Psy Exam ! Flashcards
Psychology
The scientific study of behavior and mental processes.
Wilhelm Wundt
Often considered the founder of psychology for establishing the first psychology laboratory in Leipzig, Germany, in 1879.
Historical Approaches to Psychology
Structuralism (Wundt and Titchener), Functionalism (James), Gestalt Psychology (Wertheimer, Koffka, Kohler), Psychoanalysis (Freud), Behaviorism (Watson, Skinner).
contemporary Perspectives of Psychology
Biological, Cognitive, Behavioral, Psychodynamic, Humanistic.
Developmental Psychology
The study of how people grow and change physically, cognitively, socially, and emotionally over the lifespan.
Personality Psychology
The study of individual differences in behavior patterns, cognition, and emotion.
Scientific Method
A systematic approach to research involving observation, hypothesis formation, experimentation, and analysis.
Hypothesis
A testable prediction about the relationship between two or more variables.
Experiment
A research method in which one or more variables are manipulated to observe their effect on another variable while controlling other factors.
Variables
Factors that can change or vary in an experiment. Independent variable is manipulated by the researcher, while the dependent variable is observed and measured for changes.
Experimental Group
The group in an experiment that receives the treatment or manipulation.
Control Group
The group in an experiment that does not receive the treatment or manipulation and is used as a baseline for comparison.
Random Sample
A sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion.
Random Assignment
Assigning participants to experimental and control groups by chance to minimize pre-existing differences between the groups.
Naturalistic Observation
A research method in which behavior is observed and recorded in a natural environment without intervention or manipulation.
Case Study
An in-depth study of one or a few individuals, often used to investigate rare or unusual phenomena.
Survey Research
A research method involving the collection of data from a sample of individuals through self-report measures.
Correlational Research
A research method that examines the relationship between two or more variables without manipulation.
Correlation Coefficient
A statistical measure that indicates the strength and direction of the relationship between two variables. Positive correlation means both variables move in the same direction, negative correlation means they move in opposite directions.
