1.
applied research: scientific study that aims to solve practical problems
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basic research: pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base
3.
biopsychosocial approach: an integrated perspective that incorporates biological, psychological, and social-cultural levels of analysis
4.
case study: an observation technique in which one person is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles
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clinical psychology: a branch of psychology that studies, assesses, and treats people with psychological disorders
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control condition: the condition of an experiment that contrasts with the experimental condition and serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment
7.
correlation: a measure of the extent to which two factors vary together, and thus of how well either factor predicts the other
8.
counseling psychology: a branch of psychology that assists people with problems in living (often related to school, work, or marriage) and in achieving greater well-being
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critical thinking: thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions
10.
culture: the enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, and traditions shared by a larger group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next
11.
dependent variable: the outcome factor; the variable that may change in response to manipulations of the independent variable
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double-blind procedure: an experimental procedure in which both the research participants and the research staff are ignorant (blind) about whether the research participants have received the treatment or a placebo. Commonly used in drug-evaluation studies.
13.
empiricism: the view that a-knowledge comes from experience via the senses and b-science flourishes through observation and experiment
14.
experiment: a research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factors (independent variables) to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process (the dependent variable), using random assignment in hopes of controlling other relevant factors.
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experimental condition: the condition of an experiment that exposes participants to the treatment, that is, to one version of the independent variable
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false consensus effect: the tendency to overestimate the extent to which others share our beliefs and behaviors
17.
functionalism: a school of psychology that focused on how mental and behavioral processes function - how they enable the organism to adapt, survive, and flourish
18.
hindsight bias: the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have forseen it (also known as the I-knew-it-all-along phenomenon)
19.
humanistic psychology: historically significant perspective that emphasized the growth of potential of healthy people; used personalized methods to study personality in hopes of fostering personal growth
20.
hypothesis: a testable prediction, often implied by a theory
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illusory correlation: the perception of a relationship where none exists
22.
independent variable: the experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied
23.
levels of analysis: the differing complementary views, from biological to psychological to social-cultural, for analyzing any given phenomenon
24.
mean: the arithmetic average of a distribution, obtained by adding the scores and then dividing by the number of scores
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median: the middle score in a distribution; half the scores are above it and half are below it
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mode: the most frequently occuring score in a distribution
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natural selection: the principle that, among the range of inherited trait variations, those that lead to increased reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations
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naturalistic observation: observing and recording behavior in naturally occuring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation
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nature-nurture issue: the longstanding controversy over the relative contributions that genes and experience make to the development of psychological traits and behaviors
30.
operational definition: a statement of the procedures (operations) used to define research variables. For example, human intelligence may be operationally defined as what an intelligence test measures
31.
placebo effect: experimental results caused by expectations alones; any effect on behavior caused by the administration of an inert substance or condition, which is assumed to be an active agent
32.
population: all the cases in a group, from which samples may be drawn for a study
33.
psychiatry: a branch of medicine dealing with pyschological disorders; practiced by physicians who sometimes provide medical (for example, drug) treatments as well as psychological therapy
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psychology: the scientific study of behavior and mental processes
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random assignment: assigning participants to experimental and control conditions by chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between those assigned to the different groups
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random sample: a sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion
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range: the difference between the highest and lowest scores in a distribution
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replication: repeating the essence of a research study, usually with different participants in different situations, to see whether the basic finding extends to other participants and circumstances
39.
scatterplot: a graphed cluster of dots, each of which represents the values of two variables. The slope of the points suggests the direction of the relationship between the two variables. The amount of scatter suggests the strength of the correlation. Little scatter indicates high correlation.
40.
standard deviation: a computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean score
41.
statistical significance: a statistical statement of how likely it is that an obtained result occurred by chance
42.
structuralism: an early school of psychology that used introspection to explore the elemental structure of the human mind
43.
survey: a technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of people, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of them
44.
theory: an explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes and predicts observations
