Chapter 1. The Evolution of Psychological Science Flashcards
Psychology
the scientific study of mind and behaviour
Mind
The thoughts and feelings that we experience at every moment but that no one else can see
Behaviour
The things we say and do that can be observed by others
Philosophical Dualism
The view that mind and body are fundamentally different things
Philosophical Materialism
The view that all mental phenomena are reducible to physical phenomena
Philosophical Realism
The view that perceptions of the physical world are produced entirely by information from the sensory organs
Philosophical Idealism
The view that perceptions of the physical world are the brain’s interpretation of information from the sensory organs
Inference
A conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning
Philosophical Empircism
The view that all knowledge is acquired through experience
Philosophical Nativism
the view that some knowledge is innate rather than acquired
Dualism vs Materialism
Dualism: mind and body are two distinct entities
Materialism: minds are inseparable from our bodies
Realism vs Idealism
Idealism: Our reality is shaped by our own thoughts and ideas
Realism: Reality has an absolute existence independent from our own thoughts, ideas, and even consciousness
Empircism vs Nativism
Nativism: certain kinds of knowledge are innate/inborn
Empircism: all knowledge is acquired through experience
Which philosopher embraced philosophical dualism?
René Descartes
What perspectives did John Locke embrace?
philosophical realism and philosophical empircism
Which philosopher believed that knowledge was attained through experience?
John Locke
What perspectives were embraced by Immanuel Kant
Philosophical idealism and philosophical nativism
What is dualism?
a philosophy which supports the idea that the world is divided into two realms (the mental & the physical)
What is Materialism?
A theory which supports the idea that our minds are inseparable from our bodies
What is structualism?
An approach to psychology that attempted to isolate and analyze the min’s basic elements
What is Introspection?
The analysis of subjective experience trained by observers
What is functionalism?
An approach to psychology that emphasized the adaptive significance of mental processes
What is Gestalt psychology?
an approach to psychology that emphasized the way in which the mind creates perceptual experience
What is developmental psychology?
the study of ways in which psychological phenomena change over the life span
