Chapter 1: The Science of Psychology Flashcards
(24 cards)
What is the definition of Pyschology?
It’s the scientific study of behavior and mental process
The science of Psychology uses:
- Critical Thinking
- Curiosity
- Skepticism
- Objectivity
Who explored structures of consciousness using:
- Structuralism
- Introspection
Wilhelm Wundt
Who explored the purposes of the mind and behavior using:
- Functionalism
- Adaptation to the environment
- Darwin’s theory of evolution: Natural Selection
William James
What is the Biological Approach?
Body, especially Brain and the Nervous System
In a Biological Approach, what is Neuroscience?
— Scientific study of the nervous system using:
-Structure, function, development, genetics, and biochemistry
—Physical basis in brain for behavior/ thought
What is the Behavioral Approach?
Observable Behavior
Behaviorists believe you should study environments and measurable events
Who are notable Behavorists?
— John Watson
— B.F. Skinner
What is the Psychodynamic Approach?
Studies:
—Unconscious conflicts
—Childhood experiences with Parents
—Sexual Instinct
—Psychoanalysis
What did Sigmund Freud do?
He was the founder of Psychoanalysis
What is Psychoanalysis?
It’s a therapeutic approach that explores the unconscious mind to understand thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Example: Imagine someone has a recurring dream about being chased. In psychoanalysis, the therapist would explore the dream to find hidden fears and anxieties the person has. They could find a past traumatic experience.
What is the Humanistic Approach?
It focuses on personal growth, self- actualization, and the belief that people are inherently good. It emphasizes individual experiences and free will. It emphasizes free will and personal choice to shape behaviors and decisions.
What is the Cognitive Approach?
Mental processes involved in knowing and thinking
—Memory, planning, problem solving, and perceiving
Mind as active, not passive
What is the Evolutionary Approach
Explanations of Human Behavior:
—adaptation
—reproduction
—natural selection
A Notable Evolutionary Psychologist is David Buss
What is the Sociocultural Approach?
Social and Cultural Environments
Differences:
—Between ethnic and cultural groups
— within and across countries
Areas of Specialization:
- Social
- Learning
- Sport
- Forensic
- Developmental
- Personality
- Health
- Cognitive
- Community
- Motivation and Emotion
- Clinical and Counseling
What are the steps to the Scientific Method?
- Observe
- Hypothesize
- Test
- Conclusions
- Evaluate
What is Descriptive Research
The goal: describing a phenomenon
—observation
—surveys and interviews
—case studies
It does not answer questions about why things are the way they are.
Correlation and Causation
Correlation DOES NOT equal causation
Why is parental harshness correlated with child rebellion?
Any correlation (theory) could be correct
Experimental Research
Goal: Determine Causation
Experimental Research involves manipulating variables to observe effects on behavior, it tests for cause and effect
Example: A study might change the amount of sleep participants get to see how it affects their memory performance.
What is Validity
External Validity:
—Representative of real world issues?
—Do results generalize to the real world?
Internal Validity:
—Are dependent variable changes the result of independent variable manipulation?
—Bias? Logical errors/
Bias and Expectations
They Demand Characteristics
—Experimenter Bias Research Participant Bias
—Placebo Effect
Double- blind Experiment
If you have a bias it can affect what’s actually true
What are Research Ethics
Research participants have rights!
APA Guidelines
—informal consent
—confidentiality
—debriefing
—deception
Institutional Review Board (IRB)
What is Animal Research in Psychology
Animal research has benefited humans.
Used by 5% of researchers
Rats and mice used 90% of time
Standards of care in animal research:
—housing
—feeding
—psychological and physical well being
