History and Approaches Flashcards
Use these cards to study the historical background of psychology, in addition to its variety of theoretical approaches. The AP Psych exam devotes 2-4% of its multiple choice questions to the content in this deck.
Define:
Psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.
Define behavior as it relates to psychology.
observable actions
__________ are defined as internal experiences, including feelings and thoughts.
Mental processes
Why is psychology a scientific study?
- uses empirical data to disprove hypotheses
- describes, predicts, and explains behavior and mental processes
- systematic collection and observation of data
An example of the nature vs. nurture controversy is whether intelligence derives from __________ or is __________.
experience; inherited
Define dualism as it relates to psychology.
idea that the mind and brain are separate entities that interact
The idea that the mind and brain are one entity is known as __________.
monism
Plato and Descartes, believers in dualism, are on the side of __________ in the nature vs. nurture controversy.
nature
Descartes believed knowledge was innate and the pineal gland was considered the mind.
Aristotle and Locke, believers in monism, are on the side of __________ in the nature vs. nurture controversy.
nurture
Locke’s “tabula rasa” translates to “blank slate” suggesting that knowledge is learned through experience.
Psychology grew out of which discipline(s) in Ancient Greece?
philosophy, physiology, and biology
Who is credited with the foundation of scientific psychology?
Wilhelm Wundt, who performed the earliest studies in 1879 in Germany.
__________ examines the structure of the mind and basic elements of consciousness.
Structuralism
Define:
Introspection
Introspection is the process whereby observers look inward and objectively analyze their sensory experience.
Name the first president of the American Psychological Association (APA).
G. Stanley Hall
Who was Edward Titchener?
Titchener, a researcher from Cornell University, was one of the earliest structuralists.
__________ was the first woman to receive her Ph.D. in psychology.
Margaret Floy Washburn
Define functionalism as it relates to psychology.
school of thought that studies how mental operations affect environmental adaptation
Who was Mary Whiton Calkins?
first female president of the American Psychological Association (APA)
Name three of the earliest functionalists.
- William James
- James Cattell
- John Dewey
How did William James contribute to functionalism?
James published psychology’s first textbook, called The Principles of Psychology, from a functionalist perspective.
Which psychological approach does this statement reflect?
Behavior results from learning through experience.
behavioral
What is behavior modification?
set of techniques to help individuals unlearn habits that have led to psychological problems
Describe Ivan Pavlov’s classical conditioning experiments.
Pavlov, an early behaviorist, in his famous classical conditioning experiment, trained dogs to salivate in response to the sound of a bell.
What did John Watson believe psychology should study?
Watson, one of the earliest behaviorists, felt psychology should be the science of behavior and reject the study of mental processes.
Who is the psychologist behind operant conditioning of rats and pigeons?
B.F. Skinner
Define:
operant conditioning
training organisms to repeat responses that lead to rewards and not to repeat responses that lead to punishment
What is the key premise in Gestalt psychology?
Gestalt psychology stresses that the whole process should be studied, rather than specific parts.
Max Wertheimer was a __________ psychologist.
Gestalt
What are the ABCs of behavior according to the behavioral approach?
- antecedent environmental conditions
- behavioral actions
- consequences of behavior
Where do behavioral geneticists believe behavior comes from?
particular behaviors are attributed to genetically-based psychological characteristics
Who is the father of psychoanalysis?
Sigmund Freud
According to psychoanalysis, early life experiences are related to the development of one’s __________ later in life.
personality
Other than Sigmund Freud, name four psychologists who associate with the psychoanalytic perspective.
- Carl Jung
- Alfred Adler
- Karen Horney
- Heinz Kohut
The __________ approach studies unconscious motives, while the biological approach studies chemical processes.
psychoanalytic
The psychoanalytic approach is also known as the psychodynamic approach.
What is the difference between the conscious mind and the subconscious mind?
The conscious mind is readily accessible, while the subconscious mind is inaccesible but influences behavior.
Define:
repression
psychoanalytic term for burying information in the subconscious
__________, unlike behaviorists, believe free will guides behavior and leads to personal growth.
Humanists
Define:
humanism
psychological perspective that believes humans have unique qualities of behavior that differ from other organisms
Name two psychologists who associate with the humanistic approach.
- Abraham Maslow
- Carl Rogers
Technological advances and physiological research formed the basis of the __________ approach.
biological
The biological approach is also known as biopsychology or neuroscience.
According to the biological perspective, behavior is related to the __________ processes within the nervous and endocrine systems.
chemical
Which psychological approach does this statement reflect?
Behaviors that contribute to survival and reproduction are naturally selected.
evolutionary
Who was the inspiration behind the evolutionary approach to psychology?
Charles Darwin
Darwin’s theory of natural selection said all creatures have evolved over time in order to survive and reproduce.
Which psychological approach focuses on thinking, language, and how humans receive, store, and process information?
cognitive
Who first studied the cognitive development of children?
Jean Piaget
The structuralists studied consciousness, thinking, and memory. This area of psychology is currently known as __________.
cognition
Which psychological approach does this statement reflect?
People from different cultures interpret gestures, body language, and verbal language differently.
sociocultural
These psychologists study how cultural differences affect behavior.
Organize in chronological order from earliest to latest, based on when each became popular:
- sociocultural approach
- behavioral approach
- humanistic approach
- The behavioral approach became popular in the early 20th century with Pavlov’s research
- The humanistic approach came about in the mid-20th century in opposition to Behaviorism
- Lastly, the sociocultural approach grew toward the end of the century as there were more interactions between different cultures
Instead of calling themselves bio-cog-socio-humanists, these psychologists would identify as being __________ psychologists.
eclectic
Identify the type of psychologist:
These individuals evaluate and treat mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders.
clinical psychologists
What do counseling psychologists specialize in?
Counseling psychologists help people make changes in their lifestyles.
What do developmental psychologists study?
Developmental psychologists study psychological development over an individual’s lifespan.
__________ psychologists study the effectiveness of teaching and learning.
Educational
Identify the type of psychologist:
These individuals study how humans improve technology and consumer products
engineering psychologists
Engineering psychologists are also known as human factors psychologists.
Forensic psychologists study the relationship between psychology and __________.
legal issues
Health psychologists study the biological, social, and psychological factors surrounding health and __________.
illness
What do industrial/organizational psychologists specialize in?
Industrial/organizational psychologists focus on improving productivity in the workplace.
Identify the type of psychologist:
These individuals examine the relationships between the brain, nervous system, and behavior.
neuropsychologists
Neuropsychologists are also known as:
- biological psychologists
- biopsychologists
- behavioral geneticists
- physiological psychologists
- behavioral neuroscientists
__________ psychologists explore attitudes, traits, and goals of individuals.
Personality
Identify the type of psychologist:
These individuals examine methods for discovering and interpreting psychological data.
psychometricians
Psychometricians are also known as psychometric psychologists and measurement psychologists.
Identify the type of psychologist:
These individuals assist patients with mental retardation, developmental disabilities, and disabilities from physical trauma.
rehabilitation psychologists
What do school psychologists specialize in?
School psychologists focus on counseling students, educators, and parents.
What do social psychologists study?
Social psychologists study how an individual’s thoughts and behavior are related to his or her interactions with other people.
Identify the type of psychologist:
These individuals assist athletes in narrowing their focus on goals, increasing motivation, and coping with the fear of failure.
sports psychologists
