Week 3

Question 1

Define: psychology

Answer 1

the study of the human mind, its function, and behaviour in a given context

Question 2

Define: theory

Answer 2

set of ideas that explain something (behaviour or an observation)
- based on general principles

Question 3

Define: behaviour

Answer 3

• the way in which one acts
• any action that can be directly observed
• examples: getting a drink of water, language use

Question 4

6 psychological theories about the mind

Answer 4

• voluntarism
• structuralism
• psychological functionalism
• gestalt movement
• psychoanalytic psychology
• behaviourism

Question 5

Define: structuralism

Answer 5

• 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

Question 6

Define: structure

Answer 6

arrangement of relations between the basic units of something complex

Question 7

Define: voluntarism

Answer 7

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

Question 8

What do voluntarism and structuralism have in common?

Answer 8

• focus on the structure of mental experiences

Question 9

Define: psychological function

Answer 9

refers to the purpose of

each type of mental activity

Question 10

Define: psychological functionalism

Answer 10

Psychological functionalism identifies the purpose
of each mental activity and how each mental
activity is useful

Question 11

Define: gestalt

Answer 11

an organized whole that is perceived as more than the sum of its parts

Question 12

Define: movement

Answer 12

a group of people working together to advance their shared ideas

Question 13

Define: gestalt movement

Answer 13

the whole is greater than the sum of its parts

- Perception of the whole not the individual parts

Question 14

Define: perception

Answer 14

the ability to see, hear, or become aware, of something through the senses

Question 15

Define: organize

Answer 15

arrange into a structured whole

Question 16

Define: principle

Answer 16

a fundamental (basic) truth that serves as a theory

Question 17

What is the aim of the gestalt movement

Answer 17

identify the principles of perceptual organization

Question 18

Define: perceptual organization

Answer 18

The mind senses basic objects in the environment and arranges these objects into a structured whole

Question 19

Give the four principles of perceptual organization

Answer 19

Principle of Closure
Principle of Pragnanz
Principle of Proximity
Principle of Similarity

Question 20

Define: Principle of Closure

Answer 20

parts that form a complete or almost complete and enclosed object go together

Question 21

Define: Principle of Pragnanz

Answer 21

parts that are simple will group together. Simple organizations are those that have fewer parts or are bilaterally symmetrical

Question 22

Define: Principle of Proximity

Answer 22

parts that are close to one another in the visual field are grouped together

Question 23

Define: Principle of Similarity

Answer 23

Parts that are similar in lightness, color, shape, or some other salient characteristic are grouped together

Question 24

What are the 3 minds in psychoanalytic psychology

Answer 24

The conscious mind
The preconscious mind
The unconscious mind

Question 25

Define: analyze

Answer 25

discover something through detailed examination

Question 26

Define: conscious mind

Answer 26

• having knowledge of something, aware of something

- Freud think’s the ego and super ego lives here

Question 27

Define: preconscious mind

Answer 27

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

Question 28

Define: unconscious mind

Answer 28

contents of the conscious mind cannot enter conscious awareness. Contents of the unconscious mind can manifest in people’s action

Question 29

Define: ID, ego, superego

Answer 29

• 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)

Question 30

Define: behaviorism

Answer 30

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)

Question 31

Define: stimulus

Answer 31

A thing or event that evokes a specific functional response in an organ or tissue

Question 32

Define: response

Answer 32

A reaction to something or an event

Question 33

Two types of conditioning

Answer 33

• instrumental conditioning/ classical conditioning

- Operant conditioning

Question 34

Define: classical conditioning

Answer 34

The exemplary standard of how a stimulus comes to influence an involuntary behaviour

Question 35

3 ways to describe stimuli

Answer 35

• Unconditioned stimulus
• Neutral stimulus
• Conditioned stimulus

Question 36

2 ways to describe response

Answer 36

• unconditioned response

- conditioned response

Question 37

FOUR WAYS THAT OPERANTS MIGHT INFLUENCE BEHAVIOR

Answer 37

• Positive reinforcement •Negative reinforcement •Positive punishment
• Negative punishment

Question 38

Define: operant

Answer 38

an item/event that is initially spontaneous and occurs together with a behaviour but whose occurrence comes to be associated with the behaviour

Question 39

Define: operant conditioning

Answer 39

• 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

Question 40

Define: positive reinforcement

Answer 40

• add something into environment resulting in increase in behaviour

Question 41

Define: negative reinforcement

Answer 41

• remove something from the environment resulting in an increase in behaviour

Question 42

Define: positive punishment

Answer 42

• add something into environment resulting in decrease in behaviour

Question 43

Define: negative punishment

Answer 43

• remove something from environment resulting in decrease in behaviour