Psychology Ch. 1 Definitions

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Behaviorism

Back 1

The view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes

Front 2

Humanistic psychology

Back 2

Emphasized the growth potential in healthy people

Front 3

Cognitive neuroscience

Back 3

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

Front 4

Critical thinking

Back 4

Thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather it examines assumptions, uncovers hidden values, weighs evidence, and asses conclusions

Front 5

Culture

Back 5

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

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Nature-nurture issue

Back 6

The age old controversy over the relative influence of genes and experience in the development of psychological traits and behaviors.

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Dual processing

Back 7

The principle that, at the same time, our mind processes information on separate conscious and unconscious tracks.

Front 8

Positive psychology

Back 8

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

Front 9

Hindsight bias

Back 9

The tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that we could have predicted it.

Front 10

What are the three key elements of the scientific attitude, and how do they support scientific inquiry?

Back 10

Curiosity, skepticism and humility.

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Theory

Back 11

Explains behaviors or events by offering ideas that organize what we have observed

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Hypothesis

Back 12

A testable prediction, often implied by a theory

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Operational definitions

Back 13

A carefully worded statement of the exact procedures used in research study. F.e. human intelligence

Front 14

Replication

Back 14

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

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Case study

Back 15

Examines one individual or group in great depth, in hope of revealing things true of us all (descriptive not explanatory)

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Naturalistic observations

Back 16

Observing and recording behavior in natural settings without trying to change or control any of it (descriptive not explanatory)

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Survey

Back 17

Asking people to report their behaviors or opinions (descriptive technique not explanatory)

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Population

Back 18

All those in a group being studied from which samples may be drawn.

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Random sample

Back 19

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

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Correlation

Back 20

A measure of the extent to which two event vary together and thus of how well either one predicts the other

Front 21

Experiment

Back 21

A method in which researchers vary one or more factors to observe the effect on some behavior or mental processes

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Independent variable

Back 22

In an experiment, a factor that is manipulated; the variable whoze effect is being studied. (F.e. Viagra)

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Confounding variable

Back 23

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

Front 24

Dependent variable

Back 24

In an experiment, the factor that is measured; the variable that may change when the independent variable is manipulated