Psychology Ch. 1 Flashcards
Hub Science
Psychology is considered a hub science
Voluntarism
William Wundt( father of voluntarism) - your mind is like a puzzle, and voluntarism says that you have the power to decide how to put the puzzle pieces together. Your “will” is like the boss that guides this process.
Structuralism
structuralism (Edward Titchener)
the school of thought concerned with analyzing sensations and personal experience into basic elements
e.g., Think of structuralism like breaking down a song into its individual notes and rhythms. Instead of just enjoying the music as a whole, structuralism would be interested in studying each note and rhythm to understand how they come together to create the entire song.
Evolutionary psychology
Why we act and think the way the way we do by imagining our ancestors. - emphasizing, inherited , adaptive aspects of behavior and mental processes
like looking at a family photo album to understand why we behave and think the way we do. Just like you might have your mom’s eyes or your dad’s smile, we also ‘inherit’ certain ways of acting and thinking from our ancestors.
Individual differences
Why people are all unique. It’s like studying why you and your friend might act or think differently. We want to understand what makes each person special and why we’re not all the same.”
Introspection
Taking a closer look at yourself. It’s when you pay attention to your own thoughts, feelings, and how you act. So, it’s basically noticing and thinking about what’s going on inside your own head and how you’re behaving.
Behaviourism
like saying, “Let’s focus on what we can see and measure.” It’s a way of studying people and animals by looking at their actions and behaviors, rather than diving into thoughts or feelings that can’t be easily observed. So, it’s all about watching what someone does to understand their mind.
(John Watson; B.F. Skinner)
Humanism
(Carl Rogers; Abraham Maslow) Looking at people as a whole and focusing on what makes each person special. It’s like saying everyone has the power to grow, make choices, and be happy. Humanism cares about your feelings, thoughts, and the things that make you unique. It’s about helping people be the best they can be and live fulfilling lives.
Functionalism
(William James) A school of thought that emphasizes studying adaptive functions of behavior.
not just about understanding what’s going on in our heads, but also about figuring out why our minds work the way they do. . It’s like asking, “Why do we get scared, happy, or remember things?”
Gestalt psychology
a school of psychology emphasizing the study of thinking, learning, and perception in whole units, not by analysis into parts
studies how we think and learn by looking at the whole picture, not just the pieces. Instead of taking things apart, let’s see how they fit together.
Cognitive psychology
the study of information
processing, thinking, reasoning, and problem solving
clinical psychology
the psychological perspective that seeks to explain, define, and treat abnormal behaviors
Biological psychology
branch of psychology that explores how our biology (like our brain, nervous system, and genetics) influences our behavior, thoughts, and emotions.
Developmental psychology
A timeline of our lives, exploring how we grow physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially from the time we’re born until the end of our lives. It helps us understand the journey of human development.
Social psychology
About understanding how the presence and actions of others impact our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It’s the study of how we navigate the social world and interact with the people around us.
