Ch 1: What is Psychology?

Question 1

Psychology

Answer 1

The discipline concerned with behaviour and mental processes and how they are affected by an organism’s physical state, mental state, and external environment

Question 2

Psychobabble

Answer 2

Pseudoscience and quackery covered by a veneer of psychological and scientific-sounding language

Question 3

Critical thinking

Answer 3

The ability and willingness to assess claims and make objective judgments on the basis of well-supported reasons and evidence rather than emotion or anecdote

Question 4

Guidelines for critical thinking

Answer 4

1. Ask questions; be willing to wonder
2. Define your terms
3. Examine the evidence
4. Analyze assumptions and biases
5. Avoid emotional reasoning
6. Don’t oversimplify
7. Consider other interpretations
8. Tolerate uncertainty

Question 5

Occam’s Razor

Answer 5

The principle of choosing the solution that accounts for the most evidence while making the fewest unverified assumptions

Question 6

Phrenology

Answer 6

The now discredited theory that different brain areas account for specific character and personality traits, which can be “read” from bumps on the skull

Question 7

3 early psychological approaches

Answer 7

1. Structuralism
2. Functionalism
3. Psychoanalysis

Question 8

Structuralism

Answer 8

An early psychological approach that emphasized the analysis of immediate experience (sensations, images, feelings) into basic elements.

Was abandoned in part because of its reliance on introspection; ex: too much variance in descriptions of mental images when asked to think of a “triangle”.

Question 9

Functionalism

Answer 9

An early psychological approach that emphasized the function or purpose of behaviour and consciousness.

How and why do organisms do things? What is the function? Is it adaptive for survival? Inspired by Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution.

Was abandoned because it lacked precise theory, and endorsed study of consciousness just as it became unpopular.

Question 10

Psychoanalysis

Answer 10

A theory of personality and a method of psychotherapy, originally formulated by Sigmund Freud, that emphasizes unconscious motives and conflicts.

Question 11

List the major psychological perspectives

Answer 11

1. The biological perspective
2. The learning perspective
3. The cognitive perspective
4. The sociocultural perspective
5. The psychodynamic perspective

Question 12

The biological psychological perspective

Answer 12

Focuses on how bodily events affect behaviour, feelings, and thoughts

Major topics of study: the nervous system, hormones, brain chemistry, heredity, evolutionary influences

Donald O. Hebb argued all behavioural and mental phenomena resulted from physical activity in the brain.

Question 13

The learning psychological perspective

Answer 13

A psychological approach that emphasizes how the environment and experience affect a person’s (or animal’s) actions; it includes both behaviourism and social-cognitive learning theories

Major topics of study: environment and experience

Question 14

Evolutionary psychology

Answer 14

A field of psychology emphasizing evolutionary mechanisms that may help explain human commonalities in cognition, development, emotion, social practices, and other areas of behaviour

Question 15

Behaviourism

Answer 15

An approach to psychology that emphasizes the study of observable behaviour and the role of the environment and priori experience as determinants of behaviour

Question 16

The cognitive psychological perspective

Answer 16

A psychological approach that emphasizes mental processes in perception, memory, language, problem solving, and other areas of behaviour.

Major topics of study: emotions, motivations, insight

Became popular in the 1970s

Question 17

The sociocultural psychological perspective

Answer 17

A psychological approach that emphasizes social and cultural influences on behaviour. Like fish that are unaware of the water they live in, this perspective studies the water.

Social psychology: social rules and roles, groups, relationships

Cultural psychology: cultural norms, values, expectations

Question 18

The psychodynamic psychological perspective

Answer 18

A psychological approach that emphasizes unconscious dynamics within the individual, such as inner forces, conflicts, or the movement of instinctual energy

Question 19

Humanist psychology

Answer 19

A psychological approach that emphasizes personal growth and the achievement of human potential rather than the scientific understanding and assessment of behaviour

Question 20

Feminist psychology

Answer 20

A psychological approach that analyzes the influence of social inequities on gender relations and on the behaviour of the two sexes.

Question 21

Psychological practice

Answer 21

Providing health or mental-health services

Question 22

Basic psychology

Answer 22

The study of psychological issues in order to seek knowledge for its own sake rather than for its practical application

Question 23

Applied psychology

Answer 23

The study of psychological issues that have direct practical significance; also, the application of psychological findings

Question 24

Psychotherapist

Answer 24

Anyone who does any kind of psychotherapy; it is a legally unregulated term

Question 25

Psychoanalyst

Answer 25

A person who practices one particular form of therapy (or psychoanalysis); has obtained specialized training and has personally undergone extensive psychoanalysis

Question 26

Psychiatrist

Answer 26

A medical doctor (MD) who has completed a five-year residency in psychiatry to learn how to diagnose and treat mental disorders under the supervision of more experience physicians

Question 27

Licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) and

Marriage, family, and child counsellor (MFCC)

Answer 27

Typically treats common individual and family problems, but may also deal with more serious problems such as addiction or abuse. Licensing requirements vary, but generally has at last an MA in psychology or social work

Question 28

Wilhelm Wundt

Answer 28

Founder of scientific psychology. Established first psychological laboratory in 1879.

Structuralism was based on his work; emphasized the analysis of immediate experience into basic elements

Question 29

William James

Answer 29

Leader of functionalism; asks how and why an organism does something (rather than what it does)

Question 30

List the nonclinical specialties in psychology

Answer 30

1. Experimental psychologists; conduct laboratory studies
2. Educational psychologists; study learning to improve educational systems
3. Developmental psychologists; study how people change and grow over time
4. Industrial/organizational psychologists; study behaviour in the workplace
5. Psychometric psychologists; design and evaluate tests

Question 31

What is the role of the Canadian Psychological Association?

Answer 31

Promotes research by publishing academic journals

Regulates psychological education through accreditation of clinical psychology graduate programs

It is NOT a regulatory body for researchers or practitioners (does not create ethical guidelines)