Chapter 1 Flashcards
pseudoscientific relatives to psychology found on the internet, tv, and in thousands of self-help books
“Psychobabble”
The discipline concerned with behavior and mental processes and they are affected by an organism’s physical state, mental state, and external environment
Psychology
Relying on or derived from observation, experimentation, or measurement
Empirical
The ability and willingness to assess claims and make judgements on the basis of well-supported reasons and evidence rather then emotions or anecdote
Critical Thinking
Once several explanations of a phenomenon have been generated, a critical thinker chooses the one that accounts for the most evidence while making the fewest unverified assumptions
Occam’s razor
The now-discredited theory that different brian areas account for specific character and personality traits, which can be “read” from bumps on the skull
Phrenology
- 1st psychological experiment
- Founded the school of Structuralism
- Father of psychological science
Wilhelm Wundt
- Father of American Psychology
- 1st English textbook in Psychology
- Admitted the 1st female doctoral student
- Founded school of Functionalism
William James
“Mental states causes physical outcomes”-Idea of defense mechanism
- Psychosexual theory of personality
- Psychoanalysis
- Dream Interpretation
Sigmund Freud
Inspired William James with evolutionary theories. Stated that a biologist’s job is not to merely describe attributes but to figure out how these attributes enhance survival
Charles Darwin
An early psychological approach that emphasized the analysis of intermediate experience into basic elements
Structuralism
An early psychological approach that emphasized the function or purpose of behavior and consciousness
Functionalism
A theory of personality and a method of psychotherapy, originally formulated by Sigmund Freud, that emphasizes unconscious motives and conflicts
Psychoanalysis
A psychological approach that emphasizes bodily events and changes associated with actions, feelings, and thoughts
Biological Perspective
A field of psychology emphasizing evolutionary mechanisms that may help explain human commonalities in cognition, development, emotion, social practices, and other areas of behavior
Evolutionary Psychology
A psychological approach that emphasizes how the environment and experience affect a person’s or animal’s actions; it includes behaviorism and social-cognitive learning theories
Learning Perspective
Focus on the environmental rewards and punishers that maintain or discourage specific behaviors
Behaviorists
Combine elements of behaviorism with research on thoghts, values, expectations, and interntions. State that people not only learn by adapting to their environment, but also by observing and imitating others and by thinking about the events happening around them
Social-Cognitive Learning Theories
A psychological approach that emphasizes mental processes in perception, memory, language, problem solving, and other areas of behaviors
Cognitive Perspective
A psychological approach that emphasizes social and cultural influences on behavior
Sociocultural Perspective
Focus on social rules and roles, how groups affect attitudes and behavior, why people obey authority, and how each of us is affected by other people
Social Psychologist
Examine how cultural rules and values, both explicit and unspoken, affect people’s development, behavior, and feelings
Cultural Psychologists
A psychological approach that analyzes the influence on gender relations and on the behavior of the two sexes
Feminist Psychology
3 Professional activities of psychologists
1) teaching and doing research in colleges and universities
2) providing health or mental health services
3) Conducting research or applying its findings in nonacademic settings, such as business, sports, government, law, and the military
Providing health or mental health services
Psychological Practice
The study of psychological issues for the sake of knowledge rather than for its practical application
Basic Psychology
The study of psychological issue that have direct practical significance; also, the application of psychological findings
Applied Psychology
Conduct laboratory studies of learning, motivation, emotion, sensation and perception, physiology, and cognition.
Experimental Psychologists
Study psychological principles that explain learning and search for ways to improve educational systems. Their interests range from the application of findings on memory and thinking to the use of rewards to encourage achievement
Educational Psychologists
Study how people changes and grow over time physically, mentally, and socially. Some specialize in childhood issues; other study adolescence, young adulthood, the middle years, or old age
Developmental Psychologists
Study behavior in the workplace. They are concerned with group decision making, employee moral, work motivation, productivity, job stress, personnel selection, marketing strategies, equipment design, and many other issues
Industrial/Organizational Psychologists
Design and evaluate tests of mental abilities, aptitudes, interests, and personality. Nearly all of us had firsthand experience with one or more of these tests in school, at work, or in the military
Psychometric Psychologists
Generally help people deal with problems of everyday life, such as test anxiety, family conflicts, and low job motivation
Counseling Psychologists
Work with parent, teachers, and students to enhance students’ performance and resolve emotional difficulties
School Psychologists
Diagnose, treat, and study mental or emotional problems
Clinical Psychologists
Anyone who does any kind of psychotherapy
Psychotherapist
A person who practices one particular form of therapy: psychoanalysis
Psychoanalyst
A medical doctor (MD) who has done a three-year residency in psychiatry to learn how to diagnose and treat mental disorders
Psychiatrist
