Unit 1 Flashcards
What is psychology?
The study of our inner behavior and feelings
How many waves of psychology are there?
5 waves of psychology
What is the first wave of psychology? Describe it
Introspection-Began with William Wundt’s first psychological laboratory
- Edward Titchner (student of Wundt) later introduced structuralism
- In reality, these ideas do not have much of an impact on how we think today
- William James Wrote The Principles of Psychology, which discussed functionalism
What is wave 2 of psychology?
Gestalt Psychology-Led by Max Wertheimer
- Focused not on how we feel, but on how we experience the world
- The whole of an experience can be more than the sum of the parts
- ex: if we list all of the reasons we love a family member, these reasons may not equivalent the feeling we have for them as a whole
What is wave 3 of psychology?
Psychoanalysis-Started with Sigmund Freud in 1900s
- People believed feelings came from a place in the mind called the unconscious
- Freud argued that it is childhood experiences that determine how well we can keep our ‘id’ in check
- ‘id’ is sexual and aggressive impulses
- Drawbacks: According to Sigmund, everything about you comes down to the beginning of your life
What is wave 4 of psychology?
Behaviorism-Early to mid 1900s, people began to ignore their inner feelings
- The view that psychology should be objective science that studies behavior without reference to mental processes.
- Developed by B.F. Skinner, John B. Watson, and Ivan Pavlov
- ^Claimed that science was rooted in observation by recording people’s behaviors as they responded to situations
- Drawbacks-Neglected to take into account an important aspect of all humans-free will ( we have the ability to make decisions and completely ignore the consequences of our actions)
- Positives: Effective tool to shape behaviors (ex. PBIS reward system within the school)
What is wave 5 of psychology?
Eclectic psychology-Made up of a bout 7 different perspectives
- Biopsychology
- Evolutionary Perspective
- Psychoanalytic Perspective
- Behavioral Perspective
- Humanist Perspective
- Cognitive Perspective
- Social-Cultural perspective
What is empiricism?
The view that what we know comes from experience, and that observation and experimentation enable scientific knowledge
What is structuralism?
engaged people in introspection (looking inward) to reveal the structure of the human mind. Trained people to report elements of their experiences as they did different tasks
What is functionalism?
Explores how mental and behavioral processes function and how they enable the organism to adapt, survive, and flourish.
What is experimental psychology?
The study of behavior and thinking using experiments
What are humanistic psychologists?
Emphasized the growth that was potential of healthy people
- Lead by Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow
- Focused on the ways that current environmental influences can nurture or limit our growth potential, and the importance of having our needs for love and acceptance satisfied
- Psychologists focus on improroving the individuals self-actualization
What is the Cognitive Revolution?
The interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (perception, thinking memory, language)
What is cognitive neuroscience?
interdisciplinary study that has enriched our understanding of the brain activity underlying mental activity.
What is the nature-nurture issue?
Controversy over the relative contributions that genes and experience make to the development of psychological traits and behaviors.
