Psychology as a Science Flashcards
(114 cards)
1
Q
Why is using our intuition about everyday behavior insufficient for understanding behavior?
A
Intuition lacks thorough investigation and may lead to incorrect conclusions.
Intuition may cause us to adopt explanations without considering alternative ones.
2
Q
What do all psychologists have in common?
A
They rely on scientific methods to study behavior.
3
Q
What is the difference between values and facts?
A
Values are personal statements; facts are objective statements determined through empirical study.
4
Q
What is the definition of empirical methods in science?
A
Processes of collecting and organizing data and drawing conclusions about those data.
5
Q
What is the problem with everyday research according to the text?
A
People often accept explanations without thorough testing and may draw erroneous conclusions.
6
Q
What is the hindsight bias?
A
The tendency to believe we could have predicted an outcome after knowing the result.
7
Q
What did the study on unconscious preferences reveal?
A
Participants preferred tea brands containing letters of their own names without being aware of the influence.
8
Q
Fill in the blank: The scientific method comprises a set of _______.
A
[assumptions, rules, and procedures]
9
Q
What is one limitation of scientific research mentioned in the text?
A
Not all questions can be answered using scientific approaches.
10
Q
How can research influence personal values?
A
Research can provide facts that help inform and shape personal values.
11
Q
What are the three levels of explanation in psychology?
A
- Biological influences
- Individual characteristics
- Social groups and cultures
12
Q
What is meant by ‘multiply determined’ behavior?
A
Behavior produced by many factors occurring at different levels of explanation.
13
Q
What is an example of a lower-level explanation for depression?
A
Biological factors such as neurotransmitter imbalances.
14
Q
True or False: Individual differences make it easy to predict behavior.
A
False
15
Q
What is a significant challenge in studying psychological disorders?
A
The complexity of psychological experiences and individual variability.
16
Q
What is the impact of individual differences on predictions in psychology?
A
Predictions are probabilistic and not exact due to variability among individuals.
17
Q
Fill in the blank: Scientific statements can change as new research _______.
A
[emerges]
18
Q
What types of statements cannot be objectively measured in scientific inquiry?
A
Values
19
Q
What is one example of a scientific fact regarding gun violence?
A
There were more than 30,000 deaths caused by handguns in the United States in 2009.
20
Q
What is an example of a personal value?
A
Welfare payments should be reduced for unmarried parents.
21
Q
What does the study of depression illustrate about levels of explanation?
A
All levels of explanation are essential for understanding the causes of depression.
22
Q
True or False: Science guarantees objective and unbiased answers.
A
False
23
Q
What is psychology?
A
The scientific study of mind and behavior.
24
Q
What bias leads us to think we could have predicted events that we actually could not have predicted?
A
Hindsight bias.
25
What does the scientific method allow psychologists to do?
Collect, analyze, and interpret evidence objectively.
26
What term describes the proportion of observed differences among people attributed to genetics?
Heritability.
27
What is the focus of psychodynamic psychology?
The role of unconscious thoughts, feelings, and memories in determining behavior.
28
Who is considered the father of psychoanalysis?
Sigmund Freud.
29
Fill in the blank: Psychology has moved from _______ about behavior to a more objective and scientific approach.
speculation.
30
What approach in psychology studies mental processes such as perception and memory?
Cognitive psychology.
31
True or False: Most early psychologists were women.
False.
32
What are the two main influences discussed in the nature versus nurture debate?
Genes and environment.
33
Name one of the important contributors to the school of Structuralism.
Wilhelm Wundt or Edward B. Titchener.
34
What is the primary focus of behaviorism?
The study of behavior itself, not the mind.
35
What does the question of free will versus determinism address?
The extent to which people have control over their own actions.
36
What did Plato believe regarding knowledge?
Certain kinds of knowledge are innate or inborn.
37
According to Aristotle, how is knowledge primarily acquired?
Through learning and experience.
38
Who developed the first psychology laboratory in Leipzig, Germany?
Wilhelm Wundt.
39
What is the main goal of Functionalism in psychology?
To understand why animals and humans have developed particular psychological aspects.
40
What is the principle of dualism as proposed by René Descartes?
The mind is fundamentally different from the mechanical body.
41
Fill in the blank: The study of how social situations and cultures influence thinking and behavior is known as _______.
social-cultural psychology.
42
What does the accuracy versus inaccuracy question concern?
The extent to which humans are good information processors.
43
What major psychological theory emphasizes the importance of unconscious processes?
Psychodynamic theory.
44
Who founded a psychology laboratory at Harvard University?
William James.
45
What is one key question that psychologists address regarding differences versus similarities?
Are there basic psychological and personality differences between men and women?
46
True or False: The heritability of intelligence is low.
False.
47
What was the focus of Wundt's research in his laboratory?
The nature of consciousness itself
## Footnote
Wundt's work aimed to analyze and classify conscious experiences scientifically.
48
What school of psychology did Wundt begin?
Structuralism
## Footnote
Structuralism aimed to identify the basic elements or structures of psychological experience.
49
What method did structuralists use to study consciousness?
Introspection
## Footnote
Introspection involves participants describing their experiences during mental tasks.
50
What significant discovery did Wundt make regarding sensation and perception?
There is a difference between the sensation of a stimulus and the perception of that stimulus.
51
Who was the best known structuralist and what did he identify?
Edward Bradford Titchener; over 40,000 sensations
## Footnote
Titchener was a student of Wundt and founded a laboratory at Cornell University.
52
What limitation did structuralists discover about introspection?
Participants often could not accurately report their subjective experiences.
53
What was the main goal of functionalism?
To understand why animals and humans developed particular psychological aspects.
54
Which theory influenced the functionalist school of psychology?
Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection.
55
What is evolutionary psychology?
A branch of psychology that applies Darwinian theory to human and animal behavior.
56
What does fitness refer to in evolutionary psychology?
The extent to which a characteristic helps an organism survive and reproduce.
57
What is a key limitation of evolutionary psychology?
Many predictions are difficult to test.
58
What is psychodynamic psychology primarily focused on?
The role of unconscious thoughts, feelings, and memories.
59
Who is the founder of psychodynamic psychology?
Sigmund Freud.
60
What does psychoanalysis involve?
Exploration of unconscious drives through talk therapy and dream analysis.
61
What approach did behaviorists take towards the study of psychology?
They focused exclusively on observable behavior, rejecting the study of the mind.
62
Who is considered the first behaviorist?
John B. Watson.
63
What experiment is associated with Little Albert?
A study demonstrating classical conditioning by associating a loud noise with a white rat.
64
What did B.F. Skinner contribute to behaviorism?
He expanded behaviorism and developed theories about reinforcement and behavior training.
65
What is the behaviorist view on free will?
They argue that behaviors are determined by past experiences and environmental factors.
66
What did recent research suggest about free will?
People often overestimate their own free will in responding to events.
67
What analogy became popular in psychology beginning in the 1960s?
The analogy between the brain and the computer.
68
What is cognitive neuroscience?
The study of brain processes involved in cognitive functions.
69
What psychological approach emphasizes the role of prior experiences in understanding behavior?
Behaviorism
## Footnote
Behaviorism focuses on observable behaviors and the ways they're learned through interactions with the environment.
70
What is cognitive psychology?
A field that studies mental processes including perception, thinking, memory, and judgment
## Footnote
Cognitive psychology emerged in the 1960s, influenced by the development of computers.
71
Who was Hermann Ebbinghaus and what did he study?
A German psychologist known for studying memory, specifically the ability to remember lists of words under different conditions.
72
What concept did Sir Frederic Bartlett explore through 'The War of the Ghosts'?
The influence of prior expectations on memory.
73
Fill in the blank: Cognitive psychology suggests that ignoring the mind itself will never be sufficient because people interpret the _______.
stimuli
74
Name three important cognitive psychologists.
* Donald E. Broadbent
* Daniel Kahneman
* George Miller
75
What is neuroimaging?
The use of various techniques to provide pictures of the structure and function of the living brain.
76
What does social-cultural psychology study?
How social situations and cultures influence thinking and behavior.
77
What are social norms?
Ways of thinking, feeling, or behaving that are shared by group members and perceived as appropriate.
78
True or False: Norms in Western cultures are primarily oriented toward collectivism.
False
79
How do Eastern cultures differ from Western cultures in terms of social norms?
Eastern cultures emphasize interdependence and group harmony, while Western cultures emphasize individualism.
80
What is the main focus of biopsychology and neuroscience?
Examining the physiological bases of behavior by studying brain function and the effects of hormones and neurotransmitters.
81
What do clinical and counseling psychologists focus on?
Assessment, diagnosis, causes, and treatment of mental disorders.
82
What is the goal of cognitive psychologists?
To study memory, language, and thinking using advanced research methods.
83
What is the focus of developmental psychology?
Research on cognitive, emotional, and social changes across the lifespan.
84
What do forensic psychologists apply psychological principles to?
Understanding behavior in the criminal justice system.
85
What do health psychologists study?
The influence of biology, behavior, and social situations on health and illness.
86
What is the focus of industrial-organizational psychology?
Improving performance and well-being of employees in the workplace.
87
What do personality psychologists study?
Individual differences and the psychological processes of people.
88
Fill in the blank: School psychologists work in _______ to assess children's psychological and learning problems.
schools
89
What does social and cross-cultural psychology examine?
Interactions between people, including conformity, group behavior, and attitudes.
90
What do sports psychologists study?
The psychological factors that influence performance in sports.
91
What is one essential factor for effective learning according to psychological research?
Being ready to learn.
92
True or False: Memory supplements have been proven to be effective for improving learning.
False
93
What should be avoided to maintain effective learning and memory?
Alcohol and drugs that impair memory.
94
What is one way to effectively learn and remember information?
Maintain a consistent routine of sleeping and eating.
95
What is the scientific study of mind and behavior called?
Psychology
## Footnote
Psychologists work in various settings, including research laboratories and hospitals.
96
What bias leads us to think we could have predicted events that we could not have actually predicted?
Hindsight bias
## Footnote
This bias affects our perception of past events.
97
What method allows psychologists to objectively and systematically understand human behavior?
Scientific method
## Footnote
This method is crucial for conducting psychological research.
98
What are the different levels of explanation psychologists study behavior at?
Lower biological levels to higher social and cultural levels
## Footnote
Different behaviors can be analyzed at multiple levels.
99
What historical schools of psychology are mentioned?
* Structuralism
* Functionalism
* Behaviorism
* Psychodynamic psychology
## Footnote
These schools contributed to the development of modern psychology.
100
What contemporary approaches in psychology are highlighted?
* Cognitive psychology
* Evolutionary psychology
* Social-cultural psychology
## Footnote
These approaches address modern psychological questions.
101
What are some basic questions asked by psychologists?
* Nature versus nurture
* Free will versus determinism
* Accuracy versus inaccuracy
* Conscious versus unconscious processing
## Footnote
These questions reflect core issues in psychological research.
102
What does it mean that psychological phenomena are multiply determined?
They have multiple causes at different levels of explanation
## Footnote
This complexity makes predictions about behavior difficult.
103
What is metacognition?
The ability to assess one's own knowledge
## Footnote
Metacognition can lead to overconfidence in what we believe we know.
104
Fill in the blank: Learning is an ________ process.
active
## Footnote
Active engagement with material enhances learning.
105
What is the self-reference effect?
Learning information best when related to oneself
## Footnote
This effect enhances memory retention.
106
What is the method of loci?
Linking pieces of information to familiar places
## Footnote
This technique aids in memory retrieval.
107
What is the spacing effect?
Better retention of material when studied over several shorter periods
## Footnote
Cramming is an ineffective study strategy.
108
True or False: Caffeine and memory-enhancing drugs have been proven to significantly improve learning.
False
## Footnote
Research indicates they are not effective for learning.
109
What is a key strategy for improving study habits according to psychologists?
Set realistic goals for study time and material
## Footnote
Achieving small goals consistently leads to significant progress.
110
What is an example of a psychological approach that focuses on unconscious drives?
Psychodynamic psychology
## Footnote
This approach utilizes techniques like psychoanalysis.
111
How do behaviorists explain behavior?
In terms of stimulus, response, and reinforcement
## Footnote
Behaviorists deny the presence of free will.
112
What is one important finding about how we learn information most effectively?
We acquire information best when we actively think about or elaborate on its meaning
## Footnote
This emphasizes the importance of engagement in the learning process.
113
Fill in the blank: Psychologists have studied ways to acquire, retain, and ________ information.
retrieve
## Footnote
Understanding these processes is key to effective learning.
114
What type of goals improve performance in learning according to psychological research?
Difficult yet realistic goals
## Footnote
Setting achievable challenges can enhance motivation and learning.
