Chapter 1: Psychology as a Science Flashcards
psychology definition
the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. it covers the nervous system, sensation and perception, learning and memory, intelligence, language, thought, growth and development, personality, stress and health, psychological disorations, sexual behavior, and behavior in social settings.
what do psychologists seek
to understand the factors that influence behavior and apply this knowledge for the public good.
theory definition
theories propose reasons for relationships among events, as in the perception of a threat can arouse feelings of anxiety, they allow us to derive explanations and predictions.
what is pure research?
has no immediate application to personal or social problems and has therefore been characterized as research for its own sake.
what is applied research?
research designed to fin solutions to specific personal or social problems
clinical psychologists
they help people with psychological disorders adjust to the demands of life. they help clients resolve problems and change bad behavior.
counseling psychologists
helps clients with adjustment problems for example helping clients who have trouble making academic decisions.
school psychologists
identify and assist students who have problems that interfere with learning
educational psychologists
focus on course planning and instructional methods for a school system rather than on individual children.
personality psychologists
identify and measure human traits and determine influences on human thought processes, feelings, and behavior.
social psychologists
study the nature and causes of individual’s thought, feelings, and behavior in social situations.
environmental psychologists
study the ways that people and the environment influence one another
experimental psychologists
specialize in basic processes such as the nervous system, sensation and perception, learning and memory, though, motivation, and emotion
industrial psychologists
fucos on the relationships between people and work
organizational psychologists
study the behavior of people in organizations such as businesses
human factors psychologists
make technical systems such as automobile dashboards and computer keyboards more user-friendly.
consumer psychologists
study the behavior of shoppers in an effort to predict and influence their behavior.
health psychologists
study the effects of stress on health problems such as headaches, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
forensic psychologists
apply psychology to the criminal justice system
sport psychologists
help athletes concentrate on their performance and not on the crowd
How did Aristotle influence psychology
He argued that human behavior is subject to rules and laws, explored the nature of cause and effect, pointed out that people differ from other living things in their capacity for rational thought, declared that people are motivated to seek pleasure and avoid pain, etc.
how did Democritus influence psychology?
He suggested that we could think of behavior in terms of a body and a mind, external stimuli influence behavior, suggested that we should rely on rational thought and introspection, and pointed out that people affect one another
introspections
careful examination of one’s own thoughts and emotions
how did Socrates influence psychology? (not in textbook)
he focused on ethics and morals, the behavior of the individual in society and the formation of patterns of behavior, and attitudes and morals. He also made the Socratic method (answering a question with a question)
gustav theodor fechner
published elements of psychophysics which showed how physical events (lights and sounds) stimulate psychological sensations and perceptions.
Wilhelm wundt
established the first psychological laboratory, he founded structuralism
structuralism
breaks conscious experiences into objective sensations, subjective feelings, and mental images
belief
mind functions by combining objective and subjective elements of experience
William James
he founded functionalism and was influenced by Darwin’s theory of evolution.
functionalism
focused on behavior, mind, or consciousness. basically, how our experience helps us function more adaptively in our environments
john broadus Watson
founded behaviorism, believed that if psychology were to be a natural science it must limit itself to observable measurable events
behaviorism
school of psychology that focuses on learning observable behavior
B.F. Skinner
He believed that organisms learn ot behave in certain ways because they have been reinforced for doing