Chapter 1 - What is Psychology? Flashcards
What is psychology?
Scientific study of human behaviour and mental processes and how they effect and are effected by an organisms physical and mental states and environment
What is science’s approach known as?
Positivism
What are the 4 goals of psychology?
1) description (describe the behaviour as accurately as possible
2) explanation (enables researchers to state the causes (why) of the behaviour)
3) prediction (when researchers can specify the conditions which a behavior is likely to occur)
4) control (researchers understand how to manipulate conditions to cause or prevent occurrences)
What is a theory?
General hypothesis or principle that explains how facts are related to one another
What are the two functions of a theory?
1) organizes facts systematically
2) guides scientific research
What do psychologists use theories?
Propose reasons for relationships among events
Allow us to derive explanations and predictions
What is critical thinking?
Thoughtfully analyzing and probing questions, statements, and arguments of others
What are the principles of critical thinking?
1) be skeptical
2) insist on evidence
3) examine the definitions of terms
4) examine the assumptions or premises of arguments
5) be cautious in drawing conclusions from evidence
6) consider alternative interpretations of research evidence
7) do not oversimplify
8) do not overgeneralize
What are the two types of research?
Basic (Pure)
Applied
What research seeks new knowledge?
Basic (Pure)
Which research is used to solve real-world problems?
Applied
Which research uses control?
Applied
Which research describes, explains and predicts?
Basic (Pure)
Who is known as the “Father of Psychology”?
Wilhelm Wundt
Who was structuralism founded by?
Wilhelm Wundt and Edward Titchener
What was the research method used by Wundt?
Introspection - analyzing basic events of conscious mental experience
- proved to be subjective and inaccurate
What was Joseph Gall’s contribution?
Phrenology - talking about different components of brain
What do you need to remember about James Mark Baldwin?
1) structuralist
2) established first psychology lab in Canada
Who founded functionalism?
William James
What was William James theory of functionalism?
We adapt to our environment, and if we don’t, we die
Who founded Behaviorism?
John B. Watson
What does Behaviorism state?
Psychology should be the study of observable behavior
Who founded Gestalt psychology?
Max Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka, and Wolfgang Kohler
What is Gestalt Psychology focused on?
Emphasizes the tendency to organize perceptual input into wholes and patterns. Suggests that insight contributes to problem solving
Who founded Psychoanalysis
Sigmund Freud
What did Sigmund Freud emphasize?
The unconscious and early childhood experiences are of primary importance