1. What is Psychology?

Question 1

Psychology

Answer 1

The scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

Question 2

Science

Answer 2

The use of systematic methods to observe the natural world, including human behavior, and to draw conclusions.

Question 3

Behavior

Answer 3

Everything we do that can be directly observed.

Question 4

Mental Processes

Answer 4

The thoughts, feelings, and motives that each of us experiences privately but cannot be observed directly.

Question 5

Critical Thinking

Answer 5

The process of reflecting deeply and actively, asking questions, and evaluating the evidence.

Question 6

Empirical method

Answer 6

Gaining knowledge through the observation of events, the collection of data, and logical reasoning.

Question 7

Positive Psychology

Answer 7

A branch of psychology that emphasizes human strengths.

Question 8

Structuralism

Answer 8

Wundt’s approach to discovering the basic elements, or structures, of mental processes; so called because of its focus on identifying the structures of the human mind.

Question 9

Functionalism

Answer 9

James’s approach to mental processes, emphasizing the functions and purposes of the mind and behavior in the individual’s adaptation to the environment.

Question 10

Natural Selection

Answer 10

Darwin’s principle of an evolutionary process in which organisms that are best adapted to their environment will survive and produce offspring.

Question 11

Biological Approach

Answer 11

An approach to psychology focusing on the body, especially the brain and nervous system.

Question 12

Neuroscience

Answer 12

The scientific study of the structure, function, development, genetics, and biochemistry of the nervous system, emphasizing that the brain and the nervous system are central to understanding behavior, thought, and emotion.

Question 13

Behavioral Approach

Answer 13

An approach to psychology emphasizing the scientific study of observable behavioral responses and their environmental determinants.

Question 14

Psychodynamic Approach

Answer 14

An approach to psychology emphasizing unconscious thought, the conflict between biological drives (such as the drive for sex) and society’s demands, and early childhood family experiences.

Question 15

Humanistic Approach

Answer 15

An approach to psychology emphasizing a person’s positive qualities, the capacity for positive growth, and the freedom to choose any destiny.

Question 16

Cognitive Approach

Answer 16

An approach to psychology emphasizing the mental processes involved in knowing: how we direct our attention, perceive, remember, think, and solve problems.

Question 17

Evolutionary Approach

Answer 17

An approach to psychology emphasizing evolutionary ideas such as adaptation, reproduction, and natural selection as the basis for explaining specific human behaviors.

Question 18

Sociocultural Approach

Answer 18

An approach to psychology that examines the ways in which social and cultural environments influence behavior.

Question 19

Psychopathology

Answer 19

The scientific study of psychological disorders and the development of diagnostic categories and treatments for those disorders.