Exam 1: Section 3: Introduction and Research Methods

Collectivistic cultures are cultures that stress individual goals and achievements over the goals and achievements of the group.

Increased number of hours watching television is associated with decreased grades on school tests. This finding represents a positive correlation.

Charles Darwin's book On the Origin of Species had a profound effect on William James and influenced his ideas about the importance of adaptation to environmental changes.

The scientific method is rarely used in psychology, as psychologists value "common sense," subjective experience, and expert opinions more highly than so-called empirical evidence.

Psychologists assume that behavior and mental processes follow consistent patterns.

Cognitive psychologists did not agree with the behavioral perspective in psychology, because cognitive psychologists thought that it was important to investigate how mental processes influence behavior.

According to the text, the most common employment setting for psychologists is working for the federal government.

Educational psychologists focus on causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of psychological disorders.

Extraneous variables are factors other than the ones being studied that, if not controlled, could affect the outcome of the experiment.

The event that marked the formal beginning of psychology as a separate experimental science occurred when William James taught the first course in psychology at Harvard University in the early 1870s.

The dependent variable is the factor that is observed and measured for change in an experiment and is thought to be influenced by the independent variable.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an invasive imaging technique that provides color-coded images of brain activity by tracking the brain's use of a radioactively tagged glucose, oxygen, or other substances.

The control group (or control condition) is the group of participants who are exposed to all experimental conditions, except the independent variable or treatment variable, and against which changes in the experimental group are compared.

William James developed the technique called introspection as a way for people to tap into their unconscious.

By the late 1980s, cross-cultural psychology had emerged in full force.

The placebo effect is any change attributed to a person's beliefs and expectations rather than the actual drug, treatment, or procedure.

Carl Rogers emphasized the conscious experiences of his patients, including each person's unique potential for psychological growth and self-direction.

According to the Psych For Your Life box in the textbook, taking notes on your laptop is better for studying and retention than taking notes by hand.

The specialty area which studies the physical, social, and psychological changes that occur at different ages and stages of the lifespan.

A clinical psychologist holds a doctorate in clinical psychology, whereas a psychiatrist holds a medical degree.