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
