Exam 1 vocab (ch. 1-4)

Question 1

determinism

Answer 1

the assumption that what is being studied can be understood in terms of causal laws (specify how events are casually related)

Question 2

principle of falsifiability

Answer 2

for a theory to be scientific, it must be able to be tested and conceivably proven false; it must refutable

Question 3

paradigm

Answer 3

the entire constellation of beliefs, values, techniques, and so on shared by the members of a given scientific community

Question 4

normal science

Answer 4

activities of exploring; the implications of a paradigm
* limits the set of problems
* limits the types of methods
* limits alternative explanations

Question 5

anomalies

Answer 5

something that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected

Question 6

epiphenomenonalism

Answer 6

the brain causes mental events, but mental events cannot cause behavior

Question 7

self-awareness

Answer 7

simulating your own mind and body

Question 8

theory of mind

Answer 8

simulating other people’s minds

Question 9

mechanism

Answer 9

the behavior of all organisms, including humans, can be explained in the same way that the behavior of any machine cane be - in terms of parts and the laws governing those parts

Question 10

epistemology

Answer 10

the study of knowledge

Question 11

laws of association

Answer 11

laws thought responsible for holding mental events together in memory; contrast, similarity, frequency, contiguity

Question 12

zeitgeist

Answer 12

the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time

Question 13

physis

Answer 13

the idea that everything is made up of one element; Thales thought it was water

Question 14

scala naturae

Answer 14

the hierarchical design of nature, placing humans at the top

Question 15

hierarchy of souls

Answer 15

a living things potential/purpose is determined by the type of soul it has; vegetative, sensitive, rational

Question 16

theory of forms

Answer 16

everything in the natural world is a manifestation of a pure form/idea that exists in the abstract, which is obtained only through introspection

Question 17

parsimony

Answer 17

finding the simplest, accurate explanation for cognitive processes and behaviors

Question 18

Occam’s razor

Answer 18

simple theories are easier to verify

Question 19

positivism

Answer 19

the belief that only those objects or events that can be experienced directly should be the object of science inquiry; just because you believe something doesn’t mean it’s factual

Question 20

inductive reasoning

Answer 20

starts with an observation and forms a conclusion

Question 21

deductive reasoning

Answer 21

starts with something general and hones in on a specific conclusion

Question 22

monists

Answer 22

those who attempt to explain everything in terms of one type of reality
- materialists
- idealists

Question 23

materialists

Answer 23

those who believe that matter is the only reality and, therefore, everything in the universe, including the cognitions and behaviors of organisms, must be explained in terms of matter

Question 24

idealists

Answer 24

those who believe that even our so-called physical reality results from perceived ideas

Question 25

dualists

Answer 25

those who believe that there are physical events and mental events

Question 26

rationalism

Answer 26

explanations of human behavior that emphasizes the importance of logical, systematic, and intelligent thought processes

Question 27

irrationalism

Answer 27

the claim that the true causes of behavior are unconscious and as such cannot be experienced rationally

Question 28

nativist

Answer 28

emphasizes the role of inheritance (nature) in their explanation of the origins of various human attributes

Question 29

empiricist

Answer 29

emphasizes the role of the experience (nurture)

Question 30

universalism

Answer 30

some ideas have universal application or applicability; a belief in one fundamental truth

Question 31

relativism

Answer 31

denies claims to objectivity within a particular domain and assert that valuations in that domain are relative to the perspective of an observer or the context in which they are assessed

Question 32

civilization

Answer 32

a complex society that is characterized by urban development, social stratification, a form of government, and symbolic systems of communication (such as writing).

Question 33

teleology

Answer 33

the explanation of phenomena in terms of the purpose they serve rather than of the cause by which they arise

Question 34

The Golden Mean

Answer 34

vice and virtue scale; wanting to be in the center with balance between good and bad

Question 35

skepticism

Answer 35

the theory that certain knowledge is impossible

Question 36

cynicism

Answer 36

rejecting society, similar to hippies, rejecting progress, anti-slavery; living free

Question 37

dogmatism

Answer 37

rigidly hold onto a belief or way of thinking

Question 38

neo-platonism

Answer 38

the soul is perfect and does not die; the body is imperfect and dies; the cultural stage Christianity comes into

Question 39

stoicism

Answer 39

older philosophy, like fate, cannot control over the world; things happen for a reason; world is broken, goal is to go to Heaven

Question 40

individualism

Answer 40

a social theory favoring freedom of action for individuals over collective or state control.

Question 41

humanism

Answer 41

a rationalist outlook or system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters

Question 42

primary qualities

Answer 42

objective; physical qualities of something, doesn’t change no matter who looks at it (shape, size, texture, mass, light, etc.)

Question 43

secondary qualities

Answer 43

subjective; things that only exist in the mind; only exist as an experience (taste, weight, color, etc.)

Question 44

radical empiricism

Answer 44

argued for the possibility of scientific knowledge based only upon inductive reasoning and careful observation of events in nature

Question 45

Clockwork Universe

Answer 45

everything is precise and predictable

Question 46

doubt (Descartes)

Answer 46

everything we know comes through our senses, but our senses can be fooled

Question 47

Cartesian Dualism

Answer 47

the mind and body can be separate and can exist by themselves