Psychology: The science of mind and behaviour 3

Question 1

Applied research:

Answer 1

Research that is designed to solve or examine specific, practical problems.

Question 2

Applied research:

Answer 2

Research that is designed to solve or examine specific, practical problems.

Question 3

Behaviour Genetics:

Answer 3

The scientific study of the role of genetic inheritance in behaviour.

Question 4

Behavioural neuroscience:

Answer 4

A subfield of psychology that examines brain processes and other physiological functions that underlie our behaviour, sensory experiences, emotions and thoughts.

Question 5

Behavioural perspective:

Answer 5

A view that emphasises how the environment and learning-experiences shape and control behaviour.

Question 6

Biopsychology or behavioural-neuroscience:

Answer 6

A subfield of psychology that focuses on the biological underpinnings of behaviour, thought and emotion.

Question 7

British empiricism:

Answer 7

A 17th century school of philosophy championed by Locke, according to which all the contents of the mind are gained experientially through the senses.

Question 8

Clinical psychology:

Answer 8

A subfield of psychology that focuses on the study and treatment of mental disorders.

Question 9

Cognitive behaviourism:

Answer 9

A behavioural approach that incorporates cognitive concepts, suggesting that the environment influences our behaviour by affecting our thoughts and giving us information.

Question 10

Cognitive neuroscience:

Answer 10

An area of psychology that intersects the subfields of cognitive psychology and physiological psychology and examines brain processes that underlie mental activity.

Question 11

Cognitive perspective:

Answer 11

A view that emphasises humans as information processors and problem solvers, and that focuses on the mental processes that influence behaviour.

Question 12

Cognitive psychology:

Answer 12

An area of psychology that specialises in studying mental processes such as thinking, memory, planning, reasoning, attention and perception.

Question 13

Cultural psychology (cross-cultural psychology):

Answer 13

A subfield of psychology that explores how culture is transmitted to its members and examines similarities and differences that occur between people from diverse cultures.

Question 14

Developmental psychology:

Answer 14

A subfield of psychology that examines human physical, psychological and social development across the lifespan.

Question 15

Evolutionary psychology:

Answer 15

A field of psychology that focuses on the role of evolutionary processes (especially natural selection) in the development of adaptive psychological mechanisms and social behaviour in humans.

Question 16

Experimental psychology:

Answer 16

A subfield of psychology that focusses on the basic processes such as learning, sensory systems (e.g. vision), perception and motivational states (e.g. hunger).

Question 17

Functionalism:

Answer 17

An early school of American psychology that focused on the function of consciousness and behaviour in helping organisms adapt to their environment and satisfy their needs.

Question 18

Humanistic perspective (humanism):

Answer 18

A psychological view that emphasises personal freedom, choice and self-actualisation.

Question 19

Industrial-organisational (I/O) psychology:

Answer 19

A subfield of psychology that focusses on people’s behaviour in the workplace.

Question 20

Interaction:

Answer 20

An interaction occurs (i.e. two factors ‘interact’) when the way in which one factor influences the behaviour depends on the presence of the other factor.

Question 21

Natural selection:

Answer 21

The evolutionary process through which characteristics that increase the likelihood of survival and reproduction are preserved in the gene pool and thereby become more common in a species over time.

Question 22

Neurotransmitters:

Answer 22

Chemical substances that are released from the axons of one neuron, travel across the synaptic space and bind to specially keyed receptors in another neuron, where they produce a chemical reaction that is either excitatory or inhibitory.

Question 23

Norms (cultural or group):

Answer 23

Rules (often unwritten) that specify what behaviour is acceptable and expected for members of a particular culture or group.

Question 24

Personality psychology:

Answer 24

A subfield of psychology that focuses on the nature of human personality.

Question 25

Positive psychology movement:

Answer 25

A view that emphasises the study of human strengths, fulfilment, and optimal living.

Question 26

Psychoanalysis:

Answer 26

A psychological theory , developed by Freud, that emphasises internal and primarily unconscious causes of behaviour.

Question 27

Psychodynamic perspective:

Answer 27

A psychological perspective that focuses on how personality processes – including unconscious impulses, defences and conflicts – influence behaviour.

Question 28

Psychology:

Answer 28

The scientific study of behaviour and the mind.

Question 29

Social psychology:

Answer 29

A subfield of psychology that examines people’s thoughts, feelings and behaviour in relation to the social world.

Question 30

Sociocultural perspective:

Answer 30

A view that emphasises the role of culture and the social environment in influencing our behaviour, thoughts and emotions.

Question 31

Structuralism:

Answer 31

An early German school of psychology by Wundt that attempted to study the structure of the mind by breaking it down into its basic components, which were believed to be sensations.