Lecture 1 Flashcards
What is structuralism?
An early school of psychology that used introspection to explore the structural elements of the human mind
Does introspection work?
NO- it’s unreliable; people’s recollections are often wrong
What is psychology? (definition)
It is the scientific study of behaviour & mental process
- Science: making verifiable, objective predictions
- Behaviour: observable acts
- Mental Processes: storing, recalling, using info/feelings
Where did psychology come from?
Philosophy and Physiology
What does psychology aim to do?
It aims to study behaviour
Name 3 different ways to explain a given behaviour:
- Biological explanation
- Psychological (internal) explanation
- Social (environmental) explanation
- *THESE ARE ALL PARTS OF THE BEHAVIOUR OR MENTAL PROCESS!**
What are Psychology’s Three Main Levels of Analysis?
- Biological influences
- Psychological influences
- Social-cultural influences
What does Biological influences consist of?
- Genetic predispositions
- Genetic mutations
- Natural selection of adaptive physiology and behaviours
- Genes responding to the environment
What does Psychological influences consist of?
- Learned fears and other learned expectations
- Emotional responses
- Cognitive processing anf perceptual interpretations
What does Social-cultural influences consist of?
- Presence of others
- Cultural, societal, and family expectations
- Peer and other group influences
- Compelling models (such as the media)
What are Psychology’s Current Perspectives?
Neuroscience
-brain and nervous system
Evolutionary
-adaptive advantages
Behavioural genetics
-relative contribution of genes and environment
Psychodynamic
-unconscious forces motivating behaviour
Behavioural
-observable stimulus-response relationship
Cognitive
-thought processes
Social-cultural
-variations across situations and cultures
What is Psychology? (US)
Despite the variety of questions and approaches, all of psychology is united in a single cause:
To understand the most complicated thing we have ever encountered throughout the universe: US
What does cognitive psychology do?
It scientifically explores the ways we perceive, process, and remember information.
What is cognitive neuroscience?
It is an interdisciplinary study that has enriched our understanding of the brain activity underlying mental activity.
OR
The interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language)
What is the rebellion of a second group of psychologists in the 1960s known as?
It is known as the cognitive revolution- it has led the field back to its early interest in mental processes, such as the importance of how our mind processes and retains information.
