| PSYCHOLOGY | the scientific study of behaviour and mental processes |
| SCIENTIFIC METHOD | relies on collecting data, generating a theory to explain, producing testable hypothesis based on the theory and then testing those hypotheses empirically |
| THEORY |
Systematic explanation-organizes facts, must predict new facts, permits a degree of control over phenomenon |
| Hypothesis | Specific testable predictions derived from theory |
| STRUCTURALISM: | stresses basic units of experience and the combinations in which they occur |
| FUNCTIONALISM | explores how an organism uses perceptual abilities to function in its environment |
| PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY | behaviour results from psychological factors the interact within the individual, often outside conscious awareness |
| HUMANIST PSYCHOLOGY | emphasizes nonverbal experience and altered states of consciousness as a means of realizing full human potential |
| COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY | devoted to study of mental processes in the broadest sense |
| EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY- | approach/subfield of psychology concerned with evolutionary origins of behaviour and mental processes, their adaptive value and the purposes they continue to serve |
| GENDER | psychological and social meanings attached to being biologically male or female |
| CULTURE | tangible goods and values, attitudes, behaviours, and beliefs passed from one generation to the next |
| RACE | subpopulation of a species defined according to an identifiable characteristic (geographic location,skin colour, hair texture, genes, facial features (not considered a valid scientific concept because of movement genetic mixtures) |
| NATURALISTIC OBSERVATION | systematic study of animal or human behaviour in natural setting rather than lab |
| CASE STUDY | intensive description and analysis of a single individual or a few individuals |
| CORRELATIONAL RESEARCH | research based on the naturally occurring relationship between two or more variables |
| EXPERIMENTAL METHOD | investigator deliberately manipulates selected events or circumstances and measures the effects of those manipulations on subsequent behaviour |
| SUBJECT | individuals whose responses/behaviours are observed in experiment |
| INDEPENDENT VARIABLE | the variable that is being manipulated to test itŐs effects on the other dependent variables |
| DEPENDENT VARIABLE | the variable that is measured to see how it is changed by manipulations in the independent variable |
| EXPERIMENTAL GROUP | group subjected to change in independent variable |
| CONTROL GROUP | group not subjected to change in independent variable;used for comparison |
| EXPERIMENTAL BIAS | expectations by experimenter that might influence the results of an experiment or its interpretation |
| RANDOM SAMPLE | sample where each potential participant has a equal chance of being selected |
| REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE | carefully chosen so characteristics of participants correspond closely to the characteristics of the larger population |