History and Overview Lecture Flashcards
What is Psychology?
the science of behavior and mental processes
What is Psychiatry?
the study of the medical treatment of psychological disorders
What did Rene Descartes think about the soul?
the soul was separate from the body, and was not subject to physical laws
What was the main research technique of Structuralism?
Introspection (used to determine the basic elements of human thought)
Who opened the first Psychology laboratory and in what country was it opened?
Wilhelm Wundt, in Germany (1879)
Who was the founder of Structuralism who opened the first Psychology laboratory in America?
Edward Titchner
What are the two reasons why introspection was a bad method for studying mental events?
a. Introspection does not replicate across individuals
b. Many psychological processes are not open to introspection because they are not conscious
How did Functionalists try to understand the mind?
they speculated on what sorts of functions an evolved brain should have, but did not test their speculations. Tried to determine its purpose
Who was the founder of Functionalism who wrote a book called The Principles of Psychology?
William James
What scientific theory influenced the Functionalists?
Darwin’s theory of evolution
What is Psychoanalysis?
an approach to studying mental illness that assumes mental illness is caused by subconscious conflicts.
What did Sigmund Freud think caused mental illnesses?
Subconscious events
What is Behaviorism?
the scientific study of the relationship between behavior and reinforcement
Who was the founder of behaviorism who conditioned Little Albert?
John Watson
What was the name of the behaviorist who studied operant conditioning?
B. F. Skinner
Why did behaviorism decline in popularity?
because of it’s inability to provide explanations for many psychological phenomena
What is the Cognitive approach to studying Psychology?
tries to determine how information is encoded, stored, transformed, and retrieved by the brain
What is the metaphor upon which the Cognitive approach relies?
the computer metaphor
What is the Evolutionary approach to studying Psychology?
tries to develop theories by speculating about what brain structures would have been useful in the environment when the human brain was evolving
What does Physiological Psychology study?
the study of the brain mechanisms underlying behavior
What do Sensation and Perception Psychologists study?
how the nervous system receives and interprets information from the senses
What does Cognitive Psychology study?
the study of attention, memory, language, and problem solving
What does Social Psychology study?
how people influence and relate to one another
What does Counseling and Clinical Psychology study?
mental health problems and vocational guidance
