Unit 1 Flashcards
Psychology
Old definition: coming from the greek words psyche ‘soul’ and logos ‘the study of’
New definition: The scientific study of behavior and mental processes
1st goal of psychology
To describe the different ways organisms behave
2nd goal of psychology
Explain the causes of behavior
3rd goal of psychology
Predict how organisms will behave in certain situations
4th goal of psychology
Controlling an organisms behavior
Positive side of control in psychology
Psychologists can help people learn to control undesirable behaviors by teaching better methods of self-control and ways to deal with situations and relationships
Negative side of control in psychology
The concern that psychologists might control people’s behaviors without their knowledge or consent
Plato
His version of the mind features three parts that must be in balance reason, spirit, and appetite
Dualism
Mind and body are not connected and are very different
Monism
Mind and body are connected
Descartes
Saw the body as mechanical but the mind as a non-physical entity not suitable for scientific inquiry
Aristotle
Believed that all knowledge is gained through sensory experience
empiricism
-The idea that knowledge is the result of experience
John Locke
Said “let us then suppose the mind to be, as we say, white paper void of all characters, without any ideas. How comes it to be furnished?… To this I answer, in one word, from EXPERIENCE.”
Structuralism
Consciousness can be broken down into its essential elements
Wilhelm Wundt
Established the first formal psychology laboratory at the University of Leipzig in 1879
“Father of psychology”
Believed that the goal of psychology was to understand consciousness
First psychology experiment
Was a simple test of reaction time
Edward Titchener
One of Wundt’s students
Expanded on Wundt’s views to establish a theory of structuralism
Believed that the mind could be broken down into the smallest elements of mental experience
Introspection
The personal observation of our own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
Careful self-examination and reporting of ones own conscious
Functionalism
Our consciousness serves an adaptive purpose by helping us survive
William James
Established a theory of functionalism
Evolutionary psychology
Natural selection of mental and physical traits
Traits that help most with survival are those that make it to the next generations
Charles Darwin
Established a theory of evolutionary psychology
The gestalt viewpoint
To understand consciousness, we must study the whole, not just its component parts
Max Wertheimer
Developed a newer theory of the gestalt viewpoint
Psychodynamic theory
Our behavior is deeply influenced by unconscious thoughts, impulses, and desires
Sigmund Frued
Developed the psychodynamic theory
Behavorism
All behavior is learned, observable, and measurable
John B. Watson and B.F Skinner
Developed a theory of behaviorism
Humanistic psychology
We have free will to live more creative, meaningful, and satisfying lives
Followed the belief that people are innately good
Abraham Maslow
Developed a theory of humanistic psychology
Cognitive psychology
How our brain processes information influences how we behave
Information processing, thinking, reasoning, and problem-solving
Nature vs. Nurture
Nature: Behaviors and mental processes occur because they are inborn or innate
Nurture: Behaviors and mental processes occur as a result of experience or the environment
Biological psychology
Focuses on the relationship between the mind and behavior and there underlying biological processes
Sociocultural psychology
Describes the effects of the social environment including culture on the behavior of individuals
Basic Research
Scientific inquiry that aims to increase psychology’s knowledge base
Applied Research
Scientific inquiry that aims to use psychology to solve practical problems
Counseling psychologists
Help people cope with adjustments and crises related to their everyday life
Administer and interpret psychological tests
Therapy and counseling
Clinical psychologists
Assesses and treats mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders
Cognitive psychologists
They study human thinking and might work as a professor or a corporate consultant
Developmental psychologists
They study how our behavior changes as we age
Educational psychologists
They study how we learn in different environments and in different ways
Experimental psychologists
They conduct experiments to understand our behaviors and mental processes
Psychometric psychologists
They use math and statistics to create, administer, score and interpret tests
Social psychologists
They study how we interact with others and how groups impact us individually
Forensics psychologists
They bring law and psychology together
Environmental psychologists
They study how we are influenced and affected by our natural or built surroundings
Health psychologists
They work to promote health and prevent disease
I/O psychologists
Study the relationship between people and our work environments
Neuropsychologists
They study how our brain impacts our behavior and thoughts
