1. Introduction to Psychology Flashcards
Psychology
the scientific study of human thoughts, feelings and behaviour.
Behaviour
(overt) refers to any observable action made by a living person.
Mental process
(covert) refer to an individual’s thoughts and feelings that cannot be directly observed.
Biological perspective
Focuses on how physiological structures and bodily functions influence thoughts, feelings and behaviour.
Behavioural perspective
Explains all behaviour as a response to stimuli in the environment. Ignores internal factors as causing behaviour because of their inability to be observed and measured.
Cognitive perspective
Behaviour results from mental processing. Mental processing includes areas such as memory, problem solving, intelligence and language.
Sociocultural perspective
Culture and social interactions shapes, directs and modifies behaviour as much as physiological or cognitive processes can.
Key study- Biological perspective
Through studying the brains of individuals who were aphasic (had a speech and language disorder resulting from a brain injury), Paul Broca was able to find the speech production centre of the brain. This is since known as Broca’s area.
Key study- Behavioural perspective
B.F. Skinner found that he was able to change the behaviour of the rat by manipulating the environmental conditions the rat lived in (reinforcement and punishment).
Key study- cognitive perspective
Jean Piaget theorised that children progress through 4 distinct stages of cognitive development – Sensorimotor stage (0-2 years old), Preoperational stage (2-7 years old), Concrete operational stage (7-11 years old), **Formal operational **stage (11+ years old)
Key study- Sociocultural perspective
Stanley **Milgram **wanted to find out whether individuals would obey an authority figure who was instructing them to inflict pain on another person. Participants were told to give an electrical shock to a confederate when they answered incorrectly on a memory task. Of the 40 participants, more than half (65%) continued to administer the shocks at the 450-volt level (XXX: Most Powerful).
Scientific method
Involves** using an appropriate research method to collect data, collecting and analysing data, and interpreting the results.**
Pseudoscience
Any non-scientific approach to studying human behaviour that may produce biased or unreliable results.
Phrenology
**Gall explored the relationship between the skull’s surface features and an individual’s personality characteristics.
The Barnum Effect
Suggests that people are more likely to believe statements about themselves when they are** positive, vague and general.**
What is the scientific study of human thoughts, feelings and behaviour?
Psychology
What do we call any **observable action **made by a living person?
Behaviour (overt)
What do we call an individual’s thoughts and feelings that cannot be directly observed?
Mental processes (covert)
Which perspective focuses on how physiological structures and bodily functions influence thoughts, feelings and behaviour?
Biological perspective
Which perspective explains all behaviour as a response to stimuli in the environment, while ignoring internal factors as causing behaviour because of their inability to be observed and measured?
Behavioural perspective
Which perspective states that behaviour results from mental processing, such as memory, problem solving, intelligence and language?
Cognitive perspective
Which perspective states that** culture and social interactions shape, direct and modifies behaviour **as much as physiological or cognitive processes can?
Sociocultural perspective
Identify the perspective illustrated by the work of Paul Broca. Give reasons for your choice.
Biological perspective. Through studying the brains of individuals who were aphasic (had a speech and language disorder resulting from a brain injury), Paul Broca was able to find the speech production centre of the brain, now known as Broca’s area. Broca was therefore able to link behavior (speech) with a physical structure (the brain)
Identify the perspective illustrated by the work of BF Skinner. Give reasons for your choice.
Behavioural perpective. B.F. Skinner found that he was able to change the behaviour of the rat by manipulating the environmental conditions the rat lived in. He examined the rats’ behavior as a response to the environment and ignored the mental processes of the rats.
Identify the perspective illustrated by the work of Jean Piaget. Give reasons for your choice.
Cognitive perspective. Jean Piaget theorised that children progress through 4 distinct stages of cognitive development – Sensorimotor stage (0-2 years old), Preoperational stage (2-7 years old), Concrete operational stage (7-11 years old), Formal operational stage (11+ years old). He linked the behaviour of children to their developing abilities to mentally process information.
Identify the perspective illustrated by the work of Stanley Milgram. Give reasons for your choice.
Socio-cultural perspective. Stanley Milgram wanted to find out whether individuals would obey an authority figure who was instructing them to inflict pain on another person. Participants were told to give an electrical shock to a confederate when they answered incorrectly on a memory task. Of the 40 participants, more than half (65%) continued to administer the shocks at the 450-volt level (XXX: Most Powerful). Milgram found that behaviour was influenced by the presence or absence of an authority figure.
What is the name of the process of using an appropriate research method to collect data, collecting and analysing data, and interpreting the results?
Scientific method
What do we call a non-scientific approach to studying human behaviour?
Pseudoscience
What is the name of the pseudo-scientific study that explored the relationship between the skull’s surface features and an individual’s personality characteristics?
Phrenology
What is the term for when people are more likely to believe statements about themselves when they are positive, vague and general?
The Barnum Effect
