Research methods
The study of the mind and behavior
What is psychology?
an ethical and legal process ensuring participants or clients voluntarily agree to engage in research or treatment based on a full understanding of the procedures, risks, benefits, and rights
What is informed consent?
Which perspective studies the brain?
What is biological perspective?
the scientific study of how and why human beings change, grow, and adapt across their entire lifespan, from prenatal development through childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age
What is developmental psychology?
a specific, testable, and falsifiable prediction about the relationship between two or more variables, usually derived from theory or prior research
What is a hypothesis?
an ethical and legal mandate requiring practitioners to protect client information, identities, and session details from unauthorized disclosure
What is confidentiality?
Which perspective studies thinking?
What is cognitive perspective?
the earliest stage of human life, generally spanning from birth to approximately 12–24 months of age, characterized by rapid physical growth, significant motor development, and the establishment of foundational emotional bonds with caregivers
What is infancy?
a non-experimental, self-report research method used to systematically collect data—attitudes, behaviors, opinions, or experiences—from a sample of individuals to gain insights into a larger population
What is a survey?
an ethical principle requiring that research participants or clients are safeguarded against physical, mental, and emotional injury during studies or interventions.
What is protection from harm?
Which perspective studies behavior?
What is behavioral perspective?
the transitional phase between childhood and adulthood, marked by rapid physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development, typically occurring from ages 10 to 19, though brain development extends into the mid-twenties
What is adolescence?
a systematic research method where a researcher manipulates an independent variable (IV) in a controlled setting to observe its effect on a dependent variable (DV), aiming to establish cause-and-effect relationships between variables and test hypotheses about behavior or mental processes.
What is an experiment?
a committee mandated by federal regulations to review, approve, and monitor research involving human participants to ensure their rights, safety, and welfare are protected.
What is the IRB?
Which perspective studies feelings?
What is humanistic perspective?
psychologist and psychoanalyst best known for his theory of 8-stage psychosocial development, which tracks personality growth from infancy to old age
Who is Erik Erikson?
a research method involving the careful, systematic watching and recording of behavior, events, or phenomena as they occur
What is observation?
the agreement of individuals who are too young or lack the capacity to give legally binding consent (like children or cognitively impaired adults) to participate in research, obtained in addition to the informed consent from their parent or guardian.
What is informed assent?
Which perspective studies childhood experiences?
What is psychodynamic perspective?
refers to the discredited movement aiming to "improve" the human population's genetic quality by encouraging reproduction in "superior" individuals and discouraging it in those deemed "inferior", often using forced sterilization or restrictive immigration
What is eugenics?