Chapter 1 Flashcards
Explain what happened to Jason Padgett
Suffered a concussion that led him to seeing mathematical formulas and become a mathematical genius
How do we unlock the secrets of the mind?
Many cases where people have suffered brain injuries led them to having incredible talent and skills. These cases are called anecdotal evidence
What is the essence of psychology?
Effort to understand all human behaviour from the most rare cases to the most common
State a challenge that reverse engineering psychologists have faced?
Help stop amputees from experiencing chronic pain in missing limbs. Phantom limb is a side effect for many that go through amputation of a body part
What is a mirror box and how does it help to reduce the pain of phantom limb?
A literal mirror box that provides an illusion of a limb, psychologists found a “phantom itch” that could be in sense scratched and help reduce or eliminate the pain
What is active reading?
Is essentially 2 things - paying attention while you read and understanding the material before you move on
Formal definition of psychology
Scientific study of behaviour and mental processes
Goals of psychological science
Describe, predict and explain behaviour
What is behaviour?
Everything we do that can be directly observed
What are mental processes?
Are the thoughts, feelings and motives that each of us experiences privately but that can not be observed directly
4 attitudes at the core of scientific approach
Critical thinking, skepticism, objectivity and curiosity
What is critical thinking and what does it reduce?
Process of reflecting deeply and actively, asking questions and evaluating evidence
Reduces the likelihood that conclusions will be based on unreliable personal beliefs and opinions
What is skepticism?
Questioning what “everybody knows”
Challenge whether a supposed fact is really true
What is pseudoscience and an example of one?
Pseudo means fake - pseudoscience refers to information that is couched in scientific terminology but not supported by scientific research
Example: astrology
What is the empirical method?
Gaining knowledge through the observation of events, collection of data and logical reasoning
What is objectivity?
Means waiting to see what the evidence tells us rather than going with our instincts
What is curiosity?
Notice things, wanting to know what it is and why is it that way
How has psychology advanced?
Through the use of debates and psychologists not agreeing with one another. Reached a more accurate understanding of human behaviour because psychology fosters controversies allowing people to think deeply about evidence
What is clinical psychology?
Psychologists that specialize in studying and treating psychological disorders
What did Sigmund Freud believe?
That most of human behaviour is caused by dark, unpleasant, unconscious desires - based his ideas on patients he saw in his clinical practice
Why did Freud’s influence lead to people not considering psychology as a true science?
His techniques and case study analysis are not representative of the empirical method since he did not conduct randomized clinical trials or controlled experimental studies and other techniques that are normally used by western science
Explain the Amish community case?
Community forgave Charles roberts for kidnapping and killing/wounding 10 young girls. Forgiveness is the act of letting go anger and resentment toward someone and research on human capacity for forgiveness is being studied
What is positive psychology?
A branch of psychology that emphasizes human strengths. Research in positive psychology centres on topics such as hope and optimism.
What is one goal of positive psychology?
Bring a greater balance to the field by moving beyond focusing on how and why things go wrong in life to understanding how and why things go right
Who is Wilhelm Wundt?
German philosopher - physician that integrated philosophy and natural sciences to create the discipline of psychology
What experiment was performed by Wundt?
Measure the time lag between the instant a person heard a sound and the moment they pressed a telegraph key to signal having heard it
What was wundt trying to measure?
The time it took the human brain and nervous system to translate information into action
What is structuralism and who’s approach is it?
Wundt’s approach and structuralism focuses on identifying the structures of the human mind using the method of introspection meaning to looking inside our minds by focusing on our own thoughts
What is William James often regarded as?
Founder of modern psychology
What was James view and define it
James view was called functionalism which probed the functions and purposes of the mind and behaviour in the individual’s adaptation to the environment. Functionalists focused on human interactions with the outside world
What is Darwin’s theory?
The principle of natural selection which is an evolutionary process in which organisms that are better adapted to their environment survive and produce more offspring
What is natural selection?
A process by which the environment determines who wins the competition for resources such as food and shelter
What are genes and it’s relationship with Darwin’s theory?
Collections of molecules responsible for heredity. Genetic characteristics that are associated with survival and reproduction are passed down generations
Summarize the evolutionary theory through 4 key points
Variation: fact that characteristics of a species differ
Competition: arises because a species can produce more individuals that can survive given the limited resources of an environment
Selective advantage: occurs become some of the variation of characteristics possessed by individuals give these individuals a better chance to survive
Inheritance: linked to genetics and refers to the tendency for an offspring to possess the traits of its parents
Biological approach of psychology
Focus on the body especially the brain and nervous system
What is neuroscience?
Scientific study of the structure, function, development, genetics and biochemistry of the nervous system
What does neuroscience emphasize about the brain and it’s relation to thoughts and emotions?
Emphasizes that the brain and nervous system are central to understanding behaviour, thoughts and emotions. Believe that electrical impulses zoom throughout the brain’s cells which releases chemical substances that enable us to think, feel and behave
Behavioural approach of psychology
Scientific study of observable behavioural responses and their environmental determinants. Focuses on an organism’s visible interactions with the environment not thoughts or feelings
True or false: principles of behavioural approach have been widely applied to help people change their behaviour for the better
True
What was skinner’s experiment on Deborah?
Raised Deborah in an enclosed air crib
What did skinner emphasize and believe?
That psychology should be about what people do and their actions and behaviour not thoughts and feelings. Believed that rewards and punishments determine our behaviour
Psychodynamic approach
Emphasizes unconscious thought, conflict between biological drivers (sex) and society’s demands and early childhood experiences. Believe that sexual and aggressive impulses buried deep within the unconscious mind influence the way people think and feel
Who is Sigmund freud and his theory
Founder of psychodynamic approach and theorized that early relationships with parents shape an individual’s personality
What is the therapeutic technique of psychoanalysis?
Analysts unlocking a person’s unconscious conflicts by talking with the individual about their childhood memories, dreams thoughts and feelings
Humanistic approach of psychology
Emphasizes a person’s positive qualities, the capacity for positive growth and the freedom to choose one’s destiny. People have the ability to control their lives and are not just controlled by the environment
Definition of altruism and what approach is it
Unselfish concern for other people’s well being and free will - part of the humanistic approach of psychology
Cognitive approach of psychology
The human brain houses a mind whose mental processes allow us to remember, make decisions, plan, set goals and be creative
What do cognitive psychologists view the mind as?
An active and aware problem solving system through the use of information processing
Evolutionary approach of psychology
Uses evolutionary ideas such as adaptation, reproduction and natural selection as the basis for explaining specific human behaviour
What did David buss argue about the evolutionary theory
Argues that just as evolution moulds our physical features such as body shape, it also influences our decision making, level of aggressiveness, fears and mating patterns
What is one reason why evolutionary approach is criticized?
Inaccurately explains why males and females have different social roles and does not account for cultural diversity and experiences
Sociocultural approach of psychology
Examines the ways in which social and cultural environments influence behaviour. Argues that understanding a person’s behaviour requires knowing the social and cultural context in which the behaviour occurs
How many contemporary approaches are there in total?
7
How many different areas of specialization in total?
32 according to the Canadian psychology association
What is physiological psychology?
Interested in physical processes that underlie mental operations such as thinking and memory
What is behavioural neuroscience?
Focuses on biological processes especially the brain’s role in behaviour
Definition of sensation and perception
Physical systems and psychological processes that allow us to experience the world
Definition of learning
Intricate process by which behaviour changes in response to changing circumstances
What is cognitive psychology?
Broad name of a field that examines attention, consciousness, information processing and memory
Developmental psychology
Concerned with how people become who they are from conception to death - focus on biological and environmental factors that contribute to human development
How do scientists study motivation and emotion?
Scientists that study motivation investigate how individuals persist to attain a difficult goal and how rewards affect the experience of motivation
Emotion researches delve into topics including the physiological and brain processes that underlie emotional experience
Psychology of women and gender
Consider the psychological, social and cultural influences on female development and behaviour
Personality psychology
Considers personality consisting of relatively enduring characteristics of individuals such as traits, goals, genetics, well being etc
Social psychology
Deals with people’s interactions with one another, relationships, social perceptions, stereotypes and attitudes. Interested in the influence of certain groups on our thinking and behaviour
Clinical and counselling psychology
Diagnose and treat people with psychological problems. Counselling psychologists may work with people to help solve practical problems in their lives while clinical psychologists are interested in psychopathology
What is psychopathology?
Scientific study of psychological disorders and the development of diagnostic categories and treatments for those disorders
Health psychology
Multidimensional approach to human health that emphasizes psychological factors, lifestyle and the nature of the healthcare delivery system. Studies the role of stress and coping in people’s lives
Industrial and organizational psychology
Industrial: personnel matters and human resource management
Organizational: examines the social influences in organizations as well as organizational leadership
Community psychology
Concentrates on improving the quality of relationships along individuals, their community and society. Provide accessible care for people with psychological problems
How do community psychologists concern themselves with prevention of mental health problems?
Prevent mental health problems by identifying high risk groups and providing appropriate services and resources in the community
School and educational psychology
Concerns with children’s learning and adjustment in school
Environmental psychology
Study of the interactions between people and their physical environment - explores the effects of physical settings in most major areas of psychology
Forensic psychology
Applies psychological concepts to the legal system
Ex: evaluate whether a personal is likely to be a danger to society or whether someone is not criminally responsible by reason of mental disorder
Sport psychology
Applies psychological principles to improving sport performance
Cross cultural psychology
Study of culture’s role in understanding behaviour, thought and emotion - compare the nature of psychological processes in different cultures
Define maturation
Can be thought of as an unfolding of a biological process that occurs in and is affected by social demands
True or false: when mental processes change, so do physical processes
True
How does the bio psychosocial model differ from traditional and historical science and medicine?
Believes that health is impacted by body and mind inseparably
