Evolution of Psychology Flashcards
(42 cards)
Q: What is psychology?
The scientific study of the mind and behavior, focusing on objective evidence and systematic investigation.
Who are two early philosophers who influenced the evolution of psychology?
René Descartes and John Locke.
What are the three levels of analysis in psychology?
Brain, person, and group.
What is the role of the brain in psychology?
Psychologists study brain structure and activity to understand how it influences thoughts and behaviors.
thoughts and behaviors.
Level of the person
Mental contents (knowledge, beliefs,desires) and processes (memory, perception) that guide individual actions.
Structuralism (Wilhelm Wundt and Edward Tiichener)
To understand the structure of the mind. Like conciousness (sensations and feelings) and how they combine to from mental structures.
two types of elements of consciousness:
Sensations, which arise from the eyes, ears, and other sense organs
Feelings such as fear, anger, and love
How does psychological science help in real life?
It aims to describe, understand, predict, and sometimes control thoughts and behaviors to help manage challenges like mental illness.
What was William James’ contribution to psychology?
He founded functionalism, which focuses on how mental processes help individuals adapt to their environment.
What is Gestalt psychology? (Max Wertherimer)
It emphasizes that the mind organizes perceptions into wholes greater than the sum of their parts.
People do not perceive isolated stimuli but instead organize them into meaningful wholes (like seeing a V-shape flock of birds rather than an individual bird)
Behaviorism (Ian Pavlov, John B. Watson, BF Skinner)
Observable behavior and how it is shaped by environmental stimuli, such as reinforcement and punishment.
What are Freud’s key contributions to psychodynamic theory?
Concepts such as the unconscious mind, defense mechanisms, and psychosexual stages of development. Beliving that human behavior is driven by unconscious motives, particularly sexual and aggressive urges.
What is humanistic psychology?
A school of thought focusing on individual growth, free will, and self-actualization, led by figures like Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers.
What did the cognitive revolution bring to psychology?
A focus on how the mind processes information, inspired by the development of computers.
What does feminist and multicultural psychology emphasize?
Inclusivity, addressing biases in traditional psychology by focusing on gender, race, and other identity factors.
What is evolutionary psychology?
A perspective that examines how behaviors and cognitive strategies have evolved because they were adaptive for survival.
Where do modern psychologists work?
In research labs, clinics, schools, universities, prisons, private industries, and government organizations.
What do clinical psychologists do?
They provide psychotherapy, administer psychological tests, and treat mental health issues like depression and eating disorders.
What are applied psychologists?
Psychologists who use research to solve practical problems in areas like education, industry, marketing, and sports.
What are the emerging trends in psychology?
Increasing demand for clinical, counseling, and school psychologists, and growing interest in workplace psychology and mental health.
What does an industrial/organizational psychologist do?
Applies psychology to improve workplace productivity and employee satisfaction.
What are the two central concepts in psychology?
Mind and behavior.
Which school of thought focuses on how sensations combine into mental structures
Structuralism.
Which psychologist developed the theory of unconscious and conscious influences on behavior?
Sigmund Freud.
What does the evolution of psychology show?
How different schools of thought have contributed to our understanding of the mind and behavior, with psychology evolving into a dynamic and applied science.
