Invitation To Psychology Ch. 1

Front 1

applied psychology

Back 1

The study of psychological issues that have direct practical significance and the application of psychological findings.

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arithmetic mean

Back 2

An average that is calculated by adding up a set of quantities and dividing the sum by the total number of quantities in the set.

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basic psychology

Back 3

The study of psychological issues in order to seek knowledge for its own sake rather than for its practical application.

Front 4

behaviorists

Back 4

A psychological approach that emphasizes the study of observable behavior and the role of the environment as a determinant of behavior.

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biological perspective

Back 5

A psychological approach that emphasizes bodily events and changes associated with actions, feelings, and thoughts.

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case study

Back 6

A detailed description of a particular individual being studied or treated.

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coefficient of correlation

Back 7

A measure of correlation that ranges in value from -1.00 to +1.00.

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cognitive perspective

Back 8

A psychological approach that emphasizes mental processes in perception, memory, language, problem solving, and other areas of behavior.

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control condition

Back 9

In an experiment, a comparison condition in which subjects are not exposed to the same treatment as in the experimental condition.

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correlation

Back 10

A measure of how strongly two variables are related to one another.

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correlational study

Back 11

A descriptive study that looks for a consistent relationship between two phenomena.

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critical thinking

Back 12

The ability and willingness to assess claims and to make objective judgments on the basis of well-supported reasons.

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critical thinking

Back 13

The ability and willingness to assess claims and to make objective judgments on the basis of well-supported reasons.

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cross-sectional study

Back 14

A study in which subjects of different ages are compared at a given time.

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dependent variable

Back 15

A variable that an experimenter predicts will be affected by manipulations of the independent variable.

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descriptive methods

Back 16

Methods that yield descriptions of behavior but not necessarily causal explanations.

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descriptive statistics

Back 17

Statistics that organize and summarize research data

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double-blind study

Back 18

An experiment in which neither the subjects nor the individuals running the study know which subjects are in the control group(s) and which in the experimental group(s) until after the results are tallied.

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empirical

Back 19

Relying on or derived from observation, experimentation, or measurement.

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experiment

Back 20

A controlled test of a hypothesis in which the researcher manipulates one variable to discover its effect on another.

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experimenter effects

Back 21

Unintended changes in subjects' behavior due to cues inadvertently given by the experimenter.

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functionalism

Back 22

An early psychological approach that stressed the function or purpose of behavior and consciousness.

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humanistic psychology

Back 23

A psychological approach that emphasizes personal growth and the achievement of human potential rather than the scientific understanding and assessment of behavior.

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hypothesis

Back 24

A statement that attempts to predict or to account for a set of phenomena; scientific hypotheses specify relationships among events or variables and are supported or disconfirmed by empirical investigation.

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independent variable

Back 25

A variable that an experimenter manipulates.

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inferential statistics

Back 26

Statistical tests that allow researchers to assess how likely it is that their results occurred merely by chance.

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longitudinal study

Back 27

A study in which subjects are followed and periodically reassessed over a period of time.

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meta-analysis

Back 28

A procedure for combining and analyzing data from many studies; it determines how much of the variance in scores across all studies can be explained by a particular variable.

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negative correlation

Back 29

An association between increases in one variable and decreases in another

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norms

Back 30

In test construction, established standards of performance.

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observational study

Back 31

A study in which the researcher carefully and systematically observes and records behavior without interfering with the behavior; it may involve either naturalistic or laboratory settings.

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operational definition

Back 32

A precise definition of a term in a hypothesis, which specifies the operations for observing and measuring the process or phenomenon being defined.

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placebo

Back 33

An inactive substance or fake treatment used as a control in an experiment or given by a medical practitioner to a patient.

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positive correlation

Back 34

An association between increases in one variable and increases in another.

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principle of falsifiability

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The principle that a scientific theory must make predictions that are specific enough to expose the theory to the possibility of disconfirmation; that is, the theory must predict not only what will happen, but also what will not happen.

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psychiatry

Back 36

The medical specialty concerned with mental disorders, maladjustment, and abnormal behavior.

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psychoanalysis

Back 37

A theory of personality and a method of psychotherapy, originally formulated by Sigmund Freud, that emphasizes unconscious motives and conflicts.

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psychodynamic perspective

Back 38

Psychological approaches that emphasize unconscious dynamics within the individual, such as inner forces, conflicts, or the movement of instinctual energy.

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psychological tests

Back 39

Procedures used to measure and evaluate personality traits, emotional states, aptitudes, interests, abilities, and values

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psychology

Back 40

The scientific study of, or discipline concerned with, behavior and mental processes and how they are affected by an organism's physical state, mental state, and external environment; the term is often represented by the Greek letter psi (usually pronounced "sy").

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random assignment

Back 41

A procedure for assigning people to experimental and control groups in which each individual has the same probability as any other of being assigned to a given group.

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range

Back 42

A measure of spread of scores, calculated by subtracting the lowest score from the highest score.

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reliability

Back 43

In test construction, the consistency, from one time and place to another, of scores derived from a test

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representative sample

Back 44

A sample that matches the population in question on important characteristics such as age and sex.

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sample

Back 45

A group of subjects selected from a population for study in order to estimate characteristics of the population.

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single-blind study

Back 46

An experiment in which subjects do not know whether they are in an experimental or a control group.

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social constructionism

Back 47

The view that there are no universal truths about human nature, because people construct reality differently depending on their culture, the historical moment, and the power arrangements within their society.

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social-learning theory

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Also called cognitive social-learning theory, the theory that behavior is learned and maintained through observation and imitation of others, positive consequences, and cognitive processes such as plans and expectations

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sociocultural perspective

Back 49

A psychological approach that emphasizes social and cultural influences on behavior.

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standard deviation

Back 50

A commonly used measure of the variability that indicates the average difference between the scores in a distribution and their mean

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standardize

Back 51

In test construction, to develop uniform procedures for giving and scoring a test.

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statistically significant

Back 52

A term used to refer to a result that is extremely unlikely to have occurred by chance.

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structuralism

Back 53

An early psychological approach that stressed analysis of immediate experience into basic elements

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surveys

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Questionnaires and interviews that ask people directly about their experiences, attitudes, or opinions

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theory

Back 55

An organized system of assumptions and principles that purports to explain a specified set of phenomena and their interrelationships.

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trained introspection

Back 56

A form of self-observation in which individuals examine and report the contents of their own consciousness

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validity

Back 57

The ability of a test to measure what it was designed to measure

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variables

Back 58

Characteristics of behavior or experience that can be measured or described by a numeric scale; variables are manipulated and assessed in scientific studies.

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variance

Back 59

A measure of the dispersion of scores around the mean

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volunteer bias

Back 60

A shortcoming of findings derived from a sample of volunteers instead of a
representative sample