History and Approaches Flashcards
What is Psychology?
Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.
Define behaviour 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 behaviour and mental processes
- Systematic collection and observation of data
An example of the nature vs. nurture controversy is whether intelligence is __________ or derives from __________.
inherited; experience
Define dualism as it relates to psychology.
idea that the mind and body are separate entities that interact
When you think of Dualism you should think of Descartes, who said “I think therefore I am” (Cogito ergo sum).
What is monism?
the idea that the brain and the mind are the same thing, and that every mental state is reducible to an identical brain state
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.
Which side in the nature vs. nurture controversy are Aristotle and Locke, believers in monism, on?
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, is considered the father of the discipline of psychology. He created the first lab dedicated to psychological research, and wanted to measure consciousness.
__________ examines the structure of the mind and basic elements of consciousness. Proponents of this system felt that consciousness should be the data of psychology and the best way to research was by using individuals who were trained in introspection.
Structuralism
Define Introspection
Introspection is the process whereby observers look inward and objectively analyse their sensory experience.
Name the first president of the American Psychological Association (APA).
G. Stanley Hall
Who was Edward Titchener?
Titchener, a researcher at Cornell University, was one of the earliest structuralists. He felt that psychology should study the structure of consciousness, and that meant studying sensations, images, and affections (emotions).
__________ was the first woman to receive her Ph.D. in psychology.
Margaret Floy Washburn
Define functionalism as it relates to psychology.
Functionalism was the school of thought that was a reaction to structuralism. Functionalism studies how the mind adapts to its environment. Functionalism was interested in individual differences, whereas structuralism was interested in groups of people
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?
Behaviour results from learning through experience.
Behavioural
What is behaviour 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 behaviourist, 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 behaviourists, felt psychology should be the science of overt behaviour and reject the study of mental processes.
Who is the psychologist behind operant conditioning of rats and pigeons?
B.F. Skinner
Define:
operant conditioning
A learning process in which organisms learn to behave in certain ways to obtain rewards and avoid punishments. Uses rewards and punishments to modify voluntary behaviours.
What is Gestalt psychology?
A school of thought that studies how people perceive the world, and how they organize information into patterns and configurations. Suggests that people perceive objects and situations as a whole, rather than as individual components. This is because the brain organizes information into meaningful wholes.
Max Wertheimer was a _____ psychologist.
What are the ABCs of behaviour according to the behavioural approach?
Where do behavioural geneticists believe behaviour comes from?
Who is the father of psychoanalysis?
According to psychoanalysis, early life experiences are related to the development of one’s __________ later in life.
Other than Sigmund Freud, name four psychologists who associate with the psychoanalytic perspective.
The __________ approach studies unconscious motives, while the biological approach studies chemical processes.
What is the difference between the conscious mind and the subconscious mind?
Define:
repression
__________, unlike behaviourists, believe free will guides behaviour and leads to personal growth.
Define:
humanism
Name two psychologists who associate with the humanistic approach.
Technological advances and physiological research formed the basis of the __________ approach.
According to the biological perspective, behaviour is related to the __________ processes within the nervous and endocrine systems.
Which psychological approach does this statement reflect?
Behaviours that contribute to survival and reproduction are naturally selected.
Who was the inspiration behind the evolutionary approach to psychology?
Which psychological approach focuses on thinking, language, and how humans receive, store, and process information?
Who first studied the cognitive development of children?
The structuralists studied consciousness, thinking, and memory. This area of psychology is currently known as __________.
Which psychological approach does this statement reflect?
People from different cultures interpret gestures, body language, and verbal language differently.
Organize in chronological order from earliest to latest, based on when each became popular:
sociocultural approach
behavioural approach
humanistic approach
Instead of calling themselves bio-cog-socio-humanists, these psychologists would identify as being __________ psychologists.
Identify the type of psychologist:
These individuals evaluate and treat mental, emotional, and behavioural disorders.
What do counselling psychologists specialize in?
What do developmental psychologists study?
__________ psychologists study the effectiveness of teaching and learning.
Identify the type of psychologist:
These individuals study how humans improve technology and consumer products
Forensic psychologists study the relationship between psychology and __________.
Health psychologists study the biological, social, and psychological factors surrounding health and __________.
What do industrial/organizational psychologists specialize in?
Identify the type of psychologist:
These individuals examine the relationships between the brain, nervous system, and behaviour.
__________ psychologists explore attitudes, traits, and goals of individuals.
Identify the type of psychologist:
These individuals examine methods for discovering and interpreting psychological data.
Identify the type of psychologist:
These individuals assist patients with mental disabilities, developmental disabilities, and disabilities from physical trauma.
What do school psychologists specialize in?
What do social psychologists study?
Identify the type of psychologist:
These individuals assist athletes in narrowing their focus on goals, increasing motivation, and coping with the fear of failure.
