MIDTERM REVIEWIntroduction to Psychology (PSYC E-15)Todd Farchione, Ph.D.Tommy Chou, M.A.

Broad TerminologyIdiographic vs. Nomothetic

Idiographic: Study of individualsNomothetic: Study of groups and general laws

Holistic vs. ReductionisticHolistic: Understanding concepts/systems as a wholeReductionistic: Understanding concepts/systems as interacting parts

Descriptive vs. ExperimentalDescriptive data presents characteristicsExperimental data evaluates the results of a controlled change

Research MethodsOperationalization

Creating measurable, objective definitions of variables, esp. in experimental design

Independent and Dependent VariablesIndependent Variables (IV): what you change (in a controlled manner)Dependent Variables (DV): what you observe to note the results of changes IV’s

Research Design: A Continuum of Structure

Less Structured More Structured

Naturalistic Observation

Covert non-participationOvert non-participationCovert participationOvert participation

Case Study

EclecticClinicalObservationalPsychometricArchival

Survey

QuestionnaireInterviewNon-reactiveArchivalPhysical Traces

Experiment

Classical experimentFactorial designQuasi-experimentalSingle-subject design

Idiographic/nomotheticQL

IdiographicQL

NomotheticQT

NomotheticQT

Greater structure in the research method generally yields greater precision in psychological measurement. Without intrusion into the daily activities of the participants, naturalistic observation can be employed in a case study, the survey, and quasi-experimental design

Report FormatsN/A Narrative style APA poster APA article

Biological PsychologyPhrenology

Previously held beliefs that the shape of the skull could indicate various personality traits

Current perspectives in biological psychology

Specific regions and structures found in the brain account for specific functionsStructures bridged by parts such as the corpus collosum

Be sure to understand the major structures and functions of the brain!

PsychoanalysisTwo meanings:

Theory of personalityMethod of therapy

Parts of the psycheId: lower-order desires and drivesEgo: moderates id, superego, and realitySuperego: “moral compass”

Behaviorism, Classical Conditioning

Pavlov’s dogFour major components:

Unconditioned Stimulus (US)Stimulus that naturally produces response (food)

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)Stimulus that does not naturally produce response, but can after pairing with US (bell)

Unconditioned Response (UR)Natural response to US (salivation in response to food)

Conditioned Response (CR)Response to CS, which occurs even with removal of US (salivation in response to bell)

Behaviorism, Operant Conditioning

B.F. SkinnerThree major components

Discriminative stimulus (SD)Stimulus preceding response

Operant response (RO)Target behavior

Response stimulus (SR)Reinforcement or punishment, depending on the operant response

Classical vs. Operant Conditioning

Operant Conditioning, Response Stimuli

Reinforcement vs. PunishmentReinforcement acts to increase frequency of target behaviorPunishment decreases unwanted behaviors

Positive vs. Negative Reinforcement/PunishmentPositive: adds a stimulus (reinforcement: prize; punishment: electric shock)Negative: removes a stimulus (reinforcement: alarm; punishment: privileges)

Shaping, prompting, modeling, flooding, and other methods used in conditioning are important as well; be sure to know these concepts!

Schedules of Reinforcement

Continuous vs. IntermittentFixed Ratio: Applying reinforcement after a specific number of responses. Variable Ratio: Applying reinforcement after a variable number of responses.Fixed Interval: Applying reinforcer after a specific amount of time. Variable Interval: Applying reinforcer after a variable amount of time