Chapter 1

Question 1

Psychology

Answer 1

The scientific study of behavior and the mind

Question 2

Behavior

Answer 2

Actions and responses we can directly observe

Question 3

Mind

Answer 3

Internal states or processes that cannot be seen but must be inferred.
(eg. Knowing someone loves you because they say “I love you”)

Question 4

Clinical Psychology

Answer 4

The study and treatment of psychological disorders.
(People who work in clinics or hospitals or do research on the causes of mental disorders)

Question 5

Cognitive Psychology

Answer 5

The study of mental processes, especially from a model that views the mind as an information processor. Examines topics such as consciousness, decision-making, attention, and problem solving

Question 6

Biopsychology/Neuroscience

Answer 6

focuses on the biological underpinnings of behavior. Biopsychologists examine how the brain processes, genes, and hormones influence our actions, thoughts, and feelings. Some try to explain how evolution has shaped our psychological capabilities (e.g. our capacity for advanced thinking and language) and behavioural tendencies.

Question 7

Developmental Psychology

Answer 7

Examines human physical, psychological, and social development across the lifespan. (e.g. explore the emotional world of infants).

Question 8

Experimental Psychology

Answer 8

Focuses on such basic processes as learning, sensory systems, perception, and motivational states. Most research in this subfield involves laboratory experiments often with non-human animals

Question 9

Industrial/organizational Psychology

Answer 9

Examines people’s behaviour in the workplace. They study leadership, teamwork, and factors that influence employees job satisfaction. They develop tests to help employers find the best job applicants and design systems that companies use to evaluate employee performance

Question 10

Personality Psychology

Answer 10

Focuses on the study of human personality. Personality psychologists seek to identify core personality traits and how different traits relate to one another and influence behaviour. They also develop tests to measure personality.

Question 11

Social Psychology

Answer 11

Examines people’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviour pertaining to the social world: the world of other people. They study how people influence one another, behave in groups, and form impressions and attitudes. They study social relationships involving attraction and love, prejudice and discrimination, helping and aggression.

Question 12

Empirical Evidence

Answer 12

Evidence that is gained through experience and observation, which includes evidence from manipulating or changing things and then observing what happens.

Question 13

Everyday Pitfalls

Answer 13

1) Mental shortcuts- Judging someone’s personality based on stereotypes
2) Failure to consider alternative explanations
3)Once our beliefs are established we do very little to test them

Question 14

Critical Thinking

Answer 14

Taking an active role in understanding the world around you rather than merely receiving information When hearing a new claim or assertion ask the following:
1) What exactly is the claim?
2)Who is making the claim? Are they trustworthy?
3)What’s the evidence, and how good is it?
4) Are any other explanations possible? Can I evaluate them?
5) What is the most appropriate conclusion?

Question 15

Uncritical Thinking

Answer 15

Pseudoscience: Astrology, rumpology, etc

Question 16

Basic Research

Answer 16

Knowledge for its own sake

Question 17

Applied Research

Answer 17

Solutions to practical problems

Question 18

Three Levels of Analysis

Answer 18

Biological: Physical Causes or factors
Psychological: Things that they’ve been taught
Environmental: The surrounding environment

Question 19

Mind-Body Dualism

Answer 19

Mind-body dualism is the idea that the mind and body are distinct entities: the mind is non-physical (thoughts, consciousness) while the body is physical (brain, body). René Descartes is a key proponent, famously saying, “I think, therefore I am.”

Question 20

Rene Descartes

Answer 20

Mind=spiritual entity
-Not subject to physical laws
-Cannot be studied

Question 21

Monism

Answer 21

Monism is the idea that the mind and body are not separate but part of a single substance or reality. It contrasts with dualism and includes two main types: materialism (everything is physical) and idealism (everything is mental)

Question 22

John Locke

Answer 22

John Locke was a 17th-century philosopher who proposed the idea of tabula rasa (blank slate), suggesting that the mind is shaped entirely by experience. He emphasized the role of learning and the environment in human development, laying the foundation for empiricism in psychology

Question 23

School of British Empiricism

Answer 23

The School of British Empiricism emphasizes that all knowledge comes from sensory experience. Key figures like John Locke, George Berkeley, and David Hume argued that the mind starts as a blank slate (tabula rasa) and is shaped through experience and observation. This approach influenced the development of experimental psychology

Question 24

1879

Answer 24

In 1879, Wilhelm Wundt established the first psychology laboratory at the University of Leipzig in Germany. This marked the beginning of psychology as a scientific discipline, focusing on the study of consciousness through introspection.

Question 25

Wilhelm Wundt

Answer 25

Wilhelm Wundt, known as the "Father of Modern Psychology," established the first psychology laboratory in 1879 at the University of Leipzig. He pioneered the study of consciousness using introspection and emphasized psychology as a science separate from philosophy and biology. His work laid the foundation for experimental psychology

Question 26

Psychodynamic

Answer 26

Focuses on how unconscious motives, early childhood experiences, and inner conflicts influence behavior. It emphasizes the role of the id, ego, and superego and the importance of resolving repressed conflicts to understand personality and mental health.

Question 27

Behavioral Perspective

Answer 27

The behavioral perspective focuses on how behavior is learned and shaped by the environment through conditioning. It emphasizes observable actions rather than internal mental states.

Question 28

Biological

Answer 28

The biological perspective emphasizes the role of brain structures, neurotransmitters, hormones, and genetics in shaping behavior, thoughts, and emotions. It focuses on understanding how the brain and nervous system influence psychological processes.

Question 29

Cognitive Perspective

Answer 29

The cognitive perspective focuses on mental processes such as thinking, memory, problem-solving, and decision-making. It emphasizes how people process information, interpret their environment, and make sense of the world

Question 30

Humanist Perspective

Answer 30

The humanist perspective focuses on individual potential, personal growth, and self-actualization. It emphasizes free will, creativity, and the inherent goodness of people.

Question 31

Sigmund Freud

Answer 31

Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, proposed that human behavior is influenced by unconscious drives and conflicts. He introduced concepts like the id, ego, and superego, and emphasized the role of early childhood experiences. Freud's work shaped modern psychology, particularly in understanding personality, therapy, and mental disorders.

Question 32

Goals of Psychology

Answer 32

To describe how people and animals behave To explain and understand the causes of these behaviours To predict how people and animals will behave under certain conditions To influence or control behaviour through knowledge and control of its causes to enhance human welfare

Question 33

John B Watson

Answer 33

The founder of behaviorism. He believed that psychology should focus on observable behavior rather than internal mental processes.

Question 34

B.F. Skinner

Answer 34

He studied how behavior is influenced by consequences, such as reinforcement (positive or negative) and punishment.

Question 35

Jean Piaget

Answer 35

known for his theory of cognitive development in children. He proposed that children go through four stages of development: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational

Question 36

Structuralism

Answer 36

An early school of psychology that aimed to break down mental processes into their most basic components.

Question 37

Edward Titchener

Answer 37

The founder of structuralism in psychology. He expanded on Wilhelm Wundt’s ideas and aimed to analyze the basic elements of consciousness through introspection. Titchener focused on breaking down mental experiences into components like sensations, images, and feelings to understand the structure of the mind.

Question 38

Functionalism

Answer 38

Functionalism is a school of psychology that focuses on how mental processes and behavior help individuals adapt to their environment.

Question 39

William James

Answer 39

He founded functionalism, emphasizing the study of how mental processes function to help individuals adapt to their environment.

Question 40

Mary Whiton Calkins

Answer 40

An American psychologist and the first woman president of the American Psychological Association (APA). She made significant contributions to the study of memory, self-psychology, and the development of paired-association techniques.

Question 41

Behaviorism

Answer 41

Behaviorism is a school of psychology that focuses on the study of observable behavior and dismisses internal mental states as the subject of scientific inquiry. It posits that behavior is learned through interactions with the environment, primarily through conditioning

Question 42

Albert Bandura

Answer 42

known for his work in social cognitive theory and the concept of observational learning.

Question 43

Gestalt Psychology

Answer 43

A school of thought that emphasizes the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. It focuses on how people perceive and organize sensory information into meaningful patterns and wholes.

Question 44

Sociocultural Perspective

Answer 44

The sociocultural perspective focuses on how social and cultural factors influence behavior, thoughts, and emotions. It examines the impact of factors such as family, community, social norms, ethnicity, and cultural practices on individuals.

Question 45

Kenneth Clark and Mamie Clark

Answer 45

Kenneth and Mamie Clark were African American psychologists known for their work on the psychological effects of segregation on children. They conducted the famous Doll Test in the 1940s, where African American children were asked to choose between white and black dolls.

Question 46

Karl Lashley

Answer 46

known for his research on the biological basis of behavior and memory. He is best known for his studies on brain function and lesioning experiments, in which he sought to identify the location of memory storage in the brain.

Question 47

Evolutionary Psychology

Answer 47

Evolutionary psychology is a field of psychology that examines how evolutionary processes, such as natural selection, shape human behavior and mental processes. It suggests that many psychological traits, like emotions, cognition, and social behaviors, are adaptations that helped our ancestors survive and reproduce.