| Term | Definition |
|---|
| naturalistic observation | observing and recording behavior naturally without trying to manipulate and control the situation |
| scientific method tab | an approach or technique employed by scientists which relies on a series of steps to gather knowledge |
| feminist theory | views on the social roles of men and women in society |
| gestalt psychology | viewpoint that states people perceive and experience objects as whole patterns |
| placebo | typically a pill that is used as a control in the experiment; a sugar pill |
| existential psychology | thought that focuses on meaninglessness and alienation and how it leads to psychological problems |
| survey research | the measurement of public opinion through the use of sampling and questioning |
| independent variable | the item controlled by the experimenter and applied to the subject in order to determine its effect on the subjects reaction; variable that is manipulated |
| gender | the characteristics, either biologically or socially influenced, which people use to define male or female |
| evolutionary psychology | the application of principles of development including natural selection, to explain the psychological phenomenon |
| correlational research | technique that studies the natural relationship between two variables |
| double-blind procedure | technique in which neither the persons involved for those conducting the experiment know in what group to participate is involved |
| control group | subjects and not exposed to a changing variable in an experiment |
| experimental group | subjects exposed to a changing variable in experiment |
| psychology | study of human and animal behavior and mental processes; a science |
| random sample | selection of a part of the population without reason; participation is by chance |
| representative sample | selection of a part of the population which mirrors the current demographics |
| sample | selected part of the population to participate in collecting data |
| humanistic psychology | Rogers; school of thought that stresses that people are inherently good and must be allowed to reach its highest capability |
| functional list theory | William James; school of thought that focuses on mental/behavioral processes as functions |
| cognitive psychology | school of thought that studies mental processes in its broadest sense |
| behaviorism | Watson; Skinner; school of thought that emphasizes scientific study of observable behaviors |
| psychodynamic theories | Freud, Adler, Jung, Horney, Erikson; school of thought arguing that behavior results from factors within the individual which are often outside of the conscious awareness |
| response bias | preconceived notions of a person answering [a survey] which may alter the experiments purpose |
| participants or subjects | individuals who are involved in the research |
| dependent variable | in an experiment the item that is measured to see the changes in the other variable; variable not manipulated |
| experimenter bias | expectation of the person conducting an experiment which may be affect the outcome |
| observer bias | expectations of an observer which may distort an authentic observation |
| culture | enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, and tradition shared by a large group of people and transmitted from generation to generation |
| sexual orientation | correction of a person's emotional and erotic attraction towards sex, same-sex, or both sexes |
| structuralism | developed by Wundt and Titchener; this school of thought emphasizes the most basic components of mental processes |
| gender stereotype | beliefs or expectations they will hold about the typical characteristics and behavior of men and women |
| gender roles | behaviors, attitudes, and personality traits that are expected as either masculine or feminine in the given culture |
| pseudoscience | an unscientific system which pretends to discover psychological information that his means are unscientific or deliberately fraudulent |
| hypothesis | an assumption that can be tested |
| theory | a tentative explanation that tries to integrate an account for data |
| experimental method | a technique used to demonstrate cause and effect by purposely manipulating circumstances and measuring the final effect |
| race | physical characteristics; a subpopulation of a species defined by an identifiable characteristic such as geographic location, hair texture, genes, etc. experiment |
| experiment | a series of observations carried out under controlled conditions for the purpose of testing assumptions |
| ethnic identity | cultural; a person's awareness of being a member of a subpopulation of a species |
| case study | a highly detailed description of a single individual or a vent |
| ethnicity | cultural characteristics; a common cultural heritage, including religion, language, and/or ancestry, that is shared by a group of individuals |
| positive psychology | in emerging Theo psychology that focuses on positive experiences; includes subjective well-being, self-determination, the relationship between positive emotions and physical health, and the factors that allow individuals, communities, and societies to boorish |
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