Chapter 1: Intro to Psych

Question 1

Mental Processes

Answer 1

brain activity as we engage in thinking, observing environment, and using language

Question 2

psychology

Answer 2

science of mental processes and behaviors

Question 3

behavior

Answer 3

observable activites of an organism

Question 4

4 goals of psychologist when they study mental processes and behavior

Answer 4

1. Description (describe observation of behavior/mental processes)
2. Explanation (Why?)
3. Prediction (predict when it will occur)
4. Control (limit or increase certain behaviors/mental processes)

Question 5

Levels of Analysis in Psychology

Answer 5

Brain, person, group

Question 6

anthropomorphism

Answer 6

human tendency to project mental and emotional characteristics onto nonhuman objects

Question 7

Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920)

Answer 7

Believed experimental methods were the best way to study the mind and behavior.

Exposed research participants to simple, repeatable situations and then asked them to make observations.

Most famous experiment involved clock and pendulum. Believed he found evidence that humans need 1/10 of a second to shift focus from one object to another.

Studied processes of consciousness-our awareness of our behaviors and mental processes

Voluntarism- behavior is motivated and we focus our attention on something for a purpose

Question 8

Edward Titchener (1867-1927)

Answer 8

Founded structuralism
Goal was to uncover the structure of the conscious mind

Question 9

Introspection

Answer 9

endorsed by Wundt
“looking inwards” to carefully evaluate mental processes and how they expand simple thoughts into complex ideas

Question 10

Structuralism and its criticism

Answer 10

Belief that mind is a collection of sensory experiences and that study should be focused on structure of mental processes rather than trying to explain it

Criticism- Only tried to describe processes but not explain or control mechanism
- contradictory findings
- failure to study animals and examine abnormal behavior

Question 11

William James (1842-1910)

Answer 11

Shifted attention away from structure of mental content to the purpose and function of mental processes
Also interested on how the mind adapts and functions in a changing environment.

Question 12

Functionalism vs. Structuralism

Answer 12

Functionalism- mental states are identified by what they do than what they are made of

Functionalism relied on more than one research method. Highlighted differences rather than similarities. Emphasized that research should include animals and abnormal behavior.

Question 13

Gestalt Psychology

Answer 13

Based on the idea that we have inborn tendencies perceive things as broad units rather than individual sensations.
“whole is greater than the sum of its parts”

Question 14

Gestalt Laws

Answer 14

Figure Ground- tendency to perceive objects as either in foreground or background
Proximity- tendency to group things that are close to each other
Continuity- tendency to see objects as continuous and not disjointed
Closure- tendency to see finished unit from incomplete stimulus
Similarity- tendency to group similar objects together

Question 15

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)

Answer 15

Believed that mind is a complex interaction of thoughts and memories that exist on both conscious and unconscious level.
Back and forth tension within and between conscious and unconscious mind shapes personality.
Believed childhood experiences help set the stage for later psychological functioning.

Question 16

Psychoanalytic Theory

Answer 16

Theory that human mental processes are influenced by the competition between unconscious and conscious forces
Does not hold up to scrutiny

Question 17

Behaviorism

Answer 17

Argue that psychology should study only direct observational behaviors rather than abstract mental processes
Focused on relationship between stimuli and responses

Question 18

Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936)

Answer 18

Work with classical conditioning
Observed that dogs have been conditioned to salivate when lab assistant appear because they associate lab assistant with food.

Question 19

Edward Thorndike (1874-1949)

Answer 19

Proposed that animal findings could help explain human behavior
Law of Effect

Question 20

John Watson (1878-1958)

Answer 20

Pioneered the school of behaviorism
Little Albert experiment- researchercanz condition children to fear objects and situations

Question 21

B. F. Skinner (1904-1990)

Answer 21

Operant Conditioning
Positive or negatively reinforce behaviors

Question 22

Albert Bandura

Answer 22

Bobo doll experiment
Children often learned by social observation or modeling
People can learn without making any apparent change to their outside behavior

Question 23

Carl Rogers (1902-1987)

Answer 23

Client centered therapy- based on notion that clients will make positive gains if therapists mirror their thoughts and feelings in an atmosphere of unconditional positive regard

Question 24

Humanistic psychology

Answer 24

Focuses on potential of individuals and highlight each person’s unique viewpoint, conscious, free will, etc.

Question 25

Abraham Maslow (1908-1970)

Answer 25

Hierarchy of Needs
Physiological->safety->belonging->esteem->Self actualization

Question 26

Cognitive Psychology

Answer 26

Emerged after WWII
Study of information processing-how info is stored and operated internally
Focused on the functioning of cognitive mechanisms rather than content

Question 27

Cultural Psychology

Answer 27

Study of how cognitive processing varies across different population

Question 28

Karl Lashley (1890-1958)

Answer 28

Used surgical techniques to destroy certain areas in animal brains and observe the effects of these lesions on memory, learning, and other cognitive processes.

Question 29

Roger Sperry (1913-1994)

Answer 29

Pioneered split-brain research on animals
Found that left and right hemisphere of brain can function and learn independently

Question 30

Behavioral Genetics

Answer 30

Looks at influence of genes on human behavior

Question 31

Sociobiologist

Answer 31

Believe humans have a genetically innate concept of how social behavior should be organized

Question 32

Evolutionary Psychology

Answer 32

Applies evolutionary ideas to the explanation of human behavior
Suggests that behaviors and mental processes that are more effective at solving problems of living are passed down and become important parts of an individual’s inborn makeup

Question 33

3 Branches of Psychology

Answer 33

1. Academic Psychology (research and instruction)
2. Applied Psychology (solve practical problems)
3. Clinical & Counseling Psychology (intervention for abnormal psychological behaviors)

Question 34

Important Shared Values of all Branches of Psychology

Answer 34

1. Psychology is theory driven
2. Psychology is empirical
3. Psychology is multilevel
4. Psychology is contextual