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Chapter 1

Terms

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Psychology
The scientific study of behavior and mental processes.
Objective Introspection
The process of examining and measuring one's own thoughts and mental activities.
Structuralism
Early perspective in psychology associated with Wilhelm Wundt and Edward Thatcher, in which the focus of study is the structure or basic elements of the mind.
Functionalism
Early perspective in psychology associated with William James, in which the focus of study is how the mind allows people to adapt, live, work, and play.
Gestalt Psychology
Early perspective in psychology focusing on the perception and sensation, particularly the perception of patterns and whole figures.
Psychoanalysis
The theory and therapy based on the work of Sigmund Freud.
Behaviorism
The science of behavior that focuses on observable behavior only.
Psychodynamic Perspective
Modern version of psychoanalysis that is more focused on the development of a sense of self and the discovery of other motivations behind a person's behavior than sexual motivations.
Biopsychological Perspective
Perspective that attributes human and animal behavior to biological events occurring in the body, such as genetic influences, hormones, and the activity of the nervous system.
Cognitive Perspective
Modern perspective that focuses on memory, intelligence, perception, problem solving, and learning.
Cognitive Neuroscience
Study of the physical changes in the brain and nervous system during thinking.
Sociocultural Perspective
Perspective that focuses on the relationship between social behavior and culture.
Evolutionary Perspective
Perspective that focuses on the biological bases if universal mental characteristics that all humans share.
Psychiatrist
A medical doctor who has specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders.
Psychoanalyst
Either a psychiatrist or psychologist who has special training in the theories of Sigmund Freud and his method of psychoanalysis.
Psychiatric Social Worker
A social worker with some training in therapy methids who focuses on the environmental conditions that can have an impact on mental disorders, such a poverty, overcrowding, stress, and drug abuse.
Psychologist
A professional with an academic degree and specialized training in one or more areas of psychology.
Scientific Method
System of gathering data so that bias and error in measurement are reduced.
Hypothesis
Tentative explanation of a phenomenon based on observations.
Replicate
In research, repeating a study or experiment to see if the same results will be obtained in an effort to demonstrate reliability of results.
Observer Effect
Tendency of people or animals to behave differently from normal when they know they are being observed.
Participation Observation
A naturalistic observation in which the observer becomes a participant in the group being observed.
Observer Bias
Tendency of observers to see what they expect to see.
Case Study
Study of one individual in great detail
Representative Sample
Randomly selected sample of subjects from a larger population in which the researcher is interested.
Correlation
A measure of the relationship between two variables.
Correlation Coefficient
A number derived from the formula for measuring a correlation and indication the strength and direction of a correlation.
Experiment
A deliberate manipulation of a variable to see if corresponding changes in behavior result, allowing the determination of cause-and-effect relationships.
Operational Definition
Definition of a variable of interest that allows it to be directly measured.
Independent Variable
Variable in an experiment that is manipulated by the experimenter.
Dependent Variable
Variable in and experiment that represents the measurable response or behavior of the subjects in the experiment.
Experimental Group
Subjects in an experiment who are subjected to the independent variable and who may receive a placebo treatment.
Random Assignment
Process of assigning subjects to the experimental or control groups randomly, so that each subject has an equal chance of being in either group.
Placebo Effect
The phenomenon in which the expectations of the participants in a study can influence their behavior.
Experimenter Effect
Tendency of the experimenter's expectations for a study to unintentionally influence the results of the study.
Single-blind Study
Study in which the subjects do not know if they are in the experimental or the control group.
Double-blind Study
Study in which neither the experimenter nor the subjects know if the subjects are in the experimental or control group.
Critical Thinking
Making a reasoned judgement about claims.
Pseudopsychologies
Systems of explaining human behavior that are not based on or consistent with scientific evidence.

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