History of Psychology
Who was the "father of modern psychology?"
Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920)
What are mental processes?
The internal, subjective experiences we infer from behavior--sensations, perceptions, dreams, thoughts, beliefs, and feelings.
What is Hindsight bias?
the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome that one would have foreseen it (“I-knew-it-all-along”)
What is correlation?
a measure of the extent to which two factors vary together or are related, and thus of how well either factor predicts the other. [Variable = anything that can vary and is feasible and ethical to measure.]
What are the ethics of human research?
Informed Consent
Protection from harm
Confidentiality
Debriefing (includes revealing temporary deception)
Right to withdraw
Who founded behaviorism?
John B. Watson and B. F. Skinner
What is basic research?
pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base
What is overconfidence?
humans tend to think we know more than we do
What is a correlation coefficient?
a statistical index of the relationship between two things (from -1.00 to +1.00); describes the strength and direction of a relationship between two variables
Comparing Research Methods: What are the three methods?
Descriptive Approach
Correlational Approach
Experimental Approach
Who promoted the concept of psychoanalysis?
Sigmund Freud
What is applied research?
The scientific study that aims to solve practical problems
What is Survey?
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
What is a positive vs. negative correlation?
Positive correlation: when two variables rise or fall together
Negative correlation: when two variables relate inversely (one falls while the either rises)
What is the normal curve?
~68% of scores fall within 1 standard deviation of the mean
~95% of scores fall within 2 standard deviations of the mean
Who promoted the concept of Structuralism?
Edward Titchener
What is a cognitive perspective?
Cognitive psychology is the study of mental processes, such as occur when we perceive, learn, remember, reason, think, communicate and solve problems. “Science of the mind.”
What is the Operational Definition?
a carefully worded statement of the exact procedures (operations) used in a research study; must be measurable and manageable (Example: Sleep deprived, for example, may be defined as “X hours less” than the person’s natural sleep.)
Placebo Effect?
experimental results caused by expectations alone; any effect on behavior caused by the administration of an inert substance or condition, which the recipient assumes is an active agent
What is Statistical Significance?
indicates the likelihood that a result could have happened by chance
Name the 5 branches of early psychology.
Structuralism, functionalism, psychoanalysis, gestalt, and behaviorism
What is the biological perspective?
Biological psychology is the scientific study of the links between biological (genetic, neural, hormonal) and psychological processes. “Science of the brain.”
What is natralistic opservaton?
a descriptive technique of observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate or control the situation
What is validity?
Validity = the extent to which a test or experiment measures or predicts what it is supposed to
What are Inferential Statistics?
Numerical data that allow one to generalize --to infer from sample data the probability of something being true of a population