module 1/2 key terms Flashcards
psychology
the scientific study of behavior and mental processes
Socrates
believed in dualism (where the mind and body are separate) and that knowledge was innate
Aristotle
felt that knowledge was gained through experience and observation (basically early empiricism)
Rene Descartes
(1595-1650) believed in dualism (where the mind and body is separate)
Francis Bacon
held a very scientific view of things; his ideas with John Locke led to empiricism
John Locke
(1632-1704) his ideas with Francis Bacon led to empiricism; Tabla Rasa: the mind is a blank state at birth
empiricism
the concept that knowledge originates in experience and science should rely on observation and experimentation
Wilhelm Wundt
(1832-1920) father of experimental psychology and sought to measure basic mental processes (structuralism), conducted the first laboratory experiment in Leipzig, Germany in December of 1879
G. Stanley Hall
(1846-1924) started the first psychology lab at John Hopkins University (1883), first president of APA; student of Wundt
Edward Bradford Titchener
(1867-1927) introduced structuralism; student of Wundt
structuralism
the study of the structure or basic elements of the mind; data gathered through introspection (reflecting inwards on experiences and reporting on them)
William James
(1842-1910) introduced fundamentalism; wanted to understand the how and why of mental processes and behavior
Charles Darwin
father of evolutionary psychology; theory of natural selection
functionalism
studies how the mind allows people to adapt, live, work, and play (how the mind works)
Mary Whiton Calkins
first female president of APA; denied PhD at Harvard
Margaret Floy Washburn
first female PhD at Cornell; second female APA president
nature/nurture
the long-lasting debate that involves the balance between the competing factors of genetics vs environment
natural selection
the heritable traits that lead to increased survival and reproduction
levels of analysis
various ways of psychology (biological, cognitive, and socioculture)
biopsychosocial approach
considers all the levels of analysis and their complex interactions to further understand the human mind
psychometrics
the scientific study of the measurement of human abilities, attitudes, and traits
basic research
seeks to expand knowledge in a field of study
applied research
seeks to create practical solutions for specific problems
psychiatry
a medical specialty dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders (usually involving medication)
positive psychology
a viewpoint that shifts the focus of psychology to focus on the positives like strengths, well-being, and the pursuit of happiness
