Foundations of Psychological Science

Question 1

Commonsense Psychology

Answer 1

Beliefs about humans that are often false and lack logical evaluation

Question 2

Pseudoscience

Answer 2

Belief lacking objective evidence, e.g. astrology, phrenology, graphology

Question 3

Scientific Method

Answer 3

Observation, hypothesis, evidence gathering, theory building

Question 4

Psychological Research Areas

Answer 4

Developmental, forensic, community, environmental, industrial

Question 5

Clinical Psychologists

Answer 5

Treats psychological problems and conducts research on therapies and mental disorders; collaborate with psychiatrists, counselors;

Question 6

Wilhelm Wundt’s Method

Answer 6

Introspection to study conscious experience; Considered the father of psychology; relied on scientific observation

Question 7

Structuralism

Answer 7

Study of sensation and personal experience as basic elements

Question 8

Gestalt Approach

Answer 8

Studies experiences of thinking, learning, personality, and perception as whole units

Question 9

Functionalist Approach

Answer 9

Considers behavior in terms of active adaptations; consciousness is an ever-changing stream of images and sensations

Question 10

Behaviorist Approach

Answer 10

Emphasizes the study of observable actions over the study of the mind; Objective behavior study, reject introspection

Question 11

Psychiatrist

Answer 11

Medical doctor who treats serious mental disorders, often with drugs

Question 12

Psychoanalytic Approach

Answer 12

Emphasize unconscious origins of behavior; Mental life is influenced by unconscious thoughts, impulses, and desires

Question 13

Psychoanalyst

Answer 13

Psychiatrist or psychologist who uses a precise approach to psychotherapy

Question 14

Counselor

Answer 14

Advises and offers practical helping skills to solve problems with marriage, career, school, etc.

Question 15

Stimulus

Answer 15

Physical energy that affects a person and evokes a response

Question 16

Radical Behaviorism

Answer 16

Believes actions are controlled by rewards and punishments; rejects introspection and the concept of mind

Question 17

Psychoanalytic Psychology

Answer 17

Mental life is influenced by unconscious thoughts, impulses, and desires

Question 18

Cognitive Psychology

Answer 18

Study of information processing, thinking, reasoning, and problem solving

Question 19

Humanistic Psychology

Answer 19

Believes people are inherently good and have potential; focuses on self-actualization

Question 20

Biopsychosocial Model

Answer 20

Considers biological, psychological, and social factors in understanding behavior

Question 21

Critical Thinking

Answer 21

Reflection that asks whether a belief can be supported by scientific theory and observation

Question 22

Hypothesis

Answer 22

Predicted outcome of an experiment

Question 23

Experimental Variables

Answer 23

Independent: Suspected cause for differences in behavior; Dependent: Measure any effect of manipulating the independent variable

Question 24

Random Assignment

Answer 24

Subjects placed in experimental or control groups by chance; essential to make cause-and-effect claims

Question 25

Correlational Research

Answer 25

Quantifies the degree to which events, measures, or variables are associated

Question 26

Case Studies

Answer 26

In-depth analysis of behavior of one person or small number of people; useful for investigating mental disorders

Question 27

Uncritical Acceptance

Answer 27

Tendency to accept beliefs as true without logical reasoning

Question 28

Confirmation Bias

Answer 28

Unconsciously noticing information that confirms existing expectations

Question 29

Psychologists

Answer 29

Highly trained in methods, knowledge, and theories of psychological research

Question 30

Basic Research

Answer 30

Seeking knowledge for the sake of knowledge, e.g. understanding how memory works

Question 31

Applied Research

Answer 31

Solving immediate practical problems, e.g. improving athletic performance

Question 32

Animal Model

Answer 32

A small percentage of psychological studies; principles apply to humans

Question 33

Counseling Psychologist

Answer 33

Treats milder problems such as trouble at work or school

Question 34

Gender and Culture Bias

Answer 34

Introduced due to participant demographics

Question 35

Goals of Psychology

Answer 35

Description, understanding, prediction, control

Question 36

Critical Thinking Principles

Answer 36

Logical analysis, skepticism, evidence evaluation

Question 37

Data Types in Psychology

Answer 37

Self-report, observational, physiological

Question 38

Experimental Variables

Answer 38

Independent, dependent, extraneous

Question 39

Experimental Design

Answer 39

Random assignment, control of extraneous variables

Question 40

Statistical Significance

Answer 40

Results unlikely by chance, replicable

Question 41

Experiment Problems

Answer 41

Participant and researcher bias

Question 42

Nonexperimental Methods

Answer 42

Quasi-experiments, lack random assignment

Question 43

Correlational Research

Answer 43

Assess degree of association between variables

Question 44

Case Studies

Answer 44

Useful for studying rare events

Question 45

Information Literacy

Answer 45

Critical evaluation of popular press and social media