Module 1: What is Psych? Flashcards

1
Q

How long has psych existed?

A

Less than 150 years

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2
Q

Psychology

A

Scientific study of mind and body

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3
Q

What philosophy and which philosophers started the ideas behind psychology?

A

Plato and Aristotle. Aristotle started the idea of the tabula rasa, which describes the mind as a blank slate at birth

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4
Q

What was one of the first publications to describe the brain’s neuroanatomy, mental illness and treatments?

A

“The Complete Art of Medicine” in the 10th century

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5
Q

Empiricism

A

Knowledge is obtained from experiences

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6
Q

Mind

A

The unobservable aspects of conscious experience (e.g. sensations, perceptions, thoughts and emotions)

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7
Q

Behaviour

A
  • Observable action/activity that can be repeated, measured or affected by a situation
  • Used to make inferences about the mind
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8
Q

Dualism

A

Philosophical belief that the mind and body are separate entities (not believed by most psychologists)

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9
Q

René Descartes

A
  • 17th century french philosopher
  • The mind is not physical and can’t be observed
  • Mind can influence body through the pineal gland
  • Reflex is the body acting unconsciously and is controlled by the spinal cord
  • All animals behave unconsciously but human conscious behaviour is evidence of a mind/soul
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10
Q

Definition of the mind according to most psychologists

A

All brain activity

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11
Q

Main areas of work

A

Basic research, application and clinical work

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12
Q

Basic research

A

Work done in order to understand the fundamental aspects of behaviour and mind (how and why of behaviour)

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13
Q

Abnormal psych

A

The study of the development of unusual behaviours, emotions nad thoughts

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14
Q

Behavioural genetics psych

A

Studying genetics to explain behavioural differences

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15
Q

Cognitive psych

A

Study of mental processeses

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16
Q

Comparative psych

A

Studying animals and sometimes trying to find similarities w/ humans

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17
Q

Developmental psych

A

Study of how and why behaviours change throughout one’s life

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18
Q

Behavioural neuroscience psych

A

Study of how behaviour patterns are linked to underlying physical components/activities in the brain

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19
Q

Personality psych

A

Studying the differences between people and how these influence behaviour

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20
Q

Social psych

A

Study of how behaviour is influenced by social factors (communities, peers, other people, societal expectations)

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21
Q

Applied psych

A

Solving practical problems using psychology to influence behaviour or change the environment. Can be divided into research and practice

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22
Q

Applied research

A

Process of discovering new/more effective ways of approaching a problem

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23
Q

Applied practice

A

Applying research to solve problems

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24
Q

Translational research

A

Taking basic findings and turning them into solutions for problems

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25
Q

Clinical psych

A

Form of applied psych that focuses on identifying, preventing and relieving distress/dysfunction that originated psychologically

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26
Q

What is the difference between someone with a PhD or a PsyD in clinical psychology?

A

PhD = more research focused
PsyD = more practice focused

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27
Q

Psychiatrist

A

MD that assesses and treats psychological disorders, including through the prescription of drugs

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28
Q

Counselling psychologist

A

Psychologist that helps people deal with everyday life problems using applied psychology

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29
Q

Difference between counselling and a clinical psychologist?

A

Clinical typically = more severe mental illnesses
Counselling typically = everyday life issues

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30
Q

Scientific assumption

A

Physical entities must follow the natural laws of physics and can be understood, specific and used to for future predictions

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31
Q

Animism

A

Giving objects a soul

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32
Q

Cartesian dualism

A

Notion that humans are made of a separate machine and soul

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33
Q

John Locke

A

Believed that humans are completely machine and without a soul

34
Q

Rationalism

A

Gaining knowledge by thinking hard enough through the issue

35
Q

James Mill

A

Believed in materialism

36
Q

Materialism

A

Everything in the universe, including humans, are biological machines that obey the natural laws

37
Q

Luigi Galvani

A

Frog experiment that showed that, although dead, the frog’s legs were still able to move with an electric shock

38
Q

Johannes Muller

A

Observed the nervous system and how fast messages could travel through someone’s body
Saw nerves as wires in a machine

39
Q

Pierre Florens

A

Believed specific parts of the brain are responsible for specific behaviours
Practiced ablation studies

40
Q

Ablation studies

A

Observing changed behaviour after destroying parts of the brain

41
Q

Paul Broca

A

Discovered Broca’s area, which is where meaningful speech is produced. His patients could understand phrases but not create ones that made sense

42
Q

Nature vs. nurture

A

Nature = human behaviour is the result of biological/physiology/genes
Nurture = human behaviour is the result of how we are raised and our experiences

43
Q

Nativism

A

Notion that some knowledge is innate

44
Q

Biological determinism

A

Notion that all behaviour is controlled by genetics and biology

45
Q

Theory of evolution

A

Created by Charles Darwin and states that advantageous traits for survival are passed down throughout generations because those without these traits die off (“survival of the fittest”)

46
Q

Adaptive traits

A

Traits that are advantageous for survival

47
Q

Natural selection

A

Traits that contribute to survival and reproduction are more likely to be passed down

48
Q

Most psychologists’ opinion on the nature vs nurture debate

A

Human behaviour is the result of both nature and nurture, but not sure to what extent

49
Q

Phenology

A

The pseudoscientific study of the skull and how its different parts affect one’s characteristics, thoughts and abilities. (Brain area = specific function)

50
Q

Willhem Wundt

A

Known as the father of psychology b/c he established the first psych lab in 1879 at the University of Leipzig, Germany. He was interested in sensation and perception

51
Q

Edward Titchener

A

Wanted to reduce mind to fundamental parts by breaking down conscious experience into basic elements and studying how they combine

52
Q

Introspection

A

Self-reports of one’s thoughts, feelings and mental images to observe the aspects of mental processes

53
Q

Systematic introspection

A

Standardized the way people reported their experiences

54
Q

Structuralism

A
  • Created by Wilhem Wundt (father of psych)
  • Breaking down conscious experiences into all of their parts
55
Q

Voluntarism

A

Wundt’s school of thought that focused on the role of free will in organizing conscious experience

56
Q

Argument against structuralism

A

Studying the pieces of the brain but won’t tell us its function

57
Q

Functionalism

A

Belief that understanding one’s behaviours and functions will help us understand its operation/what it’s used for

58
Q

What do structuralism and functionalism have in common?

A

Explore immediate conscious experience

59
Q

Behaviourism

A

Believes that observable behaviour should be the only evidence studied, which ignores conscious experience

60
Q

John B. Watson

A
  • Perspective behaviourism: Study of observable behaviour
  • Believed that the mind and mental states can’t be studied w/o studying behaviour
61
Q

B.F. Skinner

A

Operant conditioning: Study of how behaviour can be changed through rewards and punishments

62
Q

The cognitive revolution

A

Advancements in methodology and measurement that caused a major shift from the rigid behaviourist approach

63
Q

Sigmund Freud

A
  • Psychoanalysis: Helping clients gain insight into their unconscious find through psychotherapy
  • Developed the earliest methods and analyzing and treating mental illnesses
  • Influenced by Darwin’s theory of evolution and focused on unconscious sexual frustration and aggression
64
Q

Humanistic psychology

A
  • Places emphasis on peoples’ ability to make choices and realize their own potential
  • Focuses on creativity, choice and potential for growth
65
Q

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

A

Self-actualization
Esteem
Love/belonging
Safety
Physiological

66
Q

Humanistic approach vs psychoanalysis

A

Humanistic = listen and support
Psychoanalysis = analyze and direct

67
Q

Abraham Maslow

A

Influential humanist that focused on one’s need to satisfy their basic necessities, fulfill psychological needs and reach self-actualization

68
Q

Positive psychology

A
  • Created by Martin Seligman
  • Focuses on specific strengths and virtues of human experience
69
Q

History of psychology (1800s-today)

A
  • 1800s: Structuralism and functionalism
  • 1900s: Behaviourism and psychoanalysis
  • 1950s: Cognitive revolution and humanistic psych
  • Today: Combines physiology and modern tech w/ past beliefs
70
Q

Psychophysics

A

Rules of the inner world

71
Q

Weber fraction

A

The difference in weight divided by the OG weight = constant ratio

72
Q

Introspection

A

When patients self-report their subjective mental experiences, which funded the structuralist approach

73
Q

Apprehension and apperception

A

Apprehension: The entrance of some content into conscious awareness
Apperception: Process of focusing attention on content

74
Q

Hermann Von Ebbinghaus

A

Tested and studied memory by graphing how well he could remember a sequence of CVCs (consonant, vowel and consonant) twice afte a certain period of time

75
Q

Eclectic approach

A

Approach to clinical psych that uses different therapeutic techniques based on effectiveness for current situation

76
Q

Define the levels of explanation and list them

A
  • Levels of explanation: Idea that different approaches to a problem can compliment each other
  • Ultimate explanations: Role of evolution in in traits, behaviours or mental processes
  • Proximate explanation: Describes immediate causes of traits, behaviours or mental processes. Includes functional and process-oriented explanations
  • Functional explanation: Type of proximate explanation that identifies a specific problem as the cause
  • Process-orientated explanation: Kind of proximate explanation that focuses on specific mental/physical processes
77
Q

Evolutionary psychology

A

Believes that mental processes developed from natural selection to solve adaptive problems over the course of evolution

78
Q

Behavioural immune system

A

Behaviours in response to environmental and emotional cues that reduce risk of disease transmission

79
Q

Culture

A

Shared set of beliefs, attitudes, behaviours and customs belonging to a speicifc group/community

80
Q

Feminist psychology

A

Critically analyzes cultural influences of gender and gender differences in behaviour
- The role that gender plays in their development and behaviour

81
Q

Intersectional approach

A

How multiple social identites intersect to develop individuals’ experiences

82
Q

Cognitive psychology

A

Examines how info is processed and tries to give prior context for behaviours