The Study of Psychology Flashcards
Introspection
The careful, systematic self-observation of one’s own conscious experience
Structuralism
A school of psychology based on the notion that the task of psychology is to analyse consciousness into its basic elements and to investigate how these elements are related
Functionalism
Based on the belief that psychology should investigate the function or purpose of consciousness, rather than its structure
Natural Selection
Principle stating that heritable characteristics that provide a survival reproductive advantage are more likely than alternative characteristics to be passed on to subsequent generations and thus come to be “selected” over time
Behaviourism
A theoretical orientation based on the premise that scientific psychology should study only observable behaviour
Behaviour
Any overt (observable) response or activity by an organism
Psychology
The scientific investigation of mental processes (thinking, remembering and feeling) and behaviour. Understanding a person requires attention to the individuals biology, psychological experience and cultural context
Paradigm
A broad system of theoretical assumptions that a scientific community used to make sense of its domain of study
Psychodynamic Perspective
The perspective initiated by Sigmund Freud that focuses on the dynamic interplay of mental forces
Cartesian Dualism
The doctrine of dual spheres of mind and body
Empiricism
The belief that the path to scientific knowledge is systematic observation and, ideally, experimental observation
Self-actualisation
The idea that people are motivated to reach their full potential
Cognitive Perspective
The way people perceive, process and retrieve information
Information Processing
The environment provides inputs, which are transformed, stored and retrieved using various mental ‘programs’, leading to specific response outputs
Evolutionary Perspective
The viewpoint built on Darwins principle of natural selection that argues that human behavioural proclivities must be understood in the context of their evolutionary and adaptive significance
