Psychology
Unit 1 Vocabulary
Unit 1 - Psychology
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Applied research
Basic research
Biological perspective
Cognitive perspective
Functionalism
Psychology
Social-cultural
perspective
Structuralism
Case study
Control group
Correlational study
Dependent variable
Independent variable
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Participant bias
Random sample
Researcher bias
Scientific method
Collectivism
Culture
Evolutionary psychology
Genome
Heritability
Mutation
Natural selection
Norms
Natural Selection

The principle that,
among the range of
inherited trait
variations, those
contributing to
survival will most
likely be passed on to
succeeding
generations
Scientific Method

A method of learning
about the world
through the
application of critical
thinking and tools
such as observation,
experimentation, and
statistical analysis
Mutation

Random errors in
gene replication that
lead to a change in
the individual’s
genetic code; the
source of all genetic
diversity
Culture

The shared attitudes,
beliefs, norms, and
behaviors of a group
communicated from
one generation to the
next; may function to
ensure a group’s
survival
Control Group

The participants in an
experiment who are
not exposed to the
independent variable.
These individuals
function as a
comparison for the
experimental group
participants.
Applied Research

Scientific study that
aims to solve practical
problems
Basic Research

Pure science that
aims to increase the
scientific knowledge
Biological Perspective

School of thought
that focuses on the
physical structures
and substances
underlying a
particular behavior,
thought, or emotion
Cognitive Perspective

School of thought
that focuses on how
we take in, process,
store, and retrieve
information
Functionalism

Theory that
emphasized the
functions of
consciousness and
the ways
consciousness helps
people adapt to their
environment
Psychology

The scientific study of
behavior and mental
processes.
Social-Cultural Perspective

School of thought
that focuses on how
thinking or behavior
changes in different
contexts or situations
Structuralism

Theory that analyzed
the basic elements of
thoughts and
sensations to
determine the
structure of conscious
experience.
Case Study

A research technique
in which one person is
studied in depth in
the hope of revealing
universal principles.
Correlational Study

A research project
designed to discover
the degree to which
two variables are
related to each other
Dependent Variable

The research variable
that is influenced by
the independent
variable. In
psychology, the
behavior or mental
process where the
impact of the
independent variable
is measured.
Independent Variable

The research variable
that a researcher
actively manipulates,
and if the hypothesis
is correct, will cause a
change in the
dependent variable.
Participant Bias

A tendency for
research participants
to respond in a
certain way because
they know they are
being observed or
they believe they
know what the
researcher wants.
Random Sample

A sample that fairly
represents a
population because
each member has an
equal chance of
inclusion.
Researcher Bias

A tendency for
researchers to engage
in behaviors and
selectively notice
evidence that
supports their
hypothesis or
expectations
Collectivism

Cultural style that
places group goals or
needs ahead of
personal goals or
needs and defines
personal identity in
terms of group
identification
Evolutionary Psychology

The study of the
evolution of behavior
and the mind, using
principles of natural
psychology
Genome

The complete
instructions for
making an organism,
consisting of all the
genetic material in its
chromosomes
Heritability

The proportion of
variation among
individuals that we
can attribute to genes
Norms

Understood rules for
accepted and
expected behavior;
norms prescribe
“proper” behavior