Unit 1: Scientific Foundations of Psychology Flashcards
The basis of psychological theory as the study of human and animal behavior and mental processes and learn how psychologists design and conduct research.
What is empiricism?
the view that knowledge originates in experience and the science should rely on observation and experimentation
What is structuralism?
an early school of psychology that used introspection to explore the structural elements of the human mind
What is functionalism?
a school of psychology that focuses on how our mental and behavioral processes function and how they enable us to adapt, survive, and flourish
What is experimental psychology?
the study of behavior and thinking using the experimental method
What is behaviorism?
the view that psychology should be an objective science that studies behavior without reference to mental processes
What is humanistic psychology?
a historically significant perspective that emphasized the growth potential of healthy people and the individual’s potential for personal growth
What is cognitive neuroscience?
the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition; includes perception, thinking, memory, and language
What is psychology?
the science of behavior and mental processes
What is nature-nurture issue?
the longstanding controversy over the relative contributions that genes and experience make to the development of psychological traits and behaviors
What is natural selection?
the principle that, among the range of inherited trait variations, those contributing to reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations
