PSYC 2301 Exam 1 - FLASHCARDS - Chapter 1
What refers to the scientific study of the mind and behavior?
Psychology
What do psychologists use to acquire knowledge?
Scientific method
What is a tentative explanation proposed by a researcher?
Hypothesis
What method for acquiring knowledge is based on observation?
Empirical method
When did psychology become its own academic discipline?
Late 1800s
Who was the first person to be referred to as a psychologist?
Wilhelm Wundt
What did Wilhelm Wundt view psychology as?
Wundt viewed psychology as a scientific study of conscious experience.
What is introspection?
A process by which someone examines their own conscious experience as objectively as possible.
Where did Wundt establish his psychology laboratory?
University at Leipzig in 1879
What means that a trait of an organism has a function for survival?
Adaptation
What focused on how mental activities helped an organism fit into its environment?
Functionalism
Who was Sigmund Freud?
Austrian neurologist fascinated by patients suffering from ‘hysteria’ and neurosis.
What focuses on the role of a person’s unconscious?
Psychoanalytic theory
What is psychoanalysis?
A type of treatment based on the theory that our present is shaped by our past.
Who conducted early work in the field of behavior?
Ivan Pavlov
What is conditioned reflex?
An unconscious response to a stimulus that is conditioned to produce a response to a different stimulus.
What is behaviorism?
Focuses on observable behavior and rejects the study of internal human experiences.
Who came up with the idea of behaviorism?
John B. Watson
Who spoke of punishment and reinforcement as driving forces of behavior?
B.F. Skinner
What is a perspective within psychology that emphasizes human potential?
Humanism
Who is best known for proposing a hierarchy of human needs?
Abraham Maslow
What is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?
- Psychological (food, water, shelter). 2. Security (safety, employment). 3. Social (family, friendship). 4. Esteem (self-worth). 5. Self-actualization (inner fulfillment).
What does WEIRD stand for?
Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic.
Who was the first African American to receive a PhD in psychology in the United States?
Francis Cecil Sumner
Who was the first woman awarded the doctoral degree in psychology?
Margaret Floy Washburn
What is a professional organization representing psychologists in the United States?
American Psychological Association (APA)
What seeks to advance the scientific orientation of psychology?
Association for Psychological Science (APS)
What is the study of how biology influences behavior?
Biopsychology
What is clinical psychology?
An area that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders.
What is cognitive psychology?
The study of cognitions, or thoughts, and their relationship to experiences and actions.
What is developmental psychology?
The scientific study of development across a lifespan.
What is forensic psychology?
An area that applies psychology to issues within the justice system.
What is ology?
Suffix that denotes ‘scientific study of.’
What is personality psychology?
The study of patterns of thoughts and behaviors that make each individual unique.
What is a doctoral degree conferred in many disciplinary perspectives?
PhD
What is a doctoral degree that focuses more on application of psychological principles?
PsyD
What is sport and exercise psychology?
An area that focuses on the interactions between mental factors and physical performance.
What is structuralism?
A psychological theory that focuses on breaking down mental processes into basic components.
How many divisions are in the APA?
54
What is the five factor model of personality traits?
Conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, openness, and extraversion.
What focuses on how we interact with and relate to others?
Social psychology
Who was Stanley Milgram?
American social psychologist famous for research on obedience.
What is industrial-organizational psychology?
A subfield that applies psychological theories in workplace settings.
What is psychology?
Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.
What is behavior?
Observable actions or responses of an individual.
What are mental processes?
Internal cognitive functions such as thinking, perception, and decision-making.
What is an experiment in psychology?
A research method that manipulates variables to observe cause-and-effect relationships.
What is a case study?
An in-depth investigation of a single individual or group.
What is a survey in psychology?
A research method that uses questionnaires or interviews to collect data.
What is naturalistic observation?
A research method where behavior is observed in its natural environment.
What are the key perspectives in psychology?
Biological, cognitive, behavioral, social-cultural, and evolutionary psychology.
Why is psychology considered a science?
It uses systematic methods, observation, and experimentation to study behavior.
What are the goals of psychology?
To describe, explain, predict, and control behavior and mental processes.
What are the major fields within psychology?
Clinical, counseling, developmental, social, and industrial-organizational psychology.