Chapter 1: Basic psychological processes

Question 1

What is behavior?

Answer 1

Directly observable behavior

Question 2

Describe the mind with some examples

Answer 2

The mind describe internal states and mental processes (eg. memory, problem solving)

Question 3

What is basic research?

Answer 3

Research for the sake of wanting to learn something

Question 4

What is applied research?

Answer 4

Research done in order to solve a problem

Question 5

What are the three levels of analysis?

Answer 5

Biological level, Psychological level, Environmental level

Question 6

What is the scientific approach and its purpose?

Answer 6

Systemically gathering and evaluating data to find evidence without bias.

Question 7

What is folk psychology and how is it acquired?

Answer 7

Commonly held beliefs people have on other and psychological processes and behavior, it often draws on anecdotal (not empirical) evidence

Question 8

What is a heuristic and provide an example

Answer 8

A heuristic is using a mental shortcut (ie. thinking one restaurant is better than another because the line is longer)

Question 9

What is confirmation bias?

Answer 9

Selectively looking for evidence that confirms your prior beliefs

Question 10

How can you prevent heuristics and confirmation bias?

Answer 10

Using a scientific approach/method

Question 11

What is critical thinking?

Answer 11

A central idea to the scientific method that involved not just consuming and working off empirical evidence and being open minded

Question 12

What is mind body dualism?

Answer 12

An idea that isn’t compatible with the scientific method that states that the mind is a spiritual entity independent of the physical laws of the body

Question 13

What is monism?

Answer 13

The idea that the mind is under the same physical influence as the body. (eg. chemical reactions produce emotions)

Question 14

Define structuralism

Answer 14

Among the first scientific approaches taken in studying behavior which took a behaviorist approach in which it broke down the more complex parts of the mind to be studied in smaller parts and then added up to form a full idea of the mind.

Question 15

What is analytic introspection and why isn’t it completely reliable

Answer 15

It involves inner reflection of oneself and describing experiences when exposed to stimuli. It isn’t always objective.

Question 16

Describe functionalism

Answer 16

The function and purpose of behavior and though rather than the structure. It emphasizes how mental processes help us survive.

Question 17

Why is studying psychology from different perspectives important?

Answer 17

The use of different perspectives studying the mind and behavior can be complimentary

Question 18

Describe the psychodynamic perspective.

Answer 18

It assumed that causes that causes of behavior are understood by looking into the individual and past conflicts, motives, and desires. Made my Sigmund Freud

Question 19

Describe the behaviorism perspective

Answer 19

Behavior can be studied objectively unlike mental events, and therefore should be focus of research. This perspective viewed behavior as a product of the environment

Question 20

Describe the cognitive behaviorism perspective

Answer 20

Emphasizes the link between mental behavior and cognition (mental processes). States that humans are thinking creatures that don’t just mindlessly react to their environment unlike the behaviorist approach. Associated the with the Bobo doll experiment.

Question 21

Describe the humanistic approach

Answer 21

The humanistic approach views people as good and says they want to do good things and the approach is mostly associated with self-actualizing (reaching one’s full potential)

Question 22

Describe the gestalt perspective

Answer 22

The meaning of something can only be seen when its parts are put together. The whole is bigger than its parts.

Question 23

Describe the cognitive perspective

Answer 23

It is concerned with the nature of the mind and understanding how mental processes influence behavior.

Question 24

Describe the cognitive neuroscience perspective

Answer 24

It relies on physiological measures (typically related to neural activity, ie fMRI)

Question 25

What is the focus of the sociocultural behavior

Answer 25

Describes societies influence on behavior, thoughts and feelings.

Question 26

Describe the biological perspective

Answer 26

Describes how physiology and genetics affects behavior

Question 27

Describe the evolutionary perspective

Answer 27

Describes how behavior and mental processes have changed over generations. Talks about the idea of natural selection