Chapter 1 - Introduction to Psychology Flashcards
psychology
the scientific study of the mind and behavior
- use the scientific method to acquire knowledge
- parts of psych are biological, other parts are social
when the science of psychology originated and why
- became its own academic discipline in the late 1800s
- was considered philosophical before this
empirical method
process to acquire knowledge based on observation, including experimentation, rather than a method based only on logical argument/previous authorities
critical thinking
the active application of a set of skills to information for the understanding and evaluation of that information (used in psychology with the scientific method)
human psychology ____, but ___.
has been around since the dawn of humanity
psychology as a science is fairly young
Wilhelm Wundt
first person to be referred to as a psychologist, helped make psych a science
introspection
process by which someone examines their own conscious experience as objectively as possible, making the mind like any other aspect of nature
- used by Wundt to observe psych
structuralism
focuses on the contents of the mental processes rather than their function (components of the human mind)
functionalism
- adopts Darwinism idea of adapted “best” traits of an organism
- est. by William James, focused on how the whole mind helps an organism fit into its environment
Sigmund Freud
- theorized getting access to the unconscious mind was crucial to solve people’s problems
- ex. dream analysis, first word that comes to mind, etc.
psychoanalytic theory
- therapy technique that focuses on the role of a person’s unconscious, as well as early childhood experiences
- dominated clinical psychology for decades, popularized by Freud
Gestalt psychology
- created by escaped Nazi Germany scientists
- focusing how sensory parts relate to each other as a WHOLE, often how/why an individual responds to something
behaviorism
- influence by John B. Watson, believe objective analysis of the mind impossible
- approach of observing and controlling behavior
- made psychology more of a science
humanism
- a perspective within psychology that emphasizes the potential for good within all humans
the cognitive revolution
- the focus being put back on the mind as a focus of scientific inquiry (partially due to humanism)
- Noam Chomsky was very influential in movement
- helped est. communication between European/US psychology
feminist psychology
- early psychology was primarily white males, so that’s what studies focused on
- looks at gender equalities of sexes
- women have been contributing to psych since its birth as a science
mind-body problem
- problem of how the mind is connected to the body
- i.e. how do emotions go from being neurons to experience to emotion?
psychodynamic
- Freud approach to the mind
- systematic study of the psychological forces underlying human behavior
multicultural/sociocultural psychology
- most psych studies have overstudied WEIRD populations & applied results to all of society
- growing focus on doing research on other cultures
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
- created by Abraham Maslow, proposed hierarchy of needs for human behavior
- humanist concept, asserts if basic needs are met, higher needs (social) motivate behavior
client-centered therapy
- started by humanist Carl Rodgers
- patient takes lead role in the therapy session and therapist shows unconditional positive regard
- still popular in therapy today
WEIRD
western, educated, industrialized, rich, democratic
American Psychological Association (APA)
-a professional organization representing psychologists in the US
- 54 divisions repping diversity of field and members
biopsychology
-explores how our biology influences our behavior
-focuses on things like drug use/abuse, sensory and motor systems
evolutionary psychology
- study the ultimate biological causes of human behavior
- tries to understand extent that behavior is caused by genetics vs. environment
sensation and perception
-interest in both physiological aspects of sensory systems as well as in the psychological experience of sensory information
cognitive psychology
- area of psychology that focuses on studying cognitions, or thoughts, and their relationship to our experiences and actions
developmental psycholgy
- scientific study of development across a lifespan
personality psychology
- focuses on patterns of thoughts and behaviors that make each individual unique
personality traits
-more quantitative approach to understanding personality
- identifying, measuring, and determine how traits interact in context to understand people’s behavior
social psychology
focuses on how we interact with and relate with to others
Industrial-Organizational psychology
- subfield of psychology that applies psychological theories, principles, and research findings in industrial and organizational settings.
health psychology
- how health is affected by the interaction of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors
biopsychosocial model
- approach of health psychology (how health is affected by interaction of factors)
sports and exercise psychology
-study the psychological aspects of sport performance (like motivation and performance anxiety)
- effects of sport on mental and emotional wellbeing
clinical psychology
- area of psychology that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders and other problematic patterns of behavior
counseling psychology
- similar discipline that focuses on emotional, social, and health-related outcomes in individuals who are considered psychologically healthy
forensic psychology
- branch of psychology that deals with questions of psychology as they arise in the context of the justice system
PhD
- refers to doctor of philosophy degree (doesn’t refer to field of psychology per se)
- generally needed for a career in psych
dissertation
essentially a long research paper or published articles describing research that was conducted as part of PhD candidate’s postdoctoral training
postdoctoral training programs
common for individuals who recently earned their PhD to seek out as a position before going to serve as faculty
psyD
a doctor of psychology degree that is increasingly popular among individuals interested in pursuing careers in clinical psychology
Even when part of the brain is “lit up” on a scan, ___.
numerous interactions are going on in all parts of the brain
descriptive method
describe what exists, but doesn’t explain what causes that behavior
inferential method
experimental method, we manipulate what exists in order to draw conclusions about cause and effect
