Unit 1 - Chapter 1 PDF

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Unit 1 - Chapter 1
These are notes for the online lab assignments. I color-coded everything to hopefully make it easy to read for you. :)...

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PSYC 100 - Introduction to Psychology

Unit 1 Chapter 1! 4 Goals of Psychological Research!

- Description! - Prediction! - Explanation! - Application! • Psychology - the study of behavior and mental processes! • Behavior - actions, feelings, and biological states! • Theory - an explanation of why and how a behavior occurs! • Pseudo-psychology - psychological information or conclusions that sound scientific, but have not been systematically tested using the scientific method!

• Describing Behavior - observing events and behaviors, then looking at how events might be related!

• Predicting Behavior - predicting what events or behaviors may occur based on their relationship!

• Explaining Behavior - suggesting and testing an explanation in the form of a hypothesis!

• Controlling or Changing Behavior - explaining and understanding the causes of behavior, psychologists can create programs or treatments to control of change behaviors! 5 Steps in the Scientific Method! 1. define and describe the issue to be studied! 2. form a testable hypothesis! 3. choose an appropriate research strategy! 4. conduct the study to test your hypothesis! 5. analyze the data to support or reject your hypothesis! 1

PSYC 100 - Introduction to Psychology

• Predictive Hypothesis - makes a specific prediction or set of predictions about the relationships among variables; these are made when the researcher measures the variables of interest, but does not manipulate or control the variables in the study; addresses description and prediction!

• Casual Hypothesis - states how one variable will influence another variable; can only be tested when the researcher is able to control or manipulate the main variables in the study; can only be tested by experiment!

• Population of Interest - the entire universe of animals or people that could be studied! • Sample - the portion of the population of interest that is selected for a study! • Representative Sample - reflects the whole population as much as possible! • Random Sampling - ensures a representative sample and every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected (avoids sampling bias)!

• Samples of Convenience - often used by psychological research because they are groups of people easily accessible to the researcher!

• Naturalistic Observations - observing behavior in the environment in which it typically occurs!

• Case Study - in-depth observation of one or a few participants or settings! • Survey - asks a large group of people about their attitudes, beliefs, and/or behavior! • Correlational Study - measures the relationship between two or more variables! • Quasi-experiment - compares participants who are not randomly assigned on the manipulation of an independent variable!

• Experiment - manipulates an independent variable to see changes in a dependent measure under controlled conditions!

• Generalizability - how well a researcher's findings apply to other individuals and situations!

• Correlation Coefficient - a statistic that tells us how strong a relationship between two factors is, ranging from -1.00 to +1.00!

• Zero Correlation - occurs when there is no linear relationship between two variables! • Positive Correlation - a relationship in which increases in one variable correspond to increases in the other variable!

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PSYC 100 - Introduction to Psychology

• Negative Correlation - a relationship in which increases in one variable correspond to decreases in the other variable! 2 Main Factors Characterizing an Experiment!

- the variables in the study are controlled or manipulated! - participants are randomly assigned to the conditions of the study! • Independent Variable - the variable in an experiment that is manipulated; not affected by the other variables in the study; the cause!

• Dependent Variable - the variable in an experiment that measures any effect of the manipulation; dependent on or influenced by the other variables in the study; the effect!

• Experimental Group - the group of participants who receive the manipulation that is being tested!

• Control Group - the group of participants who do not receive the manipulation that is being tested!

• Placebo Effect - a measurable change in participants' behavior due to the expectation or belief that a treatment will have certain effects!

• Double-blind Study - an experiment in which neither the experiments nor the participants know to which group (experimental or control) participants have been assigned!

• Confounding Variable - any factor other than the independent variable that affects the dependent measure!

• Random Assignment - a method of assigning participants in which they have an equal chance of being placed in any group or condition of the study!

• Institutional Review Board (IRB) - a committee that reviews research proposals to ensure that ethical standards have been met!

• Informed Consent - the ethical principle that research participants be told about various aspects of the study, including any risks, before agreeing to participate!

• Confidentiality - the ethical principle that researchers do not reveal which data were collected from which participant!

• Deception can only be used when alternative procedures that do not use deception are unavailable.! 3

PSYC 100 - Introduction to Psychology

• Debriefing - the ethical principle that participants be fully informed of the nature of the study after participating in an experiment involving deception!

• Structuralism - an early psychological perspective concerned with identifying the basic elements of experience; Wilhelm Wundt & Edward Titchener!

• Functionalism - an early psychological perspective concerned with how behavior helps people adapt to their environment; William James!

• Behaviorism - a psychological perspective that emphasizes the study of observable responses and behavior; John B. Watson & B.F. Skinner!

• Humanism - a psychological perspective that emphasizes the personal growth and potential of humans; Abraham Maslow & Carl Rogers!

• Introspection - observing one’s thoughts, feelings or sensations! 7 Orientations or Modern Perspectives on Behavior!

- biological! - evolutionary! - psychodynamic! - behavioral! - sociocultural! - humanistic! - cognitive! • Biological Perspective - an approach that focuses on physical causes of behavior! • Evolutionary Perspective - an approach that focuses on how evolution and natural selection influence behavior!

• Psychodynamic Perspective - an approach that focuses on internal unconscious mental processes, motives, and desires that may explain behavior!

• Behavioral Perspective - an approach that focuses on external, environmental influences on behavior!

• Sociocultural Perspective - an approach that focuses on societal and cultural factors that may influence behavior!

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PSYC 100 - Introduction to Psychology

• Humanistic Perspective - an approach that focuses on how an individual's view of him or herself and the world influences behavior!

• Cognitive Perspective - an approach that focuses on how mental processes influence behavior; Ulric Neisser!

• Neuroscience - a field of science that investigates the relationships between the nervous system and behavior/mental processes!

• Psychoanalytic Theory - Sigmund Freud's view that emphasizes the influence of unconscious desires and conflicts on behavior!

• Stimulus - any object or event that is perceived by our senses! • Response - an organism’s reaction to a stimulus! • Cognition - mental processes such as reasoning and problem solving! • Eclectic Approach - an approach that integrates and combines several perspectives when explaining behavior!

• Margaret Washburn - first woman to be awarded a doctorate in psychology (1894)! • Mary Culkins - first female president of the American Psychological Association (1905)!

• Christine Ladd-Franklin - studied color vision (early 1900s)! • Karen Horney - focused on environmental and cultural factors that influence personality development!

• Gilbert Haven Jones - first African American to earn a doctorate degree in psychology (1909)!

• Francis Sumner - first African American to receive a doctorate in psychology in the United States (1920); known as the father of African American psychology for his many contributions to the education of black people!

• Ph.D. - Doctor of Philosophy; focuses on research! • Psy.D. - Doctor of Psychology; focuses on clinical training! • Psychiatrist - holds a medical degree (M.D.) and specializes in mental health! • William Wundt - established the first psychology laboratory in Germany, 1879, causing psychology to become a distinct field of scientific study!

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PSYC 100 - Introduction to Psychology

• Gestalt Approach - study of thinking, learning, and perception in whole units, not by analysis into parts; Max Wertheimer!

• Inferential Statistics - mathematical method for extending experimental conclusions from samples to larger populations!

• Clinical psychologists are more likely to become therapists.! • The point of an experiment is to manipulate one variable to see its effects on another variable.!

• Developmental and social psychology are two of the American Psychological Association’s foundational areas of contemporary psychology.!

• CBT - cognitive behavioral therapy

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