Psychology and Scientific Thinking Flashcards
Chapter 1 of the Pearson Textbook. Covers the definition of psychology, historical roots, the development and the Schools of Thought, and fields of psychology.
What is psychology?
The scientific study of the mind, brain, and behaviour
There are 3 Levels of Analysis in psychology. What are they and what do they involve?
- Social Cultural Influences - social or behavioural level that involves relationships and cultures
- Psychological - mental or neurological level that involves thoughts, feelings and emotions
- Biological - molecular or neurochemical level that involves brain structure and molecules
What is the main goal of psychological research?
To understand human behaviour and understand why people perform certain actions
There are 3 ways how psychologists explain behaviour. What are they?
- Describing
- Categorizing
- Measuring
What were the 2 fields that psychology derived from when it was being developed?
- Philosophy
- Biology
What is the difference between Monism and Dualism?
Monism - belief that the mind and body are connected.
Dualism - belief that the mind and the body are separate
What is the difference between Nativism and Empiricism?
Nativism - belief that learning is based on genetics
Empiricism - belief that learning is gained through experiences
Who was the father of experimental physiology?
Johannes Müller
What were the 3 principles of Müller’s theory of specific nerve energies?
- All nerves send an identical message through electrical impulse
- Different kinds of information travel on different channels (e.g. visual information travels through visual channels)
- Different areas of the brain have different functions
Who discovered and was known for experimental ablation?
Marie-Jean-Pierre Flourens
What is ablation?
The removal or destruction of parts of the brain to observe their purposes
What is eugenics?
The study that aims on improving genetic quality of humans by encouraging reproduction of those who have desirable traits, and discourages of those who have undesirable traits.
What are psychometrics?
The science of measuring mental faculties
What are the 5 Primary Schools of Thought?
- Structuralism
- Functionalism
- Behaviourism
- Psychoanalysis
- Cognitivism
What did Structuralism aim to accomplish?
Identifying the structures of psychological experiences and consciousness
Who is considered to be the father of psychology?
Wilhelm Wundt
Which 2 psychologists are known for forming Structuralism?
Wilhelm Wundt and E.B. Titchner
What is introspection?
The process of self-reflection and reporting on one’s personal experiences, memories, perceptions, or motivations
What was the main goal of Functionalism?
To understand the adaptive purposes of psychological characteristics
Influenced by Darwin’s theory of natural selection, who was the founder of Functionalism?
William James
Who were the founding fathers of Behaviourism?
John Watson and B.F. Skinner
Why did Behaviourism reject introspection?
They found that this process wasn’t reliable and didn’t make much progress and instead turned to scientific principles
Who were the two psychologists who developed Cognitivism?
Piaget and Neisser
What is the goal of Cognitivism?
Understanding how the brain interprets different events depending on their context
Who were the 2 main psychologists tied to Psychoanalysis?
Sigmund Freud and Karl Jung
What was the goal of Psychoanalysis?
To uncover internal and unconscious processes in the mind
