SLS20 Chapter 1 Flashcards
psychology
The scientific study of the mind and behavior
mind
Our private inner experience of perceptions, thoughts, memories, and feelings
behavior
Observable actions of human beings and nonhuman animals
nativism
The philosophical view that certain kinds of knowledge are innate or inborn (Plato)
philosophical empiricism
The philosophical view that all knowledge is acquired through experience (Aristotle)
phrenology
A now defunct theory that specific mental abilities and characteristics, ranging from memory to the capacity for happiness, are localized in specific regions of the brain
physiology
The study of biological processes, especially in the human body
stimulus
Sensory input from the environment
reaction time
The amount of time taken to respond to a specific stimulus
consciousness
A person’s subjective experience of the world and the mind
structuralism
The analysis of the basic elements that constitute the mind
introspection
The subjective observation of one’s own experience
functionalism
The study of the purpose mental processes serve in enabling people to adapt to their environment
natural selection
Charles Darwin’s theory that the features of an organism that help it survive and reproduce are more likely than other features to be passed on to subsequent generations
hysteria
A temporary loss of cognitive or motor functions, usually as a result of emotionally upsetting experiences
unconsciousness
The part of the mind that operates outside of conscious awareness, but influences conscious thoughts, feelings, and actions
psychoanalytic theory
Sigmund Freud’s approach to understanding human behavior that emphasizes the importance of unconscious mental processes in shaping feelings, thoughts, and behaviors
psychoanalysis
A therapeutic approach that focuses on bringing unconscious material into conscious awareness to better understand psychological disorders
humanistic psychology
An approach to understanding human nature that emphasizes the positive potential of human beings
behaviorism
An approach that advocates that psychologists restrict themselves to the scientific study of objectively observable behavior
response
An action or physiological change elicited by a stimulus
reinforcement
The consequences of a behavior that determine whether it will be more likely that the behavior will occur again
illusions
Errors of perception, memory, or judgment in which subjective experience differs from objective reality
Gestalt psychology
A psychological approach that emphasizes that we often perceive the whole rather than the sum of parts
cognitive psychology
The scientific study of mental processes, including perception, thought, memory, and reasoning
behavioral neuroscience
An approach to psychology that links psychological processes to activities in the nervous system and other bodily processes
cognitive neuroscience
A field that attempts to understand the links between cognitive processes and brain activity
evolutionary psychology
A psychological approach that explains mind and brain behavior in terms of the adaptive value of abilities that are preserved over time by natural selection
social psychology
A subfield of psychology that studies the causes and consequences of interpersonal behavior
cultural psychology
The study of how cultures reflect and shape the psychological processes of their members
Absolutism
Culture makes little or no difference for most psychological phenomenon (ex. Honesty is honesty and depression is depression)
Relativism
Psychological phenomena are likely to vary considerably across cultures and should be viewed only in the context of a specific culture
