midterm 1 Flashcards
What is psychology
the study of human behavior and the psychological and cognitive processes beneath it
nativism
inborn knowledge
empiricism
experiential knowledge
major philosophers
Socrates, Plato, Aristotle
Wilhelm Wundt
established the first school of psych, structuralism
Structuralism
analyze consciousness down to its basic elements and investigate how they’re related
introspection
the careful systematic observation of one’s own conscious experiment
William James
Functionalism
Functionalism
investigate the function of consciousness, rather than structure
Functionalism research and methods
mental testing, sex differences, studying how people adapted their behaviour to the world around them
John B. Watson
Behaviorism
Ivan Pavlov
Behaviourism
behaviourism
the idea that psychology should study only observable behavior, nurture side
Sigmund Freud
Psychoanalysis, treated people who suffered mental health issues, others include Carl Jung, Alfred Adler
Unconscious
Thoughts, memories, and desires that are below conscious awareness abut still influence behaviour
Psychoanalysis
people are not masters of their own minds
B.F. Skinner
acknowledged internal events but claimed they could not be studied scientifically, behaviorism re-emerges
Humanism
Emphasizes the unique qualities of humans, especially their capacity for freedom and growth
Carl Rogers
Humanism, person centered therapy
Abraham Moslow
Humanism, hierarchy of needs
Cognition
mental processes involved in acquiring knowledge
neuroscience
cognitive revolution, research on the brain and its role in behaviour
Jean Piaget
Cognition
Donald Hebb
Father of neuroscience
WEIRD - focus on culture
Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic
modern psychology - evolutionary psychology
examines behavioural processes in terms of their adaptive value for species members over many generations
natural selection favours…
behaviours that enhance reproductive success
Martin Seligman
Launched positive psychology movement
positive psychology
uses theory and research to better understand the positive aspects of the human experience
positive psychology focuses on
positive subjective experiences
positive individual traits
positive institutions and communities
Psychology today
the science of behaviour and the psychological and cognitive processes behind it
Psychology subfields
Forensic Psychology, Health Psychology, Developmental psychology and experimental psychology
Forensic Psychology
application of psychology in legal settings
Health Psychology
how psychology contributes to the physical health and treatment of illnesses
Developmental Psychology
studies psychology over a lifespan
experimental psychology
traditional core topics in psychology like sensation, perception, learning and conditioning
Personality Psychology
studies behaviour that shows personality
Psychometrics
measurement of behaviour and capabilities through test development
Educational Psychology
how people learn and the best ways to teach them
Cognitive Psychology
studies higher mental processes
Behavioural neuroscience
the influence of genetic factors and the role of the brain and related systems
Social Psychology
studies interpersonal behaviours
Clinical Psychology
branch of psych that studies diagnosis and treatments
Counselling psychology
working with people struggling with everyday problems like family, marriage, career through interviews, testing
Educational/School Psych
studies educational processes in school
Industrial/Organizational Psychology
improves organizational structures and practices and job satisfaction and productivity
Seven Key Themes
- Psych is theoretically diverse
- Evolves in a sociohistorical context
- Psych is empirical
- Behaviour is determined by multiple causes
- Behaviour is shaped by cultural heritage
- Heredity and environment influence behaviour
- People’s experience of the world is subjective
