MIDTERM #1 Flashcards
the professional application of psychological knowledge to the solution of problems associated with human behavior
applied psychology
What is an example of clinical psychology?
treating mental health problems
what is an example of counseling psychology?
therapeutic practices
what is an example of educational psychology?
educational practice and learning
what is an example of occupational psychology?
improving organizations
what is an example of health psychology?
human health behavior problems
what is an example of sports & exercise psychology?
enhancing sport performance
what is an example of forensic psychology?
applications in criminal justice system
what is an example of neuropsychology?
study and function of brain processes
practice whose efficacy has been proven through research using the scientific method
evidence-based practice
what are the 3 characteristics of the scientific approach?
systematic empiricism, empirical questions, and public knowledge
carefully planning, making, recording, and analyzing observations about the natural world
systematic empiricism
questions about the way the world actually is; can be answered by systematically observing it
empirical questions
the publishing of knowledge after scientists ask empirical questions, make systematic observations, and draw conclusions
public knowledge
What must be true about scientific claims?
they must be falsifiable
refers to activities and beliefs that are claimed to be scientific by their proponents—and may
appear to be scientific at first glance—but are not
pseudoscience
what are the key differences between science and pseudoscience?
pseudoscience might lack:
- systematic empiricism
- public knowledge
pseudoscience does not address empirical questions (not falsifiable)
intuitive beliefs about people’s behavior, thoughts, and feelings
folk psychology
what is the process of scientific research (scientific method)?
1) formulate a research question
2) conduct a study to answer question
3) analyze the data
4) draw conclusions
5) publish results
conducted primarily for the sake of achieving a more detailed and accurate understanding of human behavior, without necessarily trying to address any particular practical problem
basic research
conducted primarily to address some practical problem
applied research
Why does psychology rely on science rather than common sense?
People’s intuitions about human behavior (folk psychology) often turn out to be wrong
we tend to focus on cases that confirm our intuitive beliefs and not on cases that disconfirm them
confirmation bias
when there is often not enough evidence to fully evaluate a belief or claim
tolerance for uncertainty