Topic 1 - Science & History of Psychology

Question 1

Define psychology.

Answer 1

The scientific investigation of mental processes and behaviour.

Question 2

What is cross-cultural psychology?

Answer 2

Attempts to distinguish universal psychological processes from those specific to particular cultures.

Question 3

What is positive psychology?

Answer 3

Positive psychology focuses on understanding and harnessing positive emotions and creating valued experiences that help people flourish.

Question 4

What are 5 topics in positive psychology?

Answer 4

Gratitude, mindfulness, hope, optimism, creativity, wellbeing, resilience.

Question 5

Define biopsychology.

Answer 5

The physical basis of psychological phenomena.

Question 6

Define localisation of function.

Answer 6

the extent to which different areas of the brain control different aspects of functioning.

Question 7

What does free-will or determinism refer to?

Answer 7

Do we freely choose our actions or do things outside our control determine our behaviour?

Question 8

Who is Wilhelm Wundt? What method did Wilhelm Wundt use?

Answer 8

Founded first psychology lab.

Introspection.

Question 9

Define introspection.

Answer 9

Looking inward and reporting on the conscious experience.

Question 10

What were the two early schools of thought?

Answer 10

Structuralism and Functionalism

Question 11

Define Functionalism.

Who Founded it?

Answer 11

Explain psychological processes in terms of the function they serve in helping individuals adapt to their environment.
William James.

Question 12

What does structuralism refer to?

Who founded it?

Answer 12

Uncovering the basic elements of consciousness through introspection.
Edward Titchener.

Question 13

What are the 5 main perspectives?

Answer 13

Psychodynamic, evolutionary, behaviourist, humanistic, cognitive.

Question 14

What are the three key premises of the psychodynamic perspective?

Answer 14

1. All behaviour has an underlying cause.
2. The causes of a persons behaviour originate in their unconscious.
3. Different aspects of a persons unconscious struggle against each other.

Question 15

What is the primary method of the psychodynamic approach?

Answer 15

Case study analysis.

Clinicians observe dreams, fantasies, upbringing, wishes, etc

Question 16

What are 5 of Freud’s key contributions to psychodynamic theory?

Answer 16

1. Childhood experiences impact on later life.
2. Mental representations of self guide relationships & interactions.
3. Unconscious mental processes can be conflicting.
4. Personality development involves sexual and aggressive regulation and maturation
5. Much of mental life is unconscious

Question 17

What is the key premise of the behaviourist theory?

Answer 17

That objects or events in the environment control behaviour through learning.
Through reinforcement or punishment.

Question 18

What is the primary method of behaviourism?

Answer 18

Experimental.

Question 19

What are the two main contributions of behaviourism?

Answer 19

1. Reward and punishment as a mechanism for learning.

2. Emphasis on empiricism.

Question 20

What is the focus of the humanistic perspective?

Answer 20

Focuses on the uniqueness of the individual, it assumes that people are motivated to become self-actualised .

Question 21

What is the main method of the humanistic perspective?

Answer 21

Person centred - relies on therapists empathy

Question 22

What is the focus of the cognitive perspective?

Answer 22

Focus on the way people perceive, process and retrieve information.

Question 23

What is the primary method of the cognitive perspective?

Answer 23

Experimental.

Question 24

What is the metaphor of cognitive perspective?

Answer 24

Mind is a computer. Thinking is information processing, the environment provides inputs, which are transformed, stored and retrieved using various mental programs, leading to specific response outputs.

Question 25

What is the main premise of evolutionary theory?

Answer 25

That most behavioural tendencies in humans evolved because they helped our ancestors survive and rear healthy offspring.

Question 26

What is natural selection?

Answer 26

Natural forces select traits in organisms to adjust and survive in their environment.

Question 27

What is nature-nurture debate?

Answer 27

Nature - behaviour is determined by biology.

Nurture - behaviour is learned

Question 28

Define sociobiology.

Answer 28

Explores possible evolutionary and biological bases of human social behaviour.

Question 29

What is inclusive fitness?

Answer 29

Natural selection favours animals whose concern for kin is proportional to their degree of biological relatedness.

Question 30

What is the primary method of the evolutionary perspective?

Answer 30

Deductive. Start with an observation and try to explain it logically.