Chapter 1 Flashcards
Psychology
The scientific study of behaviour, thought, and experience and how they can be affected by mental, social, physical, and environmental factors.
Scientific Method
Way of learning about the world through collecting observations, developing theories to explain them, and using the theories to make predictions.
Hypothesis
A testable prediction about processes that can be observed and measured
Falsifiable
Hypothesis needs to precise enough in order to be proven wrong. This is needed for it to be testable.
Psuedoscience
An idea presented as science, but does not utilize basic principles of scientific thinking
Theory
An explanation for a broad range of observations that also generates new hypotheses and integrates numberous findings into a coherent whole
Biopsychosocial Model
Way of explaining behaviour as a product of biological, physicological, and sociocultural factors.
Critical Thinking
Exercising curiosity and skepticism when evaluating the claims of others
Parsimony
The simplest explanation is often the most correct one
Empiricism
Knowledge comes through experience
Determinism
All events are governed by lawful, cause-and-effect relationships
Zeitgeist
A general set of beliefs of a specific culture at a specific time
Materialism
Everything is made up of matter
Dualism
Some things are not made up of matter (eg the soul
Psychophysics
Study of relationship between the physical world and mental representation of that world
Clinical Psych
Branch of psych that deals with treating and diagnosing psychological disorders
Psychoanalysis
An approach that attempts to explain how behaviour and personality are influenced by unconcious processes. Developed by Sigmund Freud
Structuralism
Attempt to analyze conscious experience by breaking it down into basic elements, and to understand how these elements work together. Wundt and Titchener
Functionalism
Study of function and purpose of behaviour and conscious experience. William James
Behaviourism
Focus on observable behaviour with little regard to metnal events and instincts as cause of behaviour
Humanistic Psychology
Focuses on each human as an individual
Gestalt Psychology
Psych must focus on the whole of one’s behaviour, rather than its parts
Cognitive Psychology
Focuses on memory, thinking, and language
Social psychology
Study of influence of others on people’s behaviours
Personality Psych
Study of how our personal characteristics can influence how we think and act
Phrenology
Association of mental traits to bumps on the skull
Sigmund Freud was an advocate of _____
Psychoanalysis/Psychodynamic
Sigmund Freud model
ID on the bottom (animalistic instincts) Superego (morals and societal expectations) Ego on top (balance of both superego and ID)
