chapter 1 vocb Flashcards
behavior
actions by which an organism adjusts to its environment
psychology
the SCIENtIFIC study of the BEHAVIOR of individuals and their mental processes
scientific method
the set of procedures used for gathering & interpreting objective info in a way that minimizes error and yields dependable generalizations
structuralism
the study of the structure of the MIND and hehavior // the VIEW that ALL human mental exp can be understood as a combination of simple elements or events
It works to uncover the structures that underlie all the things that humans do, think, perceive, and feel.
introspection
individuals’ systematic examination of their own thoughts and feelings
GESTALT psychology
a school of psych that mantains that PSYCHOLOGICAL phenonema can be understood ONLY when viewed as organized, structure wholes, not when broken down into primitive perceptual elements
FUNCTIONALISM
the persp on the mind that focuses on the examination of their functions in an organisms interactions w/ the env.
mental states are identified by what they do rather than by what they are made of.
psychodynamic perspective
a pyschological model in which behvaior is explained in terms of past exp & motivational forces; actions are viewed as stemming from inherited instincts, biological drives & attempts to resolve conflicts between personal needs and social req
biological perspective
the approach to identifying causes of behavior that focuses on the functioning of genes, the brain, the nervous system & the endocrine system
behavioral neuroscience
a multidisciplinary field that attempts to understand the brain processes that underlie behavior
cognitive neuroscience
a multidiscip. field that attempts to understand the processes that underlie higher cognitive functions
evololutionary persp
approach to psychologt that stresses the importance of behavioral and mental adaptiveness, based on the assumption that mental capabilities evolved over millions of years to serve particular adaptive purposes
sociocultural persp
the psychological persp that focuses on cross-cultural differences in the causes and conseq. of behavior
