Week 3 Flashcards
Define: psychology
the study of the human mind, its function, and behaviour in a given context
Define: theory
set of ideas that explain something (behaviour or an observation)
- based on general principles
Define: behaviour
- the way in which one acts
- any action that can be directly observed
- examples: getting a drink of water, language use
6 psychological theories about the mind
- voluntarism
- structuralism
- psychological functionalism
- gestalt movement
- psychoanalytic psychology
- behaviourism
Define: structuralism
- structure of the mind is like the structure of matter
- Focus on the structure of mental experiences
- Structuralism is the attempt to categorize basic components of the mind
- bonds between mental experiences are mechanistic (purely physical or deterministic)
- not created by the will but by physical forces itself
Define: structure
arrangement of relations between the basic units of something complex
Define: voluntarism
bonds between basic mental experiences/ feelings are created by the will of the individual
- bonds between basic mental experiences are created by the will of the person
What do voluntarism and structuralism have in common?
- focus on the structure of mental experiences
Define: psychological function
refers to the purpose of
each type of mental activity
Define: psychological functionalism
Psychological functionalism identifies the purpose
of each mental activity and how each mental
activity is useful
Define: gestalt
an organized whole that is perceived as more than the sum of its parts
Define: movement
a group of people working together to advance their shared ideas
Define: gestalt movement
the whole is greater than the sum of its parts
- Perception of the whole not the individual parts
Define: perception
the ability to see, hear, or become aware, of something through the senses
Define: organize
arrange into a structured whole
Define: principle
a fundamental (basic) truth that serves as a theory
What is the aim of the gestalt movement
identify the principles of perceptual organization
Define: perceptual organization
The mind senses basic objects in the environment and arranges these objects into a structured whole
Give the four principles of perceptual organization
Principle of Closure
Principle of Pragnanz
Principle of Proximity
Principle of Similarity
Define: Principle of Closure
parts that form a complete or almost complete and enclosed object go together
Define: Principle of Pragnanz
parts that are simple will group together. Simple organizations are those that have fewer parts or are bilaterally symmetrical
Define: Principle of Proximity
parts that are close to one another in the visual field are grouped together
Define: Principle of Similarity
Parts that are similar in lightness, color, shape, or some other salient characteristic are grouped together
What are the 3 minds in psychoanalytic psychology
The conscious mind
The preconscious mind
The unconscious mind
Define: analyze
discover something through detailed examination
Define: conscious mind
- having knowledge of something, aware of something
- Freud think’s the ego and super ego lives here
Define: preconscious mind
Preconscious means before conscious. Contents of the preconscious mind are not conscious, but can enter the conscious mind with some effort.
- Freud think’s the ego and super ego lives here
Define: unconscious mind
contents of the conscious mind cannot enter conscious awareness. Contents of the unconscious mind can manifest in people’s action
Define: ID, ego, superego
- ID: impulses/urges (example: sexual, violent urges); repressed (in unconscious mind) but can manifest in actions
- EGO: how to live in a rational/ pragmatic way (making friends, doing chores)
- SUPEREGO: how to live in an ethical/moral way (do not cause harm or hurt, respect others)
Define: behaviorism
the study of observable actions
- Propose theories about observable conditions in the environment that cause behavior
- Implication: focus on what can be observed, not what cannot be observed (e.g., the mind)
Define: stimulus
A thing or event that evokes a specific functional response in an organ or tissue
Define: response
A reaction to something or an event
Two types of conditioning
- instrumental conditioning/ classical conditioning
- Operant conditioning
Define: classical conditioning
The exemplary standard of how a stimulus comes to influence an involuntary behaviour
3 ways to describe stimuli
- Unconditioned stimulus
- Neutral stimulus
- Conditioned stimulus
2 ways to describe response
- unconditioned response
- conditioned response
FOUR WAYS THAT OPERANTS MIGHT INFLUENCE BEHAVIOR
- Positive reinforcement •Negative reinforcement •Positive punishment
- Negative punishment
Define: operant
an item/event that is initially spontaneous and occurs together with a behaviour but whose occurrence comes to be associated with the behaviour
Define: operant conditioning
- learning that employs rewards and punishments for behavior. Through operant conditioning, an association is made between a behavior and a consequence (whether negative or positive) for that behavior
Define: positive reinforcement
- add something into environment resulting in increase in behaviour
Define: negative reinforcement
- remove something from the environment resulting in an increase in behaviour
Define: positive punishment
- add something into environment resulting in decrease in behaviour
Define: negative punishment
- remove something from environment resulting in decrease in behaviour