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psychology 101 exam 1

Terms in this set (58)

Psychology
the scientific study of behavior and mental processes
Wilhelm Wundt (1879)
father of psychology believed psychology was the scientific study of mental process
Introspection
research method in which trained participants report on their own conscious experiment
John Watson
criticized introspection, father of behavorism, psychology was the study of behaviorism (1920's-1960's
what happened in 1960
the definition of psychology to both mental and behavioral scientific studies
experiment
a controlled situation in which variables are limited and can be systematically manipulated
experimental group
the participants who experience some value of the independent variable
control group
the participants who do not experience the independent variable
random assignment
a procedure for assigning participants to groups in an experiment so that each person in the sample has an equal chance of being in the experimental or control group
correlation
a statistical measure of the relationship between two variables
variable
any factor or attribute that can assume two or more values; a characteristic that can differ or change
independent variable
a factor that the researcher manipulates or systematically varies
dependent variable
the variable being measured (to see if it changes in response to
manipulations of the independent variable)
extraneous variable
(or confound) a variable that covaries with an independent variable in such a way that we can no longer determine which one accounts for the value of the dependent variable
confound
provides a potential alternative explanation for the results and therefore needs to be eliminated or controlled
operational definitions
statements of procedures (operations) used to define variables e.g., intelligence might be defined in terms of a score on a particular IQ test
e.g., popularity might be defined in terms of how many classmates, when asked to list the names of their 5 best friends, include a particular child
hypothesis
the predicted answer to a research question; a testable prediction, often implied by a theory
population
he entire group about which a researcher wants to draw conclusions e.g., married men; children living in poverty; kindergarteners
sample
the subset of the population that actually participates in the study
Experimentation
a controlled situation in which variables are limited and can be systematically manipulated in order to determine cause-effect relationships
Case studies
extensive description and analysis of the history and behavior of an individual (or very small number of people)
Psychological tests
participants' abilities, behaviors, and/or personal qualities are assessed using an established procedure that is known to be reliable, valid, and standardized
Observation
naturalistic and structured
Naturalistic observation
observing participants in their natural environment
Structured observation
observing participants in a lab or specially prepared place
Objective
not influenced by any preconceived ideas about how results should turn out
rational
we gather info in a way that is objective, systematic, replicable
Self-report
Surveys/questionnaires/interviews - participants (usually large numbers) report on their own behavior, opinions, and/or preferences in writing (surveys/questionnaires) or orally (interviews)
systematic
carried out in an orderly way
replicable
repeatable
mere exposure effect
our liking for something increases with repeated exposure
conditioning
experiences lead us to form positive or negative associations
central route persuasion
if the audience will carefully listen to and evaluate the message
peripheral route persuasion
if the audience will make a snap decision based on superficial factors
attribution
is the process by which we try to explain peoples behavior, internal and external
internal attribution
explaining behavior in terms of some characteristic of the person (personality traits)
external attribution
explaining behavior in terms of the situation or social context
fundamental attribution error
we tend to overestimate the role of internal factors and to underestimate the role of external factors when explaining other peoples behavior
consequences of fundamental attribution error
blaming the victim, tend to assume the wrong interpretation of a person
actor/ observer bias
we tend to attribute our own behavior and outcomes to external factors
self serving bias
we tend to attribute our successes to internal factors and our failures to external factors
self effacing bias
success to external factors and failures to internal
consensus
do other people behave the same way i do
consistency
does the person react to that particular stimulus or event the same way, time after time
Distinctiveness
does the person react the same way to other stimuli or events
normative social infuence
we conform to gain approval or avoid rejection
informational social influence
we conform to help make decisions
altruism
an unselfish regard for the welfare of others
attitude
affective, behavioral, cognitive
compliance
commitment( foot in the door, lowballing)
reciprocity (door in the face, that not all technique)
scarcity
modeling
social facilitation
when the mere presence of other improves performance
social loafing
the tendency for people to work less hard in a group than when alone
deindividuation
a state of reduced individuality, reduced self-awareness, and reduced attention to personal standards; this phenomenon may occur when people are part of a group
groupthink
the mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives
promote a friendship
proximity, similarity, admirable personal characteristics, physics; attractiveness
attributions
personal and situational
personal attributions
People's explanations for why events or actions occur that refer to people's internal characteristics, such as abilities, traits, moods, or efforts.
situational attribution
Peoples explanations for why events or actions occur that refer to external events, such as the weather or accidents
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