Content Area 1-2 Flashcards
Psychology
The science of behavior and mental processes
Aristotle
Greek philosopher
One of the greatest thinkers in politics, psychology, and ethics
Wilhelm Wundt
A physician, physiologist, philosopher, and professor
Distinguished psychology as a science from philosophy and biology
Was the first person ever to call himself a psychologist
Edward B. Titchener
English psychologist
Created Structuralism
Structuralism
A method of interpretation and analysis of aspects of human cognition, behavior, culture, and experience that focuses on relationships of contrast between elements in a conceptual system that reflect patterns underlying a superficial diversity
William James
An American philosopher and psychologist
Created Functionalism
Functionalism
Focuses attention on the utility and purpose of behavior that has been modified over years of human existence
Mary Whiton Calkins
An American philosopher and psychologist. Calkins was also the first woman to become president of the American Psychological Association and the American Philosophical Association
Margaret Floy Washburn
Leading American psychologist in the early 20th century, was best known for her experimental work in animal behavior and motor theory development. She was the first woman to be granted a PhD in psychology, and the second woman, after Mary Whiton Calkins, to serve as an APA President
Behaviorism
The theory that human and animal behavior can be explained in terms of conditioning, without appeal to thoughts or feelings and that psychological disorders are best treated by altering behavior patterns
John B. Watson
An American psychologist who established the psychological school of behaviorism
B. F. Skinner
An American psychologist, behaviorist, author, inventor, and social philosopher
Best known for operant conditioning and behaviorism
Little Albert Experiment
The Little Albert Experiment (conducted by Watson and Rayner) demonstrated that classical conditioning—the association of a particular stimulus or behavior with an unrelated stimulus or behavior—works in human beings. In this experiment, a previously unafraid baby was conditioned to become afraid of a rat
Sigmund Freud
An Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis
A system of psychological theory and therapy which aims to treat mental disorders by investigating the interaction of conscious and unconscious elements in the mind and bringing repressed fears and conflicts into the conscious mind by techniques such as dream interpretation and free association
Humanistic Psychology
a perspective that emphasizes looking at the whole individual and stresses concepts such as free will, self-efficacy, and self-actualization
Humanistic psychology strives to help people fulfill their potential and maximize their well-being
Cognitive Psychology
The scientific study of mental processes such as “attention, language use, memory, perception, problem solving, creativity, and thinking”
Cognitive Neuroscience
the scientific field that is concerned with the study of the biological processes and aspects that underlie cognition, with a specific focus on the neural connections in the brain which are involved in mental processes
Behavior
Any action that can be observed or recorded
Mental Processes
Internal, subjective experience inferred from behavior
Nature vs Nurture
Nature refers to biological/genetic predispositions’ impact on human traits
Nurture describes the influence of learning and other influences from one’s environment
Cross-Cultural Psychology
A branch of psychology that looks at how cultural factors influence human behavior.
EXAMPLE: Some cultures might stress individualism and the importance of personal autonomy. Other cultures, however, may place a higher value on collectivism and cooperation among members of the group
Gender Psychology
A set of characteristics or traits that are associated with a certain biological sex
Martin Seligman
An American psychologist, educator, and author of self-help books. Seligman is a strong promoter within the scientific community of his theories of positive psychology and of well-being. His theory of learned helplessness is popular among scientific and clinical psychologists