Chapter 1 Terms Flashcards
Adaptation
A trait of an organism that has a role in the survival and reproduction of the individual.
Behaviorism
A theory that focuses on controlling and observing the behavior of people.
Biopsychology
A branch of psychology that explores how biology influences our behavior.
Biopsychosocial Model
An approach to help us better understand that biology, psychology, and social factors interact to determine an individual’s overall health.
Clinical Psychology
A branch of psychology that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders and other difficult patterns of behavior.
Cognitive Psychology
A branch of psychology that studies cognitions, or thoughts, and their relationships with a person’s actions and experiences.
Counselling Psychology
A branch of psychology that focuses on improving one’s emotional, social, and vocational well-being, and other aspects of the lives of psychologically healthy people.
Developmental Psychology
A branch of psychology that studies development across one’s lifespan, specifically focusing on changes that occur through an individual reaching adulthood.
Dissertation
A long research paper about research that was conducted as a part of a student’s doctoral training.
Empirical Method
A method in psychology that is used for acquiring knowledge based on observation and experimentation, rather than a method based only on forms of logical arguments.
Forensic Psychology
A branch of psychology that applies the practice of psychology into context within and related to the justice system.
Functionalism
An idea that is focused on how mental behaviors and activities help an individual adapt to an environment.
Humanism
An idea within psychology that emphasizes the potential for good in all human beings.
Introspection
A theory where someone examines their own mind (self-reflection) to break it into its components.
Gestalt Principle
An idea in psychology where instead of seeing something for its individual parts, we see it as an entirety (as a whole).
Natural Selection
A theory that explains that all human cultures must express a behavior if it is genetically caused since genetic differences between humans are very small.
Personality Psychology
A branch of psychology that studies the patterns of thoughts and behaviors that make all of us unique.
Personality Trait
A consistent pattern of thought and behavior.
PhD
A doctoral degree conferred in many disciplinary perspectives.
Postdoctoral Training Program
A program that allows future researchers to broaden their research skills under the supervision of other professionals in the field.
Psychoanalytic Theory
A theory that focuses on the role of the unconscious in affecting conscious behavior.
Psychology
The scientific study of the mind and behavior.
PsyD
A doctoral degree that places less emphasis on research-oriented skills and focuses more on psychological principles in a clinical setting.
Sport and Exercise Psychology
A branch of psychology that focuses on the psychological areas of sports, like motivation, performance anxiety, and the impact that professional sports on one’s mental health.
Structuralism
A theory of consciousness that analyzes the elements of mental experiences (sensations, emotions, mental images).
