Chapter 1: The Evolution of Psychology Flashcards
Did researchers replicate the Milgram experiment?
Yes
What does psyche mean?
The soul
What does logos mean?
Refers to the study of a subject
What is psychology?
The study of the mind;
The study of the conscious experience (Wundt);
The study of behavior (Watson);
The science that studies behavior and the physiological and cognitive processes that underlie behavior and it is the profession that applies the accumulated knowledge of this science to practical problems
What are psychology’s intellectual parents?
Philosophy and physiology
When was psychology “born”?
1879
Who is te founder of psychology?
Wilhelm Wundt
What is the consciousness?
The awareness of immediate experience
What were the two major schools of thought in psychology?
Structuralism and functionalism
Who founded structuralism?
Edward Titchener
What was structuralism?
Based on the notion that the task of psychology is to analyze consciousness into its basic elements and investigate how these elements are related
What method did structuralists depend on?
Introspection;
Or the careful, systematic self-observation of one’s own conscious experience
Who founded functionalism?
William James
What was functionalism?
Based on the belief that psychology should investigate the function or purpose of consciousness, rather than its structure
What is James’s stream of consciousness?
It was his metaphorical description of mental life;
He argued consciousness consists of a continuous flow of thoughts and that structuralism only looked at static points in that flow
Why did functionalism emerge the victor in the battle between the first of psychology’s major schools of thoughts?
Because of its practical orientation
Who founded psychoanalysis?
Sigmund Freud
According to Freud, what is the unconscious?
It contains thoughts, memories, and desires that are well below the surface of conscious awareness but that nonetheless exert great influence on behavior
What was Freud’s psychoanalytic theory?
It attempts to explain personality, motivation, and mental disorders by focusing on unconscious determinants of behavior
What do Freud’s theories suggest?
That people are not the masters of their own minds
What was controversial about Freud’s theories?
He emphasizes sex;
He proposed that behavior is greatly influenced by how people cope with their sexual urges
Who were some followers of the psychoanalytic theory?
Carl Jung and Alfred Adler
Who founded behaviorism?
John B. Watson
What is behaviorism?
A theoretical orientation based on the premise that scientific psychology should study only observable behavior
What did Watson believe?
That psychology should abandon the study of the consciousness and focus instead on behaviors that could be observed directly
Why did Watson believe this?
Because to him, the power of the scientific method rested on the idea of verifiability
What is behavior?
Refers to any overt (observable) response or activity by an organism
What stance did Watson maintain in the nature versus nurture debate?
That behavior is governed entirely by the environment
What did behaviorism’s approach introduce/contribute to?
The rise of animal research;
This was so because experimental research is often more productive if experimenters can exert considerable control over their subjects
What did B.F. Skinner believe in?
While he did not deny the existence of internal mental events, he insisted they could not be scientifically studied and that they didn’t need to;
He emphasized how environmental factors mold behavior
What was a Skinner box?
A small chamber Skinner used to study conditioning
What were the implications of Skinner’s work?
That free will is an illusion and that wer are all controlled by our environment, not by ourselves
What was the psychoanalytic theory attacked for?
For its belief that behavior is dominated by primitive, sexual urges
What was behaviorism condemned for?
For its preoccupation with the study of simple animal behavior
Why were both the psychoanalytic theory and behaviorism critized?
Because they suggested that people are not masters of their own destinies;
They failed to recognize the unique qualities of human behavior
What is humanism?
A theoretical orientation that emphasizes the unique qualities of humans, especially their freedom and potential for personal growth
Who were the most prominent architexts of the humanistic movement?
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow
How has humanism benefitted psychology?
It has pioneered many influential approaches to psychotherapy, including client-centered therapy, Gestalt therapy, and existential therapy
What did Maslow create?
The Hierarchy of Needs
What is clinical psychology?
The branch of psychology concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of psychological problems and disorders
When did clinical psychology start becoming a thing?
During and after World War II, when psychologists were pressed into service as clinicians to treat soliders suffering from trauma
What is cognition?
Refers to the mental processes involved in acquiring knowledge
What did the cognitive theorists argue for?
They argued for psychology to include study of internal mental events to fully understand human behavior
What is psychiatry?
A branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of psychological problems and disorders
What is positive psychology?
Uses theory and research to better understand the positive, adaptive, creative, and fulfilling aspects of human existence
What is developmental psychology?
Looks at human development across the life span
What is social psychology?
Focuses on interpersonal behavior and the role of social forces in governing behavior;
Topics include attitude formation, attitude change, conformity, attactions, etc. in groups
What is educational psychology?
Studies how people learn and the best ways to teach them
What is health psychology?
Focuses on how psychological factors relate to the promotion and maintenance of physical health and the treatment and analysis of illness
What is physiological psychology?
Examines the influence of genetic factors on behavior and the role of the brain, nervous system, endocrine system, etc. on the regulation of behavior
What is experimental psychology?
Encompasses the traditional core of topics that psychology focused on heavily in its first half-century as a science: sensation, perception, learning, conditioning, motivation, and emotion
What is cognitive psychology?
Focuses on “higher” mental processes, such as memory, reasoning, information processing, etc.
What is psychometrics?
Concerned with the measurement of behavior and capacities, usually through the development of psychological tests
What is personality psychology?
Interested in describing and understanding individuals’ consistency in behavior, which represents their personality
What is counseling psychology?
Similar to clinical psychology except it provides assistance to people struggling with everyday problems of moderate severity
What is industrial and organizational psychology?
Performs a wide range of tasks in the world of business and industry by working to improve staff morale and attitudes and increasing job satisfaction, etc.
What is school psychology?
Strives to promote cognitive, emotional, and social development of children in schools, usually in elementary and secondary schools
