week 1 Flashcards
Psychology
the science of behaviour, thought, and experience
Scientific method
set of rules that helps guide research towards an objective truth. collecting observations, proposing explanations based on those theories, and testing predictions based on those theories
Theories
attempt to explain broad range of observations. Need to be falsifiable
Hypotheses
observable and testable predictions scientists make based on a theory. disproves theories
Empiricism
knowledge comes from sensory experience. for an empiricist, experimental evidence is primary. underscores the fields of psychology
Rationalism
use of thought/logic to understand the world
Reductionism
breaking down thought into its basic components. Created by Wilhelm Wundt, who believed that conscious mental states could be studied using self examination
Structuralism
studies the structure of the brain as well as our thoughts
Introspection
examining and reporting ones own mental processes/structures. behaviourists decline this
Functionalism
understanding the functions of the mind, instead of physical structure
Gestalt theory
the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. e.g. cant understand function of brain by looking at each lobe separately, but only by how they all operate together
Psychoanalysis
unconscious mental forces (id, ego, and super-ego). Freud proposed we are not consciously aware of the struggle between these three parts of our personality
Behaviourism
belief that behaviour is measurable, and thought it not. Only meaningful way to analyze is by observing behaviour. Does not like introspection because its too subjective. Watson
Humanist psychology
focuses on the value of individuals. focuses on whole person and their unique experiences. Rogers, Maslow
Cognitive psychology
understanding the mind, often by using computer processes as metaphors for mental processes
