Modules 1-2
An early thought that revealed the structure of the mind.
What is cognitive psychologists?
To study human thinking, perception, language, attention, memory, and problem-solving.
What is the hypothesis?
A testable prediction, often implied by a theory
What is mean, median, mode?
Mean- the average
Median- the middle
Mode- Then highest minus the lowest
What is philosophy?
The study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality and existence
What is Cognitive Neuroscience?
The study of mental processes, such as occur when we perceive, learn, remember, think, communicate, and solve problems
What are social psychologists?
They study the interactions between organisms and how our beliefs and feelings are influenced by the people around us.
Describe naturalistic observations?
Observing and recording behavior in natural situations without manipulating or controlling it
What is a normal curve?
A bell-shaped graph where most occurrences take place in the middle of the curve, they work by showing the disributations of values
What is the dependent variable?
In an experiment, the outcome that is measured; the variable that may change when the independent variable is manipulated
Who is Ivan Pavlov and what is his significance?
He is a Russian physiologist who pioneered the study of learning.
What is hindsight bias?
Hindsight bias is the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that we already knew.
What is a random sample?
A sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion
Describe what an individualist culture is?
It is prioritizing the needs of an individual about the needs of a group
What is psychoanalysis?
Theory of personality that attributes thoughts and actions to unconscious motives and conflicts
What are the different levels of analysis of psychology?
The different levels of analysis psychology are biological, cognitive, and sociocultural.
What does it mean to be skeptical?
Being open to accepting ideas without sound support, but not being gullible
What are the confounding variables?
A factor other then the independent variable that might produce an effect in an experiment
How do value judgments fit into psychological research?
Influence their choice on research topics. It can also make us biased, and block our observations and interpretations to what we want to see
What is the standard deviation?
A computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean score
What is positive psychology?
Positive psychology is the focus on the optimistic or hopeful side of one's brain.
What is critical thinking? How does it filter out our bias?
Critical thinking studies assumptions, assess the source, discerns hidden values, confirms evidence, and assess conclusions. Also, Critical thinkers will consider the credibility of a source. They will look at the evidence, they will recognize multiple perspectives, and they will expose themselves to new sources that challenge their preconceived ideas
What is experimental vitality and why is it important?
The extent to which a test measures or predicts what it's supposed to. It is important because it helps determine whether or not it actually measures what we think its measuring
What are the three principles about the importance of proper samples?
Representative samples are better than biased samples because they are made accurately off of information
Less variable observations are more reliable than those that are more variable
More cases are better than fewer cases because it reviews the accuracy of the information
What is social psychology?
The scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another