Module 1- The Story of Psychology (Definitons) Flashcards
Behaviorism
the view that psychology
1) should be an objective science that
2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes.
Most researchers agree with (1) but not with (2)
Humanistic Psychology
historically significant perspective that emphasized the growth potential of healthy people
Cognitive Neuroscience
the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language
Psychology
the science of behavior and mental processes
Nature-Nurture Issue
the long-standing controversy over the relative contributions that genes and experience make to the development of psychological traits and behaviors
Today’s science sees traits and behaviors arising from the interaction of nature and nurture.
Natural Selection
the principle that, among the range of inherited trait variations, those contributing to reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations
Levels of Analysis
the differing complementary views, from the biological to psychological to social-cultural, for analyzing any given phenomenon
Basic Research
pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base
Applied Research
scientific study that aims to solve practical problems
Counseling Psychology
a branch of psychology that assists people with problems in living (often relate to school, work, or marriage), and in achieving greater well-being
Clinical Pyschology
a branch of psychology that studies, assesses, and treats people with psychological disorders
Psychiatry
a branch of medicine dealing the psychological disorders; practiced by physicians who sometimes provide medical (for example, drug) treatments as well as psychological therapy
Positive Psychology
the scientific study of human functioning, with the goals of discovering and promoting strengths and virtues that help individuals and communities to thrive
Community Psychology
a branch of psychology that studies how people interact with their social environments and how social institutions affect individuals and groups
Two schools of thought
Structuralism and functionalism
Psychology defined as ____ for early pioneers.
“the science of mental life”
Freudian Psychology
Emphasizes the ways our unconscious thought processes and our emotional responses to childhood experiences affect our behavior
Cognitive Revolution
2nd group of psychologists in the 1960s
Led the field back to its early interest in mental processes, such as the importance of how our mind processes and retains information
Cognitive Psychology
Scientifically explores the ways we perceive, process, and remember information
Behavior
anything an organism does- any action we can observe and record
Mental processes
The internal, subjective experiences we infer from behavior- sensations, perceptions, dreams, thoughts, beliefs, and feelings
Contemporary Science: Nature-Nurture Issue
Nurture works on what nature endows.
Neuroscience Perspective
How the body and brain enable emotions, memories, and sensory experiences
Someone working in this field might study brain circuits that cause us to be “red in the face” and “hot under the collar”
Evolutionary Perspective
How the natural selection of traits has promoted the survival genes.
Someone working in this field might analyze how anger facilitated the survival of our ancestor’s genes.
Behavior Genetics Perspective
How our genes and our environment influence our individual differences.
Might study how heredity and experience influence our individual differences in temperament.
Psychodynamic Perspective
How behavior springs from unconscious drives and conflicts.
Might view an outburst as an outlet for unconscious hostility.
Behavioral Perspective
How we learn observable responses.
Might attempt to determine which external stimuli trigger angry responses or aggressive acts.
Cognitive Perspective
How we encode, process, store, and retrieve information.
Might study how our interpretation of a situation affects our anger and how our anger affects our thinking
Social-Cultural Perspective
How behavior and thinking vary across situations and cultures.
Might explore how expressions of anger vary across cultural contexts.
Development Psychologist
studying our changing abilities from womb to tomb
Biological Psychologist
exploring the links between brain and mind
Cognitive Psychologists
Experimenting with how we perceive, think, and solve problems
Personality Psychologist
Investigating our persistent traits
Social Psychologists
Exploring how we view and affect one another.
Industrial-Organizational Psychologist
Use psychology’s concepts and methods in the workplace to help organizations and companies select and train employees, boost morale and productivity, design products, and implement systems.
