Developmental
Professor Diaz is studying the development of the human brain from infancy to early adulthood. She takes the _____ perspective and her specialty area is _____ psychology.
as number of friends decreases, level of shyness increases
Professor Karney administered a psychological test measuring shyness to a large number of undergraduate students. The students also completed a lengthy questionnaire on their social life and activities, including number of friends. Professor Karney conducted a statistical analysis of the responses and found a correlation coefficient of -.80 between level of shyness and number of friends. This indicates that
random selection of participants.
Professor Newberg decided to study living preferences of senior adults, so he visited a local retirement village and invited residents to participate in a lengthy survey. Professor Newberg's survey results are probably invalid because he did not use
the results are unlikely to have occurred by chance
Professor Wallace studied over 3,000 elderly individuals for a decade and found a statistically significant relationship between survival rate and number of close friends. Specifically, he found that elderly individuals with few close friends had a much higher death rate. To say that the results of his study are "statistically significant" means that:
the scientific study of behavior and mental processes
Psychology
change in the symptoms of anxiety
Researchers at the United Family Therapy Center are conducting a study to determine how quickly symptoms of anxiety are reduced by different forms of psychotherapy. What is the dependent variable in this study?
Ivan Pavlov
Russian Physiologist whose pioneering research on learning contributed to the development of behaviorism; discovered the basic learning process that is now called classical conditioning
Behaviorism
School of psychology and the oretical viewpoint that emphasizes the study of observable behaviors, especially as they pertain to process of learning
Descriptive Research Methods
Scientific procedures that involve systematically observing behavior in order to to describe the relationship among behaviors and events
there is a positive correlation between delinquent behavior and playing violent video games.
Several correlational studies point to the basic conclusion that the more time students spend playing violent video games, the greater the tendency to engage in delinquent behavior. Based on this result, you would be justified in stating that:
Behavioral
The _____ perspective emphasizes studying how behavior is acquired or modified by environmental causes.
Culture
The attitudes, values, beliefs, and behaviors shared by a group of people and communicated from one generation to another
Ethnocentrism
The belief that one's own culture or ethnic group is superior to all others and the related tendency to use ones own culture as a standard by which to judge other cultures
Main Effect
The effect of one variable on another without any other variables or subgroups involvement.
Francis C. Sumner
The first African American to earn a Ph.D. in psychology was:
Educational Psychology
The study of how psychological processes affect and can enhance teaching and learning.
Positive Psychology
The study of positive emotions and psychological states, positive individual traits, and the social institutions that foster positive individuals and communities
Neuroscience
The study of the nervous system, especially the brain
Naturalistic Observation
The systematic observation and recording of behaviors as they occur in their natural setting
Ethnocentrism
The term _____ refers to the tendency to use your own culture as the standard for judging other cultures
Humanistic Psychology
The theoretical viewpoint on personality that generally emphasizes the inherent goodness of people, human potential, self-actualization, the self-concept, and healthy personality development
The Evolutionary Perspective
This is focused on the study of how evolution explains physiological processes.
Replicate
To repeat or duplicate a scientific study in order to increase confidence in the validity of the original findings
Empirical Evidence
Verifiable evidence that is based upon objective observation, measurement, and / or ezperimentation
students must be given the choice of an alternative activity to fulfill the course requirement or earn extra credit
When college students are enrolled in a class in which participation in psychological research is part of the course requirement:
transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
Which is NOT one of the brain-imaging techniques discussed in the Focus on Neuroscience section in the text?
Random Assignment
Which of the following terms refers to a procedure that assures that all participants have an equal chance of being assigned to any of the experimental conditions?
"Increased levels of the male hormone, testosterone, cause increased aggressive behavior in laboratory rats
Which title would most likely be found in a research journal for biological psychology?
John Watson
Who is associated with Behaviorism
William James
Who is associated with Functionalism
Carl Rogers
Who is associated with Humanistic Psychology
Edward Titchener
Who is associated with Structuralism
Charles Darwin
Who wrote On the Origin of Species?
Counseling Psychology
a branch of psychology that assists people with problems in living (often related to school, work, or marriage) and in achieving greater well-being.
Developmental Psychology
a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span
Biological Psychology
a branch of psychology that studies the links between biological (including neuroscience and behavior genetics) and psychological processes
Clinical Psychology
a branch of psychology that studies, assesses, and treats people with psychological disorders
Health Psychology
a subfield of psychology that provides psychology's contribution to behavioral medicine
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)
a technique for revealing blood flow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. MRI scans show brain anatomy; fMRI scans show brain function
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images that distinguish among different types of soft tissue; allows us to see structures within the brain
Experimental Method
a technique used to demonstrate cause and effect by purposely manipulating circumstances and measuring the final effect
Positron Emission Tomography (PET Scan)
a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task
Forensic Psychology
application of psychological principles and methods in a legal environment, especially in court actions
Random Assignment
assigning participants to experimental and control conditions by chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between those assigned to the different groups
Comparative Psychology
branch of psychology that studies the behavior of different animal species
Corelation Research
can reveal the degree to which two factors are related or co-vary in a systematic way.
The Psychodynamic Perspective
emphasize the importance of unconscious influences, early life experiences, and interpersonal relationships in explaining the underlying dynamics of behavior or in treating people with psychological problems
The Biological Perspective
emphasizes studying the physical bases of human and animal behavior, including the nervous system, endocrine system, immune system, and genetics
The Cognitive Perspective
emphasizes the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating
Placebo Effect
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
Meta-Analysis
provides a way of statistically combining the results of individual research studies to reach an overall conclusion
Placebo
something presented as a drug, but having no actual effect
Industrial Psychology
the application of psychological concepts and methods to optimizing human behavior in workplaces
Social Psychology
the branch of psychology that studies persons and their relationships with others and with groups and with society as a whole
Experimental Psychology
the branch of psychology that uses experimental methods to study psychological issues
Dependent Variable
the outcome factor; the variable that may change in response to manipulations of the independent variable
Negative Correlation
the relationship between two variables in which one variable increases as the other variable decreases
Cognitive Psychology
the scientific study of all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicatin
Psychology
the scientific study of behavior and mental processes
Personality Psychology
the study of an individual's characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling and acting
Sports Psychology
the study of psychological factors in sports and exercise
Critical Thinking
thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions.
Demand Characteristics
those aspects of an observational setting that cause people to behave as they think they should
The use of dogs and cats in psychological research
was outlawed in the United States in 1953 when the first chapter of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals opened in Vermont