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What is psychology?
The scientific study of behavior and mental processes
Skeptical consumer
email scams, catfish, etc.
3 key components of psychology
Science - systematic methods behavior - what can be directly observed mental processes - thoughts, feelings, motives
"Structuralism"
identified structures of the mind, basic elements of mental processes; specific sensations or feelings that a stimulus creates
Introspection
systematic, detailed self reports.
"Functionalism"
- human interactions w/ outside world -focus on naturalistic observations of the whole unit - identified the functions and purposes of the mind
Psychological perspectives/ approaches
biological behavioral psychodynamic humanistic cognitive evolutionary sociocultural
Biological
focus on heredity, the brain and nervous systems
Behavioral
focus on environmental determinants of observable behavior, ex: pavlov's dogs
Psychodynamic
focuses on unconscious thought, early childhood family experiences how society tells us to behave vs. biological impulses
Humanistic
focuses on positive human qualities, capacity for positive growth - FREE WILL
Cognitive
emphasizes the mental processes involved in knowing
Evolutionary
adaptation, reproduction, natural selection to explain human behavior - Darwin
Sociocultural
focus on how social and cultural environments influence behavior and mental processes
What makes psych a science?
empirical evidence data research methods scientific methods systematic research
Empirical evidence
info collected through objective observation and measurements
How correlations are interpreted:
pos, neg, no correlation
Third Variable Problem:
When two variables appear to be related to each other but there is a third unknown variable that is the real source of the link between the first two variables.
Independent variable:
stands alone, not influenced by other variables
Dependent variable:
Depends on other factors
Validity:
The extent to which the results of a study can be generalized to other situations/people
Bias:
A tendency
Placebo Effect:
A fake treatment/test that garners real results
Double Blind Study:
ensures impartiality, neither subjects nor scientists know which treatment is going to which test group
Scientific Method (5 steps)
1. observe phenomenon 2. formulate hypothesis and predictions 3. test hypothesis through empirical research 4. draw conclusions 5. evaluate conclusions
Types of research methods:
observation physiological assessments surveys and interviews case studies research designs
Observation method:
naturalistic, structured
Physiological assessments:
functional neuroimaging, EEG, fMRI saliva testing - con: expensive
Research Designs:
Descriptive Correlational Experimental
Central Tendency
Mean = average Median = mid-point Mode = most popular
Continuous development:
gradual and ongoing
Discontinuous development:
age-related changes, different stages
Stage Theorists
propose that development occurs in a progression of age-related qualitative shifts
Methods of testing age-related change:
Early experience: early, critical periods Later experience: later, resillience
Pre-Natal Development order:
Germinal (weeks 1-2): zygote Embryonic (weeks 3-8): embryo Fetal (weeks 9-birth): fetus
Teratogens:
agent or factor that causes malformation of an embryo ex: nicotine, alcohol, STIs
Brain development:
plasticity, synaptic pruning. early: amygdala
Piaget's Stages:
sensorimotor (0-2 yrs) Preoperational (2-7 yrs) Concrete operational (7-11 yrs) Formal operations (11-15 yrs)
Sensorimotor:
exploring the world through senses and actions, object permanence
Preoperational:
symbolic representation make one object stand for another egocentrism perceive world from one’s own point of view centration concentrate on only one feature
Concrete operational:
operational thinking (e.g., conservation) classification skills logical thinking in concrete contexts
Formal operations:
lasts through adulthood abstract thinking hypothetical reasoning
Conservation:
changing appearance of an object does not change key features
Object permanence:
the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be observed (seen, heard, touched, smelled or sensed in any way).
Ego centrism:
inability to differentiate between self and other.
Temperament types:
Sanguine: flexible (40% of children) Choleric: feisty, intense, active (10%) Melancholic: cautious, fearful (15%) Other 35% combo of all three
Attachment types:
Secure Insecure - avoidant and resistant
Secure
baby secure in feeling that mother will provide for them/easier to soothe
Insecure - Avoidant:
infant avoids and ignores parent, shows little or no distress
Insecure - Resistant:
infant shows hostility towards parent, difficult to soothe
Strange Situation - Ainsworth:
caregiver's leave infant alone with stranger, then return - assess attachment.
Goodness of fit:
statistical model that describes how well it fits a set of observations.
Parenting styles:
Authoritative Authoritarian Permissive Neglectful
Authoritative:
clear expectations firm and consistent discipline use reasoning encourage discussion/child input encourage age appropriate independence with limits
Authoritarian:
rigid, no negotiation controlling doesn't take child's perspective into account less autonomy granting
Permissive:
lenient loving and warm early autonomy
Neglectful:
actively rejects or simply neglects generally uninvolved little supervision/limits cold, indifferent, hostile
What is autonomy?
independence
Sociometric popularity:
measurement that reflects the degree to which someone is liked or disliked by their peers
Perceived popularity:
of high social ranking but disliked, ex: Mean Girls
Co-rumination:
extensively discussing and revisiting problems and focusing on negative feelings with peers - mostly girls
Gender Schema Theory:
cognitive theory to explain how individuals become gendered in society
Kohlberg's stages:
Gender Identity (2 yrs) Gender Stability (3 - 4 yrs) Gender Constancy (6 yrs)
Gender Constancy:
realization that gender is fixed and does not change over time
Changes from childhood to adolescence:
increasing self consciousness Notions of self become more abstract distinguish between real and possible selves
Marcia's Identity Status:
Identity diffusion Identity foreclosure Identity Moratorium Identity Achievement
Identity diffusion:
adolescent does not have a sense of having choices has not yet made commitment
Identity foreclosure:
adolescent willing to commit to some relevant roles, values or goals for the future. Conform to the expectations of others (follow mom's lead)
Identity Moratorium:
adolescent currently in a crisis, exploring various commitments and ready to make choices, but has not yet made commitment.
Identity Achievement:
adolescent has gone through identity crisis, and has made a commitment to a sense of identity

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