Exploring Psychology Flashcards
What is critical thinking?
It is when we take an active role in understanding the world. We reflect on the meaning of its information.
Social constructionism
They are concepts presented so often in society that they are accepted as truths and rarely questioned, such as ‘childhood’
Self-Perception Theory
we make inferences about our own attitudes by observing how we behave.
Attitudes
A positive or negative reaction towards a stimulus, such as a person, action, object or concept.
Antecedents of attraction
- Propinquity
- Mere exposure effect
- Proximity and anticipating the cost of negative relationships.
Basic Research
Research that reflects the quest for knowledge purely for its own sake.
Applied research
Research designed to solve specific practical problems.
Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)
excessive disproportionate anxiety about several different aspects of life.
Mind-body dualism
The belief that the mind is a spiritual entity not subject to physical laws that govern the body.
Monism
holds that mind and body are one and that the mind is not a separate spiritual entity.
Empiricism
school which holds that all ideas and knowledge are gained empirically - that is, through the senses.
Structuralism
The analysis of the mind in terms of its basic elements.
Functionalism
held that psychology should study
the functions of consciousness
rather than its structure
Psychodynamic perspective
Searches for the causes of
behaviour within the inner
workings of our personality (our
unique pattern of traits, emotions
and motives), emphasizing the role of unconscious processes
Psychoanalysis
The analysis of internal and primarily unconscious psychological forces
Defence mechanisms
Psychological techniques that help
us cope with anxiety and the pain
of traumatic experiences
Object relations theories
Theories that focus on how early
experiences with caregivers shape
the views that people form of
themselves and others
Behavioural perspective
Focuses on the role of the
external environment in
governing our actions
Behaviourism
School of thought that emphasizes
environmental control of behaviour through learning
Independent Variable
The factor that the researcher manipulates to determine its impact.
Dependent Variable
The outcome or response that is measured to assess the effects of such manipulation.
Critical period
Age range during which certain experience must occur for development to proceed normally or along a certain path.
Sensitive Period
An optional age range for certain experiences; if those experiences occur at another time, normal development may still be possible.
Cross-sectional Design
Compares people of different ages at the same point in time.
Cognitive Behaviourism
proposes that learning experiences
and the environment influence
our expectations and other
thoughts, and in turn our thoughts
influence how we behave.
Cohort
A group of people who have shared the same historical events by virtue of their being the same age.
Humanistic Perspective/ humanism
emphasised free will, personal growth and the attempt to find meaning in ones existence
positive psychology movement
emphasises the study of human strengths, fulfilment and optimal living.
cognitive perspective
examines the nature of the mind and how mental processes influence behaviour.
gestalt psychology
examines how elements of experience are organised into wholes
cognitive neuroscience
uses sophisticated electrical
recording and brain-imaging
techniques to examine brain
activity while people engage in
cognitive tasks
social constructivism
maintains that what we consider ‘reality’ is largely our own mental creation.
sociocultural perspective
examines how the social
environment and cultural
learning influence our behaviour,
thoughts and feelings.
cross-cultural psychology
explores how culture is transmitted
to its members, and examines
psychological similarities and
differences among people from
diverse cultures
