Chapter 1 - Introduction to Psychology

Question 1

psychology

Answer 1

the scientific study of the mind and behavior
- use the scientific method to acquire knowledge
- parts of psych are biological, other parts are social

Question 2

when the science of psychology originated and why

Answer 2

• became its own academic discipline in the late 1800s
• was considered philosophical before this

Question 3

empirical method

Answer 3

process to acquire knowledge based on observation, including experimentation, rather than a method based only on logical argument/previous authorities

Question 4

critical thinking

Answer 4

the active application of a set of skills to information for the understanding and evaluation of that information (used in psychology with the scientific method)

Question 5

human psychology ____, but ___.

Answer 5

has been around since the dawn of humanity
psychology as a science is fairly young

Question 6

Wilhelm Wundt

Answer 6

first person to be referred to as a psychologist, helped make psych a science

Question 7

introspection

Answer 7

process by which someone examines their own conscious experience as objectively as possible, making the mind like any other aspect of nature
- used by Wundt to observe psych

Question 8

structuralism

Answer 8

focuses on the contents of the mental processes rather than their function (components of the human mind)

Question 9

functionalism

Answer 9

• adopts Darwinism idea of adapted “best” traits of an organism
• est. by William James, focused on how the whole mind helps an organism fit into its environment

Question 10

Sigmund Freud

Answer 10

• theorized getting access to the unconscious mind was crucial to solve people’s problems
• ex. dream analysis, first word that comes to mind, etc.

Question 11

psychoanalytic theory

Answer 11

• therapy technique that focuses on the role of a person’s unconscious, as well as early childhood experiences
• dominated clinical psychology for decades, popularized by Freud

Question 12

Gestalt psychology

Answer 12

• created by escaped Nazi Germany scientists
• focusing how sensory parts relate to each other as a WHOLE, often how/why an individual responds to something

Question 13

behaviorism

Answer 13

• influence by John B. Watson, believe objective analysis of the mind impossible
• approach of observing and controlling behavior
• made psychology more of a science

Question 14

humanism

Answer 14

• a perspective within psychology that emphasizes the potential for good within all humans

Question 15

the cognitive revolution

Answer 15

• the focus being put back on the mind as a focus of scientific inquiry (partially due to humanism)
• Noam Chomsky was very influential in movement
• helped est. communication between European/US psychology

Question 16

feminist psychology

Answer 16

• early psychology was primarily white males, so that’s what studies focused on
• looks at gender equalities of sexes
• women have been contributing to psych since its birth as a science

Question 17

mind-body problem

Answer 17

• problem of how the mind is connected to the body
• i.e. how do emotions go from being neurons to experience to emotion?

Question 18

psychodynamic

Answer 18

• Freud approach to the mind
• systematic study of the psychological forces underlying human behavior

Question 19

multicultural/sociocultural psychology

Answer 19

• most psych studies have overstudied WEIRD populations & applied results to all of society
• growing focus on doing research on other cultures

Question 20

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Answer 20

• created by Abraham Maslow, proposed hierarchy of needs for human behavior
• humanist concept, asserts if basic needs are met, higher needs (social) motivate behavior

Question 21

client-centered therapy

Answer 21

• started by humanist Carl Rodgers
• patient takes lead role in the therapy session and therapist shows unconditional positive regard
• still popular in therapy today

Question 22

WEIRD

Answer 22

western, educated, industrialized, rich, democratic

Question 23

American Psychological Association (APA)

Answer 23

-a professional organization representing psychologists in the US
- 54 divisions repping diversity of field and members

Question 24

biopsychology

Answer 24

-explores how our biology influences our behavior
-focuses on things like drug use/abuse, sensory and motor systems

Question 25

evolutionary psychology

Answer 25

- study the ultimate biological causes of human behavior - tries to understand extent that behavior is caused by genetics vs. environment

Question 26

sensation and perception

Answer 26

-interest in both physiological aspects of sensory systems as well as in the psychological experience of sensory information

Question 27

cognitive psychology

Answer 27

- area of psychology that focuses on studying cognitions, or thoughts, and their relationship to our experiences and actions

Question 28

developmental psycholgy

Answer 28

- scientific study of development across a lifespan

Question 29

personality psychology

Answer 29

- focuses on patterns of thoughts and behaviors that make each individual unique

Question 30

personality traits

Answer 30

-more quantitative approach to understanding personality - identifying, measuring, and determine how traits interact in context to understand people's behavior

Question 31

social psychology

Answer 31

focuses on how we interact with and relate with to others

Question 32

Industrial-Organizational psychology

Answer 32

- subfield of psychology that applies psychological theories, principles, and research findings in industrial and organizational settings.

Question 33

health psychology

Answer 33

- how health is affected by the interaction of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors

Question 34

biopsychosocial model

Answer 34

- approach of health psychology (how health is affected by interaction of factors)

Question 35

sports and exercise psychology

Answer 35

-study the psychological aspects of sport performance (like motivation and performance anxiety) - effects of sport on mental and emotional wellbeing

Question 36

clinical psychology

Answer 36

- area of psychology that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders and other problematic patterns of behavior

Question 37

counseling psychology

Answer 37

- similar discipline that focuses on emotional, social, and health-related outcomes in individuals who are considered psychologically healthy

Question 38

forensic psychology

Answer 38

- branch of psychology that deals with questions of psychology as they arise in the context of the justice system

Question 39

PhD

Answer 39

- refers to doctor of philosophy degree (doesn't refer to field of psychology per se) - generally needed for a career in psych

Question 40

dissertation

Answer 40

essentially a long research paper or published articles describing research that was conducted as part of PhD candidate's postdoctoral training

Question 41

postdoctoral training programs

Answer 41

common for individuals who recently earned their PhD to seek out as a position before going to serve as faculty

Question 42

psyD

Answer 42

a doctor of psychology degree that is increasingly popular among individuals interested in pursuing careers in clinical psychology

Question 43

Even when part of the brain is "lit up" on a scan, ___.

Answer 43

numerous interactions are going on in all parts of the brain

Question 44

descriptive method

Answer 44

describe what exists, but doesn’t explain what causes that behavior

Question 45

inferential method

Answer 45

experimental method, we manipulate what exists in order to draw conclusions about cause and effect