Chapter 1: Introduction to psych Flashcards
behavior v mental process
Behavior: an action that is easily observable
ex. laughing
Mental process: an activity that is not easily observable, it can be inferred from behavior
ex. anxiety
biopsychology & evolutionary psychology
- how biology influences behavior
- subfields include behavior genetics and evolutionary psych.
contemporary psychology (organizations)
APA
- biggest psych. association
- 56 divisions
Association for Psychological Science
- attempts to advance the science of psychology
- publishes 5 journals
contemporary psychology? FIELDS
Freud’s psychoanalytic theory
early childhood experiences cause personality development
criticism:
- lack of evidence
- focused on men
- never tested theories scientifically
Functionalism
William James
- first American psychologist
- introduced Darwin’s theory
Functionalism focused on HOW mental activities helped an organism fit into its envi.
- operation of whole mind rather than individual parts
NEEDS EXAMPLE
Gestalt psychology
Wertheimer, Koffka, Kohler
- sensory experiences can be broken into individual parts
- how these parts relate to each other as a whole is what individuals respond to in perception
- Imperative to marketing techniques (think graphic design)
goals of psychology
- describing behavior (the what?)
- explaining
(the why?) - predicting
(behavior for future) - control/change
(how to (4.) behavior)
humanistic psychology
Carl Rodgers
development of client centered therapy
- focused on unconditional positive regard, genuineness, and empathy
Maslow (humanistic psychology)
self-actualization & hierarchy of needs
self-actualization
(inner fulfillment)
esteem
(self-worth, confidence, accomplishment)
social
(family, friendship, belonging)
security
(safety, employment, assets)
psychological
(food, water, shelter)
multi-cultural psychology
- goes beyond cross-cultural psychology
- looks at cultures and their influences in the psychological dev. of persons
Pavlov’s behaviorism
classical conditioning
learned behavior v inborn qualities
People in behaviorism
Ivan Pavlov (classical cond.)
J.D. Watson (focused on observable behavior, nurture over nature)
B.F. Skinner (consequence in behavior)
psychiatry v psychology
psychiatry:
M.D
severe problems
prescribed medication
psychology:
Ph.D, Psy.D, Ed.D
mild to severe problems
prescribes medicine in some states (VERY LIMITED)
social worker
M.S.W
mild to moderate
NO medication
Sigmund Freud
“Conversion hysteria”
- loss of ability to use a limb -> hypnosis
psychic determinism
- all behavior is influenced by unconscious motives
psychoanalytic theory
Structuralism
Wundt:
- used introspection to identify components of consciousness
- process by which an individual examines their conscious experience
ex. a trained subject receives a stimulus and reaction time is noted
the cognitive revolution
cog. psych. focused on how we think and how thinking affects our emotions and behaviors
- CBT
- linguistics (how behavior affects emotions)
- neuroscience
what is psych
the scientific study of behavior and mental processes in context
psych started as a philosophy
“soft” science
