Overview of Psychology Perspectives and Theories

Ancient theory by Hippocrates linking personality traits to the balance of four bodily fluids: black bile, blood, yellow bile, and phlegm.

Rene Descartes' idea that the mind and body are separate entities that interact. The body is physical, while the mind is non-physical.

The first psychology lab was established by Wilhelm Wundt, marking psychology's official separation from philosophy and physiology.

A school of psychology led by Wilhelm Wundt, focusing on analyzing the basic elements of consciousness, like sensations and perceptions.

A school of psychology led by William James, emphasizing the function of consciousness rather than its structure. It's concerned with how the mind helps us adapt to the environment.

A school of psychology founded by Sigmund Freud, emphasizing the importance of the unconscious mind in determining personality, motivation, and mental disorders.

John B. Watson's approach to psychology, focusing solely on observable behaviors and their environmental influences. It rejects the study of consciousness.

A key principle of Behaviorism: Behavior is determined by our environment, not just by our genes.

The most frequent value in a dataset.

The middle value in a dataset when ordered from smallest to largest.

The average of all values in a dataset.

A measure of how spread out data points are from the mean.

A type of research that observes and describes behaviors in their natural setting.

A type of research that investigates the relationship between two or more variables.

Observation research that involves both descriptive and correlational approaches.

A research method that manipulates variables in a controlled environment to establish causal relationships.

The belief that accurate knowledge can be gained through observation of the world.

The tendency to hold onto beliefs, even when evidence contradicts them.

A concept that describes the world accurately as it is.

An argument where the conclusion is likely true if the premises are true, but not necessarily guaranteed.

A statement capable of being disproved or contradicted.

An argument where the conclusion logically follows from the premise(s).

Observations made in the everyday world.

The scientific study of observable behavior, emphasizing learning through environmental influences.

A theory of psychology that emphasizes the role of internal mental processes, such as thoughts, memories, and problem-solving, in understanding behavior.

An approach to psychology emphasizing a person's potential for growth and self-actualization, focusing on subjective experiences and free will.

A branch of psychology that focuses on how brain processes, hormones, and genes influence behavior.

A research method that uses empirical evidence to understand and explain phenomena.

The idea that behavior is shaped by both genetic predisposition and environmental influences.

This branch of psychology investigates how social interactions, cultural norms, and group dynamics impact behavior.

A branch of psychology focusing on the study of human development across the lifespan, with a particular emphasis on childhood.

A committee of researchers at an institution that ensures ethical treatment of human participants in studies. They review research proposals, weigh potential risks and benefits, and ensure informed consent.

The process of obtaining voluntary agreement from participants in a research study after they have been informed about all the risks and potential benefits involved.

The deliberate decision to mislead research participants about the true nature of a study to maintain the integrity of the experiment. Participants must be informed of the deception after the experiment.

The practice of protecting the identities and personal information of research participants. This can include anonymization and confidentiality measures.

A set of principles to guide ethical research involving animals. The three R's stand for Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement.

A variable that affects the outcome of a study but is not intentionally manipulated by the researcher. It can lead to misleading results and may obscure the true relationship between the independent and dependent variables.

A type of error occurring when you reject the null hypothesis when it is actually true. In simpler terms, it means concluding a relationship exists when there is none.

A type of error occurring when you fail to reject the null hypothesis when it is actually false. In simpler terms, it means failing to detect a relationship when one actually exists.

The tendency for subjects to act in a way they believe aligns with the experiment's hypothesis, even if it means altering their natural behavior. This can skew results and lead to an inaccurate interpretation.

A study design where researchers randomly assign subjects to either the experimental or control group. This minimizes bias and helps ensure that any observed differences are likely due to the independent variable.

A research design where subjects are unaware of which group they are assigned to (experimental or control). This helps eliminate bias from participant expectations.

Also known as the 'observer effect', it happens when a subject's behavior changes because they know they are being observed. This can compromise the accuracy of observations.