PSY 1A CHAP 1 KEY TERMS

What is the main effect ?

What is any change that can be directly attributed to the independent or treatment variable after controlling for other possible influences called ?

What is pseudoscience ?

What is fake or false science that makes claims based on little or no scientific evidence called?

What is a control group/condition ?

What is 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 to called ?

What are demand characteristics?

What is it when in a research study, subtle cues or signals expressed by the researcher that communicate the kind of responce or behavior that is expected from the participant called ?

What is Psychoanalysis ?

What is personality theory and form of psychotherapy that emphasizes the role of unconcious factors in personality and behavior called ?

What is Psychology ?

The scientific study of behavior and mental processes is called ?

What is random selection ?

What is a process in which subjects are selected randomly from a larger group such that every group member has an equal chance of being included called ?

What is a representative sample ?

What is a selected segment that very closely parallels the larger population being studied called ?

What is the Scientific Method ?

What is a set of assumptions, attitudes,and procedeures that guide researchers in creating questions to investigate, in generating evidence, and in drawing conclusions called?

What is is Meta Analysis ?

What is a statistical technique that involves `

What is a natural experiment ?

What is a study investigating the effects of a naturally occuring event on the research participants called ?

What is theory ?

What is a tentative explination that tries to integrate and account for the relationship of various findings and observations called ?

What is a Hypothesis ?

What is a tentative statement about the relationship between two or more variables called ?

What is the double blind technique ?

What is an experimental control in which neither the participants or the researchers interacting with the participants are aware of the group or condition to which the participants have been assigned called ?

What is a case study ?

What is an intensive study of a single individual or small group of individuals called ?

What is positron emission tomograpy ?

What is an invasive imaging technique that provides color coded images of brain activity by tracking the brain's use of radioactivity tagged compound, such as glucose, oxygen, or a drug called ?

What is the placebo effect ?

What is any change attributed to a persons beliefs and expectations rather than an actual drug, treatment, or procedeure aka expectancy effect called ?

What is the practice effect ?

What is any change in performance that results from mere repetition of a task called ?

What is functional magnetic resonance imaging ?

FMRI is a noninvasive technique that uses magnetic fields to map brain activity by measuring changes in the brains blood flow and oxygen levels called ?

What is MRI ?

How is magnetic resonance imaging abbreviated ?

What is a PET scan ?

How is positron emission tomography abbreviated ?

What is a survey ?

What is a questionnaire or interview designed to investigate the opinions, behaviors, or characteristics of a particular group called ?

What are Individualistic Cultures ?

What are cultures that emphasize the needs and goals of the individual over the needs and goals of the group called ?

What are Collective Cultures ?

What are cultures that emphasize the needs and goals over the needs and goals of the individual called ?

What is are descriptive research methods ?

What are scientfic procedeures that involve systematically observing behavior in order to describe the relationship among behaviors and events called ?

What is Culture ?

What are the attitudes, values, beliefs, and behaviors shared by a group of people and communicated from one generation to another called ?

What are Statistics ?

What is a branch of mathematics used by researchers to organize, summarize, and interpret data called ?

What is comparative psychology ?

What is a branch of psychology that studies the behavior or different animal species called ?

What is a extraneous variable ?

What is a factor or variable other than the ones being studied that, if not controlled, could affect the outcome of an experiment aka confounding variable called ?

What is a Variable ?

What is a factor that can vary,or change, in ways that can be observed, measured, and verified called?

What is a placebo ?

What is a fake substance, treatment, or procedure that has no known direct effects called ?

What is a negative correlation ?

What is a finding that two factors vary systematically in oppisite directions, one increasing as the other decreases called ?

What is a positive correlation ?

What is a finding that two factors vary systematically in the same direction, increasing or decreasing together called ?

What is Statistically Significant ?

What is a mathmatical indication that research results are not very likley to have occured by chance called ?

What is the experimental method ?

What is a method of investigation used to demonstrate cause and effect relationshyips by purposely manipulating one factor thought to produce change in another factor called ?

What is magnetic resonance imaging ?

What is a noninvaesive imaging technique that produces highly detailed images of the body's structures and tissues using electromagnetic signals generated by the body in responce to magnetic field called ?

What is a correlation coefficient ?

What is a numerical indication of the magnitude and direction of the relationship (correlation) between two variables called ?

What is an Opperational Definition?

What is a precise description of how the variables in a study will be manipulated or measured ?

What is a sample ?

What is a selected segment of the population used to represent a group that is being studied called ?

What is Critical Thinking ?

What is the active process of minimizing preconceptions and biases while evaluating evidence, determining the conclusions that can reasonably be drawn from evidence, and considering alternative explinations for research findings or other phenomena called ?

What is Evolutionary Psychology ?

What is the application of princaples pf evolution, including natural selection, to explain psychological processes and phenomena called ?

What is Enthnocentrism ?

What is the belief that one's own culture or ethnic group is superior to all others, and the related tendency to use one's own culture as a standard by which to judge other cultures called ?

What is Cross Cultural Psychology?

What is the branch of psychology that studies the effects of culture on behaviorand mental processes called ?

What is Structuralism ?

What is the early school of psychology that emphasized studying of the most basic components, or structures of conscious experiences called ?

What is Functionalism ?

What is the early school of psychology that emphasized studying the purpose, or function, of behavior and mental experiences called ?

What is Psychiatry ?

What is the medical specialty area focused on the diagnosis, treatment, causes, and prevention of mental and behavioral disorders called ?

What is a random assignment ?

What is the process of assigning participants to experimental conditions so that all participants have and equal chance of being assigned to any of the conditions or groups of the study called ?

What is an independent variable ?

What is the purposely manipulated factor thought to produce change in an experiment, aka the treatment variable called ?

What is Humanistic Psychology ?

What is the school of psychology and theoretical viewpoint that emphasizes each person's unique potential for psychological and self direction called ?

What is Behaviorism?

What is the school of psychology and theoretical viewpoint that emphasizes the study of observable behaviors, espically as they pertain to the process of learning called ?

What is Positive Psychology ?

What is the study of positive emotions and psychological states, positive individual traits, and the social institutions that foster positive individuals and communities called ?

What is Neuroscience ?

What is the study of the nervous system, especially the brain called ?

What is naturalistic observation ?

What is the systematic observation and recording of behaviors as they occur in their natural setting called ?

What does replicate mean ?

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

What is Empirical Evidence ?

What is verifiable evidence that is based upon objective observation, measurement, and/or experimentation called?

What is an experimental group/condition ?

When in an experiment, the group of participants who are exposed to all experimental conditions, including the independent variable called ?