Intro & Scientific Method Flashcards
structuralism
Uses the method of introspection to identify the basic elements or “structures” of psychological experience
main structuralists
Wundt, Titchener
functionalism
understand why animals and humans have developed the particular psychological aspects that they currently possess;
influenced by Darwinism - became evolutionary psychology
main functionalist
William James
psychodynamic psychology
approach to understanding human behavior that focuses on the role of unconscious thoughts, feelings, and memories
behaviorism
based on the premise that it is not possible to objectively study the mind, and therefore that psychologists should limit their attention to the study of behavior itself
main psychodynamics
Freud, Jung, Adler
main behaviorists
Pavlov (classical conditioning)
Watson (Locke’s tabula rosa)
Skinner (operant conditioning)
humanistic
reaction against psychoanalysis and behaviorism; uniquely positive human characteristics; understand from phenomenological perspective, individual perspective
main humanists
Rogers (getting in touch with self and personal growth)
Maslow (hierarchy of needs)
cognitive psychology
studies mental processes, including perception, thinking, memory, and judgment
when we take into consideration how stimuli are evaluated and interpreted, we understand behavior more deeply.
main cognitive psychologists
Ebbinghaus, Barlett, Piaget (memory is influenced by what we already know was also a major idea behind the cognitive-developmental stage model)
social-cultural psychology
study of how the social situations and the cultures in which people find themselves influence thinking and behavior
social norms
the ways of thinking, feeling, or behaving that are shared by group members and perceived by them as appropriate
include customs, traditions, standards, and rules, as well as the general values of the group
culture
the common set of social norms, including religious and family values and other moral beliefs, shared by the people who live in a geographical region
personality psychoogy
These psychologists study people and the differences among them. The goal is to develop theories that explain the psychological processes of individuals, and to focus on individual differences.
Basic research
research that answers fundamental questions about behavior
Applied research
research that investigates issues that have implications for everyday life and provides solutions to everyday problems.
laws
Principles that are so general as to apply to all situations in a given domain of inquiry
theory
an integrated set of principles that explains and predicts many, but not all, observed relationships within a given domain of inquiry.
Qualities of a good theory
general, meaning they summarize many different outcomes.
parsimonious, meaning they provide the simplest possible account of those outcomes
falsifiablewhich meansthe variables of interest can be adequately measured and the relationships between the variables that are predicted by the theory can be shown through research to be incorrect
research hypothesis
a specific and falsifiable prediction about the relationship between or among two or more variables