chapter one Flashcards
(42 cards)
Psychological science
the study through research of mind, brain, and behavior
Mind refers to
mental activity ,Memories ,Thoughts
Feelings ,Perceptual insights (smell, touch, taste, feel, sound)
Behavior describes the totality of (—)human (or animal) actions
observable
Amiable skepticism
Weighing facts when deciding what to believe
Human brain is highly efficient at finding (-) and noticing (-)between things
patterns, connections
Ignoring evidence (confirmation bias)
people are inclined to over weigh evidence that supports their beliefs and tend to downplay evidence that does not match what they believe
Seeing causal relationships that do not exist:
the misinterpretation that two events that happen at the same time must somehow be related
Accepting after the fact explanations (hindsight bias):
interpret and reinterpret old evidence to make sense of that outcome. Gives false sense of certainty about our ability to make predictions of future behavior
Taking mental shortcuts (heuristics):
produce reasonably good decisions without too much effort
Can lead to inaccurate judgement
availability heuristic
things that come most easily to mind guide our thinking
Hypothesis Generation:
considering the possibilities/explanations of the why of the experiment
Mind/Body Problem:
a fundamental psychological issue: are mind and body separate and distinct or is the mind simply the brain’s subjective experience?
Dualism
idea that the mind and body are separate yet intertwined
Nature vs Nurture
Is an individual’s psychological characteristics biologically innate or are learned and acquired
Johnathan Stuart Mill
Psychology should leave the realm of speculation and philosophy and become a science
Defined psychology as the science of the elementary laws of the mind
Stream of consciousness (William James)
describe each person’s continuous series of ever-changing thoughts
Functionalism
an approach to psychology concerned with the adaptive purpose or function of mind and behavior
Mind came into existence over the course of human evolution
Helps humans adapt to environmental demands
Natural selection
those who adapt to their environment are at an advantage over those who do not adapt
Clinical psychology
area of psychology that seeks to understand, characterize, and treat mental illnesses
Cognitive psychology
understand the basic skills and processes that are the foundation of mental life and behavior
ex: Laboratory research
Topics such as memory, attention, sensation and perception
Cultural psychology:
how cultural factors such as geographical regions, national beliefs, and religious values can have profound effects on mental life and behavior
Developmental psychology:
studies how humans grow and develop from the prenatal period through infancy and early childhood through adolescence and early adulthood and into old age
Health psychology:
how psychological processes influence physical health and vice versa
Industrial/Organizational psychology
how psychological processes plays out in the workplace