Ch.1 Vocab & Key Concepts

Question 1

psychology

Answer 1

Scientific study of behavior (overt) & mental processes (covert)

Question 2

4 goals of psych

Answer 2

describe, explain, predict, control

Question 3

Wilhelm Wundt

Answer 3

father of psych, attempted to bring objectivity & measurement to psych

Question 4

structuralism

Answer 4

study of the elements of consciousness (thoughts, experiences, & emotions)
–> consciousness (state of being aware of external events) can be broken down into its basic elements—into its individual emotion & sensations

Question 5

Edward Titchener

Answer 5

student of Wundt who popularized structuralism

Question 6

Margaret Washburn

Answer 6

Titchener’s student, 1st woman to earn ph.D in psych

Question 7

functionalism

Answer 7

how the mind allows people to function in the real world—work, play, adapt

Question 8

William James

Answer 8

proposed functionalism & showed importance of consciousness to everyday life

Question 9

gestalt psychology

Answer 9

the whole is greater than the sum of its parts

Question 10

Max Wertheimer

Answer 10

studies sensation and perception, postulated that psychological events (perceiving & sensing) can’t be broken down into smaller elements and still be properly understood

Question 11

psychoanalysis

Answer 11

insight therapy based on the theory of Freud, emphasizing the revealing of unconscious conflicts

–>both theory of personality and the therapy based on it

Question 12

behaviorism

Answer 12

science of behavior that only focuses on observable behavior

–> Watson thought phobias were learned through conditioning
–> based on Pavlov’s idea of conditioning

Question 13

history of psych

Answer 13

psych= ~140 yrs old
*philosophers questioned the relationship of the human body & mind

–>Medical doctors studied the physical connection b/ween body & soul

Aristotle—384-322 BC
–>Relationship of body & soul

Plato—427-347 BC
–>Dualism (soul could exist separately from the body)

Rene Des Cartes –17th c
–>Pineal gland (in nervous system) is the seat of the soul

Question 14

objective introspection

Answer 14

the process of objectively examining & measuring one’s own thoughts & mental activities

Question 15

Ivan Pavlov

Answer 15

Russian physiologist who showed that a reflex (an involuntary reaction) could be caused to occur in response to a formerly unrelated stimulus

Question 16

John B. Watson

Answer 16

father of behaviorism, challenged psychoanalysis and functionalist viewpoint, focused on observable behavior

Question 17

Mary Cover Jones

Answer 17

mother of behavior therapy who conducted an experiment examining desensitization
–> showed that if you can teach phobia, you can reverse it

** & desensitization–> Peter had a fear of white lab rat(similar to little Albert) & able to reverse that fear

Question 18

Psychodynamic perspective

Answer 18

focuses on development of sense of self, motivation for social/interpersonal relationships

maj theorists: Sigmund Freud, Carl Gustav Jung, Alfred Adler, Karen Horney, Erik Erikson, Anna Freud

Question 19

Behavioral perspective

Answer 19

Classical and operant conditioning, concept of reinforcement, focus on observable behavior

behavioral responses that are followed by pleasurable consequences are strengthened, or reinforced (I.e. operant conditioning)

maj theorists: Ivan Pavlov, John B. Watson, Edward L. Thorndike, B. F. Skinner

Question 20

Cognitive perspective

Answer 20

Perception, memory, intelligence, thought processes, problem solving, language, learning, the role of the brain and nervous system

maj theorists: Jean Piaget, Noam Chomsky, Elizabeth Loftus, Howard Gardner, Fergus I. M. Craik, Raymond Cattell, Eleanor Rosch

Question 21

Cognitive neuroscience

Answer 21

study of the physical workings of the brain and nervous system when engaged in memory, thinking, and other cognitive processes (i.e. functional MRIs and positron emission tomography/ PETs)

Question 22

Humanistic perspective

Answer 22

The ability of the individual to direct and control his or her own life, free will, self-actualization

maj theorists: Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, Natalie Rogers

Question 23

Sociocultural perspective

Answer 23

Relationship between social behavior and the contexts of family, social groups, and culture

–> combines two areas of study: social psychology, which is the study of groups, social roles, and rules of social actions and relationships, and cultural psychology, which is the study of cultural norms, values, and expectations (i.e. bystander effect study & diiffusion of responsibility)

maj theorists: Lev Vygotsky, John Darley, Bibb Latané, Albert Bandura, Leon Festinger, Henri Tajfel, Philip Zimbardo, Stanley Milgram

Question 24

Biopsychological perspective

Answer 24

Influences of genetics, hormones, and the activity of the nervous system on human and animal behavior (i.e. human sexual orientation may be related to the developing baby’s exposure in the womb to testosterone, especially in females)

maj theorists:
Paul Broca, Charles Darwin, Michael Gazzaniga, Roger Sperry, Carl Wernicke, S. Marc Breedlove, Lisa Feldman Barrett

Question 25

Evolutionary perspective

Answer 25

The biological bases for universal mental characteristics that are shared by all humans

–> seeks to explain general mental strategies and traits, such as why we lie, how attractiveness influences mate selection, why fear of snakes is so common, or why people universally like music and dancing; why people avoid eating bitter plants/poisonous plants and end passing that on as a gene)

maj theorists: David Buss, Richard Dawkins, Leda Cosmides, Robert Trivers, David C. Geary, Todd K. Shackelford, Daved F. Bjorklund, Anne Campbell, Susan Oyama

Question 26

Psychiatrist

Answer 26

Has medical degree , diagnosis & treatment of psychological disorders , can prescribe medicine

–>provide diagnosis and treatment for persons with mental disorders

Question 27

Psychoanalyst

Answer 27

Psychiatrist or psychologist, special training in theories of Freud

Question 28

Psychiatric social worker

Answer 28

Trained in area of social work usually has M.S.W; focus on environmental conditions’ impact on mental disorders

Question 29

Psychologist

Answer 29

No medical training but has a doctorate degree; can do counseling, teaching, and research and may specialize in any one of a large number of areas within psychology.

Question 30

Institutional review boards (IRB):

Answer 30

groups of psychologists or other professionals who look over each proposed research study & judge it according to its safety and consideration for the participants in the study

Question 31

ethical guidelines

Answer 31

1. Right and well-being of participants must be weighed against the study’s value to science
2. Participants must be allowed to make an informed decision about participation –> informed consent
3. Deception must be justified (debrief)
4. Participants may withdraw from the study at any time
5. Participants must be protected from risks or told explicitly of risks
6. Investigators must debrief participants–> tell true nature of the study & expectations of results

7.Data must remain confidential

Question 32

participants in research early in psychology’s history might have been asked to view a chair and describe its color, shape, and texture and other aspects of their conscious experience. These individuals would have been using a method called ________.

Answer 32

objective introspection

Question 33

Freud stressed the importance of ________.

Answer 33

early childhood experiences

Question 34

Which of the following statements is correct?

a. A psychologist has no medical training.
b. An M.D. and a Ph.D. are pretty much the same thing.
c. Psychiatric social workers can prescribe medication.
d. A psychiatrist generally goes to graduate school, not medical school.

Answer 34

A psychologist has no medical training.

Question 35

Dr. Braunz has been treating a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. She decides to write a prescription for Ritalin. Given this information, it is most likely that Dr. Braunz is a ________.

Answer 35

psychiatrist

Question 36

Which of the following is a common ethical guideline suggested by the American Psychological Association?
a. Participants cannot be subjected to shock of any kind.
b. Participants must be allowed to make an informed decision.
c. Participants may not withdraw once they start.
d. Participants cannot be deceived about aspects of the research

Answer 36

Participants must be allowed to make an informed decision.

Question 37

Each of the following is a common ethical guideline suggested by the American Psychological Association EXCEPT ________.

a. participants must be informed of the nature of the research in clearly understandable language

b. participants cannot be deceived or have information concealed from them at any time during an experiment

c. informed consent must be documented

d. risks, possible adverse effects, and limitations on confidentiality must be spelled out in advance

Answer 37

participants cannot be deceived or have information concealed from them at any time during an experiment

Question 38

basic research

Answer 38

research for the sake of gaining scientific knowledge

Question 39

applied research

Answer 39

research aimed at answering real-world, practical problems