History & Overview 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?
It was separate from the body and not subject to physical laws
What was the main research technique of Structuralism?
Introspection
Who opened the first Psychology laboratory and in what country was it opened?
Wundt in Germany
Who was the founder of Structuralism who opened the first Psychology laboratory in America?
Titchner
What are the two reasons why introspection was a bad method for studying mental events?
- It does not replicate across individuals
* Many psychological processes are not conscious
How did Functionalists try to understand the mind?
Determining its purpose
Who was the founder of Functionalism who wrote a book called The Principles of Psychology?
James
What scientific theory influenced the Functionalists?
Darwin’s theory of evolution
What is Psychoanalysis?
An approach to studying mental illness that assumes it 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?
Watson
What was the name of the behaviorist who studied operant conditioning?
Skinner
Why did behaviorism decline in popularity?
It could not 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?
Computer metaphor
What is the Evolutionary approach to studying Psychology?
Speculating about what brain structure would have been useful in the environment when the human brain was evolving
What does Physiological Psychology study?
Which brain mechanisms effect certain behaviors
What do Sensation and Perception Psychologists study?
How the nervous system receives and interprets information from the senses
What does Cognitive Psychology study?
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
