Psychology Major Subfields Overview

The scientific study of how our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by others.

The study of how people grow and change throughout their lives, from birth to death.

A subfield of psychology focused on thinking, memory, reasoning, problem-solving, judgment, decision-making, and language.

The study of the biological foundations of behavior, including how our brains and nervous systems influence our actions.

Focuses on studying the consistency in people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, exploring what makes them unique.

A school of thought that emphasizes understanding how the mind works, focusing on its functions and its role in adapting to the environment.

A school of thought that aims to identify the basic building blocks of consciousness, using introspection and the process of breaking down mental experiences into their simplest components.

A method that involves asking subjects to describe their experiences in detail, examining their conscious thoughts and feelings.

The variable that is manipulated or changed by the experimenter in an experiment. In this case, the number of people in the group.

The variable that is measured in an experiment. In this case, the time it took for a participant to offer help.

A person who pretends to be a participant in an experiment, but is actually working with the experimenter.

The phenomenon observed in the experiment, where the likelihood of someone offering help decreases as the size of the group increases.

The process of observing and recording the time it took for participants in the experiment to offer help.

A school of psychology focusing on how we organize bits of information into meaningful wholes. It suggests that perception is more meaningful than individual components.

The idea that the whole is different from the sum of its parts. For example, a melody is more than just a collection of notes.

The idea that people's behavior is primarily caused by choices they make freely.

The idea that people's behavior is primarily caused by factors outside of their control, such as genetics, environment, or past experiences.

Principles that apply to all humans, regardless of their culture or background.

A psychological approach that emphasizes the unconscious mind, early childhood experiences, and inner conflicts.

A school of psychology that focuses on observable behavior and how it is learned through conditioning.

A research method where a small, representative sample is surveyed to understand the attitudes and behaviors of a larger population.

A research method where a small group or members of a different culture are studied in depth to understand their behaviors, beliefs, and practices.

A research method where a single individual or small group is studied in depth to understand a particular phenomenon or issue.

A research method using controlled experiments to understand causal relationships between variables.

A research method that involves gathering and analyzing data from existing sources, such as documents, archives, and databases.

A research method that involves observing and recording behaviors or events in their natural setting without any manipulation.

A research method that uses questionnaires, interviews, or surveys to collect quantitative data from a large sample.

A research method that uses qualitative methods to explore and understand complex social phenomena.

A procedure that ensures participants are randomly assigned to different experimental conditions, minimizing biases.

Carefully controlling all variables except the independent variable to ensure observed changes are due to the manipulated variable.

A statistically significant outcome indicates that the findings of a research study are unlikely to have occurred by chance.

A theory that proposes that as the number of bystanders in an emergency situation increases, the likelihood of any individual bystander helping decreases.

The phenomenon where individuals are less likely to help in an emergency situation when other people are present.

A research method that observes existing situations without making any changes. It aims to understand naturally occurring relationships between variables.

Observation of behavior in a natural environment without any manipulation or intervention by the researcher. It aims to understand how individuals behave in their everyday lives.

A limitation of descriptive and correlational research. It cannot establish cause-and-effect relationships between variables.

An advantage of descriptive and correlational research. It provides insights into naturally occurring relationships between variables.

An advantage of archival research. Data is readily available, saving time and resources.

A shortcoming of archival research. The availability and quality of existing data can limit the scope and validity of the research.

An advantage of naturalistic observation. It provides a realistic view of behavior in a natural setting.