Unit 1 - History & Approaches Flashcards
Psychology
the study of behavior and mental processes
uses empirical data to disprove hypotheses
systematic collection and observation of data
Mental Process
the way we build our thoughts
thoughts are different for everyone
we learn from failure (trial & error)
Normalcy
normal control & abnormal control represent different mental processes (puzzles)
defined as 50.1 % of the population
Empirical Approach
a set of standards to conduct a study which emphasizes careful observation and scientifically-based research
“nobody has the same **chemical drip **. . . “
Pseudo-Psychology
the phony or unscientific psychology which pretends to be the real thing
psychics, palm readers, mediums, etc.
Confirmation Bias
only paying attention to the events and evidence which confirms our desired beliefs
“be open-minded to being open-minded . . . “
Branches of Psychology
- Experimental Psychology
- Teaching Psychology
- Applied Psychology
Experimental Psychology
basic research in psychology
faculty members at a college or university
Teaching Psychology
overlaps with experimental research
most researchers are also teachers
Applied Psychology
address human problems
Wendy’s slanted roofs & Chipotle’s steel structures
McDonald’s has the best Applied Psycholgoy department in the world
Psychiatry
a specialty of psychology in the medical field
allowed to prescribe medication
Plato & Socrates
concluded that mind is separable from body and continues after the body dies
knowledge is innate—born within us
derived principles by logic
Aristotle
had a love of data
derived principles from careful observations
concluded that knowledge is not preexisting, but instead grows from the experiences stored in our memories.
René Descartes
introduced a change in perspective that included sensation & behavior
believed that the human mind was an unsolvable mystery with **hollow nerves ** & animal spirits (obviously incorrect)
nerve paths enable reflexes (correct)
began the motion of the study of The Nervous System
Sigmund Freud
believe in the unconscious mind - a part of our mind over which we have no conscious control that determines how we think and behave
proposed psychoanalytic therapy to examine the unconscious
Wilhelm Wundt
believed in structuralism
asked subjects to self-report introspection to document conscious experience (i.e. smell roses)
William James
a functionalist who considered the evolved functions of our thoughts and feelings
believed that consciousness serves a function
Max Wertheimer
one of the founders of Gestalt psychology
tried to examine a person’s total experience because the way we experience the world is more than just an accumulation of various perceptual experiences
Margaret Floy Washburn
first woman to receive a Ph.D. in psychology
synthesized animal behavior research in The Animal Mind
John Watson
a behaviorist who dismissed introspection and redefined psychology as “the scientific study of observable behavior”
suggested observation and recording people’s behavior as they respond to different situations
B.F. Skinner
a behaviorist who introduced the idea of reinforcement and punishment
environmental stimuli that either encourage or discourage certain responses
Ivan Pavlov
pioneered conditioning experiments on dogs
led to the development of the classical conditioning model of learning
Mary Whiton Calkins
tutored by William James
became the first woman president of the American Psychological Association (APA)
denied her Ph.D. in Psychology by Harvard University
Abraham Maslow
a humanistic** psychologist** who emphasized the importance of current environmental influences on our growth potential and the importance of love and acceptance
proposed that we are motivated by a hierarchy of needs and ultimately seek self-actualization - the process of fulfilling our own potential
Carl Rogers
a humanistic psychologist who emphasized the importance of current environmental influences on our growth potential and the importance of love and acceptance
proposed that we nurture our growth by being accepted through **unconditional positive regard ** - an attitude that values us even knowing our failings
Structuralism
devoted to uncovering the basic structure that makes up mind & thought
looking for the elements of conscious experience that make up LIFE
Functionalism
a school of psychology that focused on how our mental and behavioral processes function
how they enable us to adapt, survive, and flourish
Gestalt
an organized whole
Gestalt psychologists emphasized our tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes
Introspection
the examination or observation of one’s own mental and emotional processes
Conditioning
process of learning associations
classical conditioning - learn to associate two stimuli and thus to anticipate events
operant conditioning - learn to associate a response
(our behavior) and its consequence and thus to repeat acts followed by good results and avoid acts followed by bad results
Psychoanalytic Perspective
the idea that our personality comes from a deep, hidden place within us called the unconscious
the approach that studies unconscious motives
Behavioral Perspective
the scientific study of observable behavior, and its explanation by principles of conditioning (learning)
Biopsychology (Neuroscience) Perspective
biopsychologists explain human thought and behavior strictly in terms of biological processes
**neuroscientists **believe that human cognition and reactions might be caused by effects on our genes, hormones, and neurotransmitters in the brain or by a combination of all three
“that’s not me . . . that’s just biology”
Evolutionary (Darwinian) Perspective
the study of the roots of behavior and mental processes using the principles of natural selection
refers to the idea that some psychological traits may be advantageous for survival and these traits are passed down
Social-Cultural Perspective
social-cultural psychologists look at how our thoughts and behaviors vary from people living in other cultures
emphasize the influence culture has on the way we think & act
Cognitive Perspective
the scientific study of all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating
examines human thought and behavior in terms of how we interpret, process, and remember environmental events
Humanist Perspective
emphasized the growth potential of healthy people and the individual’s potential for personal growth
contrasted the deterministic behaviorists who theorized that all behavior is caused by past conditioning
