psychology chapter 1

Random Assignment

A process used to assign individuals to various experimental conditions by chance alone.

What assumption underlies the use of reaction times to study prejudice indirectly?

Concepts that are associated more strongly in memory are verified more quickly.

5 Types of Psychological Research

Experiments, Correlational Study, Survey, Naturalistic Observation, and Case Study.

Dependent Variable

The measured outcome of a study; the responses of the subjects in a study.

Behavioral Perspective

The source of our actions in environmental stimuli, rather than in inner mental process. John Watson, and B.F. Skinner

What is the main goal of psychological research?

To predict and, in some cases, control behavior.

The worlds first psychology laboratory

In 1879 at the university of Leipzig is where Wundt performed introspection.

Teachers of psychology

Psychologist whose primary job is teaching typically in high schools, colleges, and universities. It involves not only teaching but also research and publication. However, psychologist can be found in at community colleges and high schools , where their teaching load is higher because these institutions generally do not require research.

Placebo

Substance that appears to be a drug but is not. Placebos are often referred as sugar pills because they might only contain sugar, rather than a real drug.

Confirmation Bias

Tendency to remember events that confirm beliefs and ignore or or forget contradictory evidence.

Why would other scientist want to replicate an experiment that has already been done?

To ensure phenomenon under study is real and reliable.

Critical thinking 6 skills

What is the source? Is the claim reasonable or extreme? What is the evidence? Could bias contaminate the conclusion? Does the reasoning avoid common fallacies? Does the issue require multiple perspectives?

Zero Correlation

When two variables have no relationship to each other.

William James

Argued that psychology should include the function of consciousness not just structure.

Which of the following is desirable in research?

Systematic manipulation of the variables of interest.

Theory

conceptual system accounting for existing information & future relationships

The amygdala is an area of the brain that processes?

Emotion

John Dewy

Founded the progressive education movement, which emphasized learning by doing rather than lectures and memorizing facts.

Who founded the first psychology laboratory in the United States?

G. Stanley Hall

The reactions of the boys and the girls to the teacher in the candid camera episode were essentially similar. Professor Zimbardo attributes this reaction to?

How an attractive teacher violates expectations.

4 Steps of the Empirical Scientific Method

Hypothesis, Gathering Data, Analyzing the result, Publish results.

Two Variations on the Biological Theme

Neuroscience-understanding how the brain creates thoughts, feelings, motivates, consciousness, memories, and other mental processes. Evolutionary psychology- A relatively new specialty in psychology that sees behavior and mental processes in terms of their genetic adaptions for survival and reproduction.

Simply put the difference between people in the experimental group and those in the control group is whether they

Recieve the experimental treatment.

Case Study

Research involving a single individual ( or, at most, a few individuals.)

Replicate

Same procedures can be followed to produce same result.

A formal definition of psychology is as the scientific study of

The behavior of people and their mental process.

Survey

A technique used in descriptive research, typically involving seeking peoples responses to a prepared set or verbal or written items.

Theory

A testable explanation for a set of facts or observations, in science theory is not just a speculation or guess.

Empirical Investigation

An approach to research that relies on sensory experience and observation as research data.

Double-Bind study

An experimental procedure in which both researchers and participants are uninformed about the nature of the independent variable being administered.

A ___ psychologist would be most likely to help individuals overcome their depression.

Clinical

Cognitive Prospective

Emphasis on mental process, such as learning, memory, perception, and thinking, as forms of information processing, beliefs and memories. Wilhelm Wundt and William James

Developmental Perspective

Emphasis on nature and nurture and on predictable changes that occur across the lifespan. Mary Ainsworth, Jean Piaget

Sociocultural Perspective

Emphasis on the importance of social learning, and culture in explaining human behavior. Stanley Milgram, Philip Zimbardo

Informed Consent

Ensures research participants are informed of the procedures of the research, as well as any potential dangers involved, so they may opt out if desired.

Biological Prospective

Searches for causes of behavior in the functioning of genes , the brain and nervous system, and the endocrine system. Rene Descartes

What is the main reason the results of research studies are published?

So other researchers can try to replicate the work.

What is the best definition of psychology?

The scientific study of the behavior of individual and their mental processes.

Natural Selection

The survival and reproduction of individuals with the most adaptive mental and physical characteristics. Darwin

Emotional Bias

The tendency to make judgements based on attitudes or feelings, rather than on the basis of rational analysis of evidence.

These two describe correlational studies

They show relationships between variable, and they allow predictabilly among variables.

Experimental psychologist

research psychologist,some can be found in industry or private research institutes, the majority work in colleges universities, where most teach. They do research on basic psychological processes.

psychology

the science of behavior and mental process; study of the mind.

Why does the placebo effect work?

Because participants believe in the power of the placebo.

A psychologist who studies how horomones affect a persons behavior is using the

Biological View

Psychology's six main prospectives

Biological, Cognitive, Behavioral, Whole-Person , Developmental, Sociocultural

Three ways of doing psychology

3 main categories experimental psychologist, teachers of psychology, applied psychologist.

Functionalism

A Historical school of psychology that believed mental process could best be understood in terms of their adaptive purpose and function. William James. The functionalist became the first applied psychologist.

Culture

A complex blend of language, beliefs, customs, values, and traditions developed by a group of people and shared with others in the same environment.

Negative Correlation

A correlation indicating that the variables change simultaneously in opposite directions; as one becomes larger the other gets smaller.

Positive Correlation

A correlation indicating that the variables change simultaneously in the same direction. As one grows larger or smaller the other grows or shrinks in a parallel way.

Naturalistic Observation

A form descriptive research involving behavioral assessment of people or animals in their natural surroundings.

Correlational Study

A form of which the relationship between variables is studied, but without the experimental manipulation of an independent variable, can not determine cause and effect relationships.

Structuralism

A historical school of psychology devoting to uncovering the basic structures that make up mind and thought. Structuralists sought the elements of conscious experience. Edward Bradford Titcher brought this to America.

Anecdotal Evidence

First hand accounts that vividly describe the experiences of one or few people but may erroneously be assumed to be scientific evidence.

Applied psychologist specialties

Industrial and organizational psychologist (often called I/0 psychologist) They create programs to motivate employees or improve managers leadership skills. Sports psychologist improve performance by planning effective practice seasons, enhancing motivation, and learning to control emotions under pressure. School psychologist experts in teaching and learning. Clinical and counseling psychologist improve social and emotional adjustment or work through difficult relationships, careers, or education. Criminal minds, profiler, or CSI. Forensic psychologist may test inmates in prisons to determine readiness for release or fitness to stand trial, evaluate testimony or help with jury selection. Environmental psychologist aim to improve human interaction with our environment.

These two apply to the dependent variable in an experimental research study.

It is not directly manipulated by the researcher, and it is measured by the researcher.

What is the purpose of the double-blind procedure?

It is to eliminate experimenter bias.

Experimental Group

Participants in a experiment who are exposed to the treatment of interest.

Control Group

Participants who are used as a comparison for the experimental group. The control group is not given the special treatment of interest.

Data

Pieces of information gathered by a researcher to be used in testing a hypothesis.

Applied psychologist

Psychologist who use the knowledge developed by experimental psychologist to solve human problems of all kinds, such as toy or equipment design criminal analysis, and psychological treatment. They work in a variety of places schools, clinics, airports, hospitals, and casinos. Only two thirds of the doctoral level of psychologist in the US work primarily as applied psychologist.

Rene Descartes

The 17th century philosopher that proposed the first radical new concept that eventually lead to modern psychology: a distinction between the spiritual mind and the physical body.

Introspection

The process of reporting on one's own unconscious mental experiment. Wundt and his students performed these.

Expectancy Bias

The researcher allowing his or her expectations to effect the outcome of a study.

Independent Variable

A stimulus condition so named because the experimenter changes it independently of all the other carefully controlled experimental conditions.

Whole-Person Perspective

A group of perspectives that take a global view of the person. Included are psychodynamic psychology(process in our unconscious mind- Sigmund Freud), humanistic psychology(our innate need to grow, and fulfill our best possible potential-Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow), and trait and temperament psychology(unique personality characteristics that are consistent over time and across situations- Ancient Greeks).

Experiment

A kind of research in which the researcher controls all the conditions and directly manipulates the conditions, including the independent variable.

Psychiatry

A medical specialty, not part of psychology,dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders

Hypothesis

A statement predicting the outcome of a scientific study: predicting between variables in a study.

A prediction of how two or more variables are likely to be related is called a?

Conclusion

In an experiment the independent variable is always

Controlled by the researcher

Pseudo-psychology

Erroneous assertions or practices set forth as being scientific psychology. Unsupported psychological beliefs masquerading as scientific truth.

In psychology, the term behavior refers specifically to

Those activities of an organsim that can be observed by another organism or by the experimenters instruments.

Cross-cultural psychologist

Those who work in this specialty are interested in how psychological processes differ among people of different cultures.