Unit 0 - History, Approaches, and Research Methods (Salma)

Question 1

What is the definition of behavior?

Answer 1

actions by which an organism adjusts to its environment

Question 2

What is psychology?

Answer 2

The study of mind & behavior, including human thoughts, emotions, and social interactions

Question 3

Biological Approach

Answer 3

Looks at how the brain, genes, & body affect behavior & thoughts (EX. a person feels sad because of a chemical imbalance in the brain)

Question 4

Cognitive approach

Answer 4

Focuses on how we think, learn, remember, & solve problems. The way our brain works. (EX. Someone is anxious because they feel that something bad will happen)

Question 5

Behavioral Approach

Answer 5

Focuses on how we learn behaviors through rewards, punishments, and observation. (EX. a child learns to say please because they get praise when they do)

Question 6

Evolutionary Approach

Answer 6

Looks at how behavior helps us survive and pass on our jeans (EX. People may fear snakes since it helped early humans stay safe)

Question 7

Social Cultural Approach

Answer 7

looks at how society, culture, and people around us affect behavior (EX. a teen might act a certain way to fit in with a friend group)

Question 8

Psychoanalytic Approach

Answer 8

Focuses on the unconscious thoughts, feelings, and past experiences (EX. Someone fears dogs because of a bad experience as a child they don’t fully remember)

Question 9

Humanistic Approach

Answer 9

Focuses on personal growth, free will, and being your best self (EX Person goes to therapy to find purpose and improve their life)

Question 10

Independent Variable

Answer 10

Independent variable: The factor you change or control in an experiment.
Example: The amount of sleep in a study on sleep and performance.

Question 11

Dependent Variable

Answer 11

Dependent variable: The factor that is measured or affected in an experiment.
Example: The test scores in a study on sleep and performance

Question 12

Experimental group

Answer 12

Experimental group: The group that receives the treatment or variable being tested.
Example: People who take a new medicine in a study.

Question 13

Control group

Answer 13

Control group: The group that does not receive the treatment and is used for comparison.
Example: People who take a placebo (fake medicine) in a study.

Question 14

Normal Distribution

Answer 14

Normal distribution: A type of data distribution where most values cluster around the average, forming a bell-shaped curve.
Example: Heights of people in a population, where most are near the average height.

Question 15

Correlation

Answer 15

Correlation: A relationship between two variables, where they move together (positive correlation) or in opposite directions (negative correlation).
Example: As ice cream sales increase, so do drowning incidents (positive correlation).

Question 16

Overconfidence

Answer 16

Overconfidence: When people believe they know more or are more accurate than they actually are.
Example: gambler’s fallacy

Question 17

Standard deviation

Answer 17

Standard deviation: A measure of how spread out the values are in a data set. A higher standard deviation means values are more spread out from the average.
Example: In a class, if most students have similar test scores, the standard deviation is low; if scores vary widely, the standard deviation is high.

Question 18

Random sampling

Answer 18

random sampling is a type of probability sampling in which the researcher randomly selects a subset of participants from a population. Each member of the population has an equal chance of being selected. (ex: a bank might randomly choose 1,000 customers to assess spending habits.)

Question 19

Hindsight Bias

Answer 19

the tendency to believe after learning the outcome that old would have for seen it Ex: I knew it all along

Question 20

Illusionary correlation

Answer 20

tendency to believe that variables have a relationship where none exist Ex: superstitions

Question 21

Peer reviews

Answer 21

people who provide additional insight or perspective

Question 22

hypothesis

Answer 22

educate prediction/guess

Question 23

theory

Answer 23

general idea of phenomenon

Question 24

Case study

Answer 24

describe technique in which one individual/group is studies in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles Ex: brain damage

Question 25

Naturalistic Observation

Answer 25

Descriptive technique of observing/recording behavior in naturally occurring situation with trying to manipulate/control the situation ex: animal observations

Question 26

Survey

Answer 26

Obtain self-reported attitudes ex: 2016 election

Question 27

Random assignment

Answer 27

participants have = chance of being in the experiment or control grouo

Question 28

Social Desirability Bias

Answer 28

This is the tendency for survey respondents to answer questions in a way that they believe will be viewed favorably by others. Ex: When asked about exercise habits, someone might report exercising five times a week even if they only manage to go once, because they know that being physically active is generally seen as positive.

Question 29

Self report

Answer 29

A method of data collection where individuals provide information about themselves without direct observation or measurement by the researcher. This can include questionnaires, surveys, and interviews.

Question 30

Sampling bias

Answer 30

This occurs when the sample selected for a study is not representative of the larger population of interest. This can lead to inaccurate generalizations about the entire population based on the findings from the biased sample. Ex: : Conducting a survey about political opinions by only interviewing people who attend a specific political rally.

Question 31

Wording Effects

Answer 31

The way a question is phrased can significantly influence the responses people give. Ex: Asking "Do you support cutting funding for education?" might elicit a different response than asking "Do you support reallocating funds from education to other essential public services?"

Question 32

Population

Answer 32

The entire group of individuals, objects, or events that a researcher is interested in studying. It's the complete set from which a sample is drawn.

Question 33

Sample

Answer 33

A smaller subgroup of individuals, objects, or events selected from the population to represent the characteristics of the entire group. Ex: group of 1,000 adults from different states

Question 34

Single Blind Study

Answer 34

An experimental design where either the participants or the researchers interacting with the participants are unaware of which treatment group a participant has been assigned to (e.g., receiving the active treatment or a placebo)

Question 35

Double Blind Study

Answer 35

An experimental design where neither the participants nor the researchers interacting with the participants know which treatment group a participant has been assigned to. Ex: if neither the patients nor the doctors administering the treatment know who is receiving the actual medication and who is receiving the placebo, it would be a double-blind study.

Question 36

Placebo

Answer 36

An inert treatment or substance that has no actual therapeutic effect but is administered as if it were a real treatment.

Question 37

Confounding Effect (or Confounding Variable)

Answer 37

A variable that is not the independent variable being studied but can influence the dependent variable Ex: A study finds that students who spend more time studying get better grades. However, if students who spend more time studying also tend to have higher socioeconomic status

Question 38

Experimental Bias

Answer 38

This occurs when a researcher's expectations, beliefs, or behavior unintentionally influence the outcome of a study.