Chapter 1 terms

Question 1

Psychology

Answer 1

The science of behavior and mental process.

Question 2

Science

Answer 2

Approach to knowledge based on systematic observation.

Question 3

Behavior

Answer 3

Directly observable and measurable actions.

Question 4

Mental processes

Answer 4

Private psychological activities that include thinking, perceiving, and feeling.

Question 5

Theories

Answer 5

Tentative explanations of facts and relationships in sciences.

Question 6

Introspection

Answer 6

The process of looking inward at one’s own consciousness.

Question 7

Structuralism

Answer 7

The 19th century school of psychology that sought to determine the structure of the mind through controlled introspection.

Question 8

Gestalt Psychology

Answer 8

The school of thought based on the belief that human consciousness can’t be broken down into it’s elements.

Question 9

Gestalt

Answer 9

An organized or unified whole

Question 10

Phi Phenomenon

Answer 10

The perception of apparent movement between two stationary stimuli.

Question 11

Functionalism

Answer 11

The 19th century school of psychology that emphasized the useful functions of consciousness.

Question 12

Cognition

Answer 12

Mental processes of perceiving, believing, thinking, remembering, knowing, deciding, and so on.

Question 13

Cognitive Psychology

Answer 13

The viewpoint in pysch that emphasizes the importance of cognitive processes, such as perception, memory, and thinking.

Question 14

Psychometric

Answer 14

The perspective in psychology founded by Binet that focuses on the measurement.

Question 15

Behaviorism

Answer 15

the school of psychology that emphasizes the process of learning & the measurement of overt behavior.

Question 16

Social learning theory

Answer 16

The viewpoint that the most important aspects of our behavior are learned from other persons in society - family, friends, and culture.

Question 17

Neuroscience perspective

Answer 17

The viewpoint in psychology that focuses on the nervous system in explaining behavior and mental processes.

Question 18

Unconscious mind

Answer 18

All mental activity of which we are unaware.

Question 19

Motives

Answer 19

Internal states or conditions that activate behavior and give it direction.

Question 20

Psychoanalysis

Answer 20

the technique of helping persons with emotional problems based on Sigmund Freud’s Theory of the unconscious mind.

Question 21

Humanistic Psychology

Answer 21

the psychological view that human beings possess an innate tendency to improve and determine their lives by the decisions they make.

Question 22

Sociocultural Perspective

Answer 22

the theory of psychology that states it is necessary to understand one’s culture ethnic identity, and other sociocultural factors to fully understand a person.

Question 23

Social Anthropology

Answer 23

A field of social science that studies the ways in which cultures are both similar and different from one another and how cultures influence human behavior.

Question 24

Culture

Answer 24

The patterns of behavior, beliefs, and values shared by a group of people.

Question 25

Ethnic group

Answer 25

A group of persons who are descendants of a common group of ancestors.

Question 26

Ethnic Identity

Answer 26

Each person's sense of belonging to a particular ethnic group. EX: lady's attempted drowning of kids after her husband has an affair.

Question 27

Cultural Relativity

Answer 27

the perspective that promotes thinking of different cultures in relative terms rather than judgmental terms.

Question 28

Evolutionary Psychology

Answer 28

The perspective in psychology that the psychological characteristics of human and nonhuman animals arose through natural selection.

Question 29

Gene

Answer 29

A segment of a chromosome in the nucleus of living cells that carries the genetic code of inheritance.

Question 30

Applied psychologists

Answer 30

Psychologists who use knowledge of psychology to solve and prevent human problems.