Unit 1 Flashcards by Alicia Santiago

the application of psychological concepts and methods to optimizing human behavior in workplaces

industrial-organizational psychology

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numerical data that allow one to generalize-to infer from sample data the probability of something being true of a population

inferential statistics

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Known for his theory of cognitive development in children

Jean Piaget

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A research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factors to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process

experiment

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In an experiment, the group that is exposed to the treatment, that is, to one version of the independent variable.

experimental group

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Thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions

Critical thinking

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Early school of thought promoted by James and influenced by Darwin; explored how mental and behavioral processes function-how they enable the organism to adapt, survive , and flourish

Functionalism

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the enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next

Culture

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as one variable increases, the other decreases

negative correlation

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The scientific study of behavior and mental processes

Psychology

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the longstanding controversy over the relative contributions that genes and experience make to the development of psychological traits and behaviors. Today’s science sees traits and behaviors arising from the interaction of nature and nurture

nature-nurture issue

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the scientific study of the links between biological and psychological processes

biological psychology

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a bar graph depicting a frequency distribution

Histogram

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a statement of the procedures used to define research variables

operational definition

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repeating the essence of a research study, usually with different participants in different situations, to see whether the basic finding extends to other participants and circumstances

Replication

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a branch of psychology that studies how unconscious drives and conflicts influence behavior, and uses that information to treat people with psychological disorders

psychodynamic psychology

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a computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean score

standard deviation

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founder of functionalism; studied how humans use perception to function in our environment

William James

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pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base

basic research

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the study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection

evolutionary psychology

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English natural scientist who formulated a theory of evolution by natural selection
(1809-1882)

Charles Darwin

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a descriptive technique in which one individual or group is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles

case study

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1902-1987; Field: humanistic; Contributions:
founded person-centered therapy, theory that emphasizes the unique quality of humans especially their freedom and potential for personal growth, unconditional positive regard, fully functioning person

Carl Rogers

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giving potential participants enough information about a study to enable them to choose whether they wish to participate

informed consent

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Having to do with morals, values, right and wrong

ethical

a study method incorporating five steps: Survey, Question, Read, Retrieve, Review

SQ3R

Average

mean

A measure of the extent to which two factors vary together, and thus of how well either factor predicts the other.

Correlation

all those in a group being studied, from which samples may be drawn

Population

numerical data used to measure and describe characteristics of groups. Includes measures of central tendency and measures of variation.

descriptive statistics

Structuralism; a student in Wundt's lab

Edward Tichener

A symmetrical, bell-shape that describes the distribution of many types of data; most scores fall near the mean (68 percent fall within one standard deviation of it) and fewer and fewer near the extremes.

normal curve

the study of how psychological processes affect and can enhance teaching and learning

educational psychology

Watson's assistant in Little Albert experiment (small child develops fear of rats)

Rosalie Rayner

the scientific study of human functioning, with the goals of discovering and promoting strengths and virtues that help individuals and communities to thrive

positive psychology

Austrian physician whose work focused on the unconscious causes of behavior and personality formation; founded psychoanalysis.

Sigmund Freud

the act of holding information in confidence, not to be released to unauthorized individuals

Confidentiality

a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span

developmental psychology

the condition of an experiment that contrasts with the experimental condition and serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment

control condition

American psychologist who conducted research on memory, personality, and dreams; first woman president of the American Psychological Association

Mary Whiton Calkins

a statistical index of the relationship between two things (from -1 to +1)

correlation coefficient

First female to be awarded a PhD in psychology; 2nd president of the APA (1921)

Margaret Floy Washburn

American psychologist who established the first psychology research laboratory in the United States and founded the American Psychological Association

G. Stanley Hall

the principle that, among the range of inherited trait variations, those contributing to reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations

natural selection

a descriptive technique of observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation

naturalistic observation

a statement of the procedures used to define research variables

operational definition

The experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied.

independent variable

The act of looking into one’s own thoughts and feeling

Introspection

a statistical statement of how likely it is that an obtained result occurred by chance

statistical significance

the scientific study of behavior and mental processes

Contemporary Psychology

a flawed sampling process that produces an unrepresentative sample

sampling bias

the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language )

cognitive neuroscience

the extent to which a test measures or predicts what it is supposed to

Validity

A correlation where as one variable increases, the other also increases, or as one decreases so does the other. Both variables move in the same direction.

positive correlation

the middle score in a distribution; half the scores are above it and half are below it

median

the study of how situations and cultures affect our behavior and thinking

social-cultural psychology

a descriptive technique for obtaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a particular group, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of the group

survey

the post-experimental explanation of a study, including its purpose and any deceptions, to its participants

Debriefing

assigning participants to experimental and control conditions by chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between those assigned to the different groups

random assignment

a branch of medicine dealing with psychological disorders; practiced by physicians who sometimes provide medical (for example, drug) treatments as well as psychological therapy

psychiatry

A measure of the extent to which two factors vary together, and thus of how well either factor predicts the other.

Correlation

The view that knowledge originates in experience and that science should, therefore, rely on observation and experimentation

Empiricism

perceiving a relationship where none exists, or perceiving a stronger-than-actual relationship

illusory correlation

an integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological, and social-cultural levels of analysis

biopsychosocial approach

a statistical measure of the extent to which two factors vary together, and thus of how well either factor predicts the other

correlation coefficient

the study of mental processes, such as occur when we perceive, learn, remember, think, communicate, and solve problems

cognitive psychology

A testable prediction, often implied by a theory

Hypothesis

enhanced memory after retrieving, rather than simply rereading, information

testing effect

the scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another

social psychology

in an experiment, the outcome that is measured; the variable that may change when the independent variable is manipulated

dependent variable

the study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior

behavior genetics

the most frequently occurring score(s) in a distribution

Mode

A reformer and pioneer in the movement to treat the insane as mentally ill, beginning in the 1820's, she was responsible for improving conditions in jails, poorhouses and insane asylums throughout the U.S. and Canada. She succeeded in persuading many states to assume responsibility for the care of the mentally ill. She served as the Superintendant of Nurses for the Union Army during the Civil War.

Dorothea Dix

a branch of psychology that studies, assesses, and treats people with psychological disorders

clinical psychology

A hypothesis that has been tested with a significant amount of data

Theory

a branch of psychology that explores how people and machines interact and how machines and physical environments can be made safe and easy to use

human factors psychology

the tendency to be more confident than correct-to overestimate the accuracy of our beliefs and judgments.

Overconfidence

a branch of psychology that studies how people interact with their social environments and how social institutions affect individuals and groups

community psychology

a branch of psychology that assists people with problems in living (often related to school, work, or marriage) and in achieving greater well-being

counseling psychology

A theory developed by Freud that attempts to explain personality, motivation, and mental disorders by focusing on unconscious determinants of behavior

psychoanalytic theory

gathering primary data by asking people questions about their knowledge, attitudes, preferences, and buying behavior

survey research

discovered classical conditioning; trained dogs to salivate at the ringing of a bell

Ivan Pavlov

a graphed cluster of dots, each of which represents the values of two variables

Scatterplot

improvement resulting from the mere expectation of improvement

placebo effect

the view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes. Most research psychologists today agree with (1) but not with (2).

Behaviorism

developed the scientific method

Francis Bacon

In an experiment, the group that is not exposed to the treatment; contrasts with the experimental group and serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment.

control group

Dorothea Dix

behaviorism: emphasis on external behaviors of people and their reactions on a given situation; famous for Little Albert study in which baby was taught to fear a white rat

John B. Watson

when a specific word used in a question affects how respondents answer the question

wording effects

use of force to get someone to obey

coercion

historically significant perspective that emphasized the growth potential of healthy people and the individual's potential for personal growth

Humanistic Perspective

scientific study that aims to solve practical problems

applied research

Father of psychology; opened the first psychology lab in 1879 Germany; introspection, structuralism

Wilhelm Wundt

anything that can vary and is feasible and ethical to measure

Variable

the difference between the highest and lowest scores in a distribution

range

the scientific study of the measurement of human abilities, attitudes, and traits

Psychometrics

the study of an individual's characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting

personality psychology

Humanistic psychologist known for his "Hierarchy of Needs" and the concept of "self-actualization"

Abraham Maslow

Behaviorist that developed the theory of operant conditioning by training pigeons and rats

B.F. Skinner

an early school of psychology that used introspection to explore the elemental structure of the human mind

Structuralism

the tendency for extreme or unusual scores to fall back (regress) toward their average.

regression toward the mean

a factor other than the independent variable that might produce an effect in an experiment

confounding variable

a sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion

random sample

the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it

hindsight bias

an experimental procedure in which both the research participants and the research staff are ignorant (blind) about whether the research participants have received the treatment or a placebo. Commonly used in drug-evaluation studies.

double-blind procedure

the scientific study of observable behavior, and its explanation by principles of learning

behavioral psychology