Exam 1: Historical Background

Question 1

History

Answer 1

The study of past events, people, and places to learn from successes and avoid past mistakes.

Question 2

Philosophy

Answer 2

The pursuit of knowledge about reality, existence, and ethics; psychology evolved from it.

Question 3

Mechanism

Answer 3

The idea that the universe operates like a machine and all natural processes follow physical laws.

Question 4

Reductionism

Answer 4

A concept that breaking complex phenomena into simpler components leads to better understanding.

Question 5

Determinism

Answer 5

The belief that all events, including human behavior, are caused by preceding events.

Question 6

Materialism

Answer 6

The idea that everything, including mental processes, can be explained in physical terms.

Question 7

Empiricism

Answer 7

The view that knowledge comes from sensory experience and observation rather than innate ideas.

Question 8

Associationism

Answer 8

The idea that learning occurs by linking together ideas or experiences through repeated exposure.

Question 9

Structuralism

Answer 9

An early psychological approach focusing on breaking consciousness into its basic elements.

Question 10

Functionalism

Answer 10

A psychological school that focused on how mental processes help individuals adapt to their environment.

Question 11

Gestalt Psychology

Answer 11

A psychological perspective emphasizing whole experiences rather than breaking them into components.

Question 12

Behaviorism

Answer 12

A school of psychology that focused solely on observable behavior and dismissed mental processes.

Question 13

Descartes’ Dualism

Answer 13

The idea that the mind and body are separate but interact through the brain. The body operates mechanistically (reflexes). The mind is immaterial and governs voluntary behavior.

Question 14

Reflex Action Theory

Answer 14

Descartes’ theory that external stimuli trigger automatic, mechanical bodily responses.

Question 15

Positivism

Answer 15

A philosophy advocating that only observable, measurable facts should be studied in science.

Question 16

Evolution

Answer 16

The theory that species change over time due to inherited traits and environmental adaptation.

Question 17

Natural Selection

Answer 17

Darwin’s principle that organisms with traits beneficial for survival reproduce more successfully.

Question 18

Wilhelm Wundt

Answer 18

Established the first psychology lab in Leipzig, Germany in 1879; emphasized scientific study of behavior.

Question 19

Hermann Ebbinghaus

Answer 19

Pioneered experimental research on memory, including the forgetting curve and nonsense syllables.

Question 20

Edward Titchener

Answer 20

Developed structuralism and promoted introspection to analyze the structure of the mind.

Question 21

Introspection

Answer 21

The process of looking inward to examine one’s own thoughts and emotions; used in early psychology.

Question 22

Insight Learning

Answer 22

A sudden realization of how to solve a problem, rather than learning through trial and error.

Question 23

John B. Watson

Answer 23

Founder of behaviorism; emphasized the study of observable behaviors and conducted the Little Albert experiment.

Question 24

Tabula Rasa

Answer 24

The concept that the human mind starts as a blank slate and is shaped by experience and learning.

Question 25

Ivan Pavlov

Answer 25

A Russian physiologist known for discovering classical conditioning through his work with dogs.

Question 26

Classical Conditioning

Answer 26

A learning process where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus to produce a response.

Question 27

Edward Thorndike

Answer 27

A psychologist who studied learning through trial-and-error in animals, leading to the Law of Effect.

Question 28

Law of Effect

Answer 28

The principle that behaviors followed by rewards are strengthened, while those followed by punishment are weakened.

Question 29

Little Albert Study

Answer 29

A famous experiment where a child was conditioned to fear a white rat, demonstrating classical conditioning in humans.

Question 30

B.F. Skinner

Answer 30

A leading behaviorist who developed the concept of operant conditioning and studied reinforcement and punishment.

Question 31

Operant Conditioning

Answer 31

A type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by reinforcement or diminished if followed by punishment.

Question 32

Skinner Box (Operant Chamber)

Answer 32

A device used by B.F. Skinner to study operant conditioning in animals, typically using food rewards.

Question 33

The Cognitive Revolution

Answer 33

A shift in psychology during the mid-20th century that emphasized the study of mental processes over behaviorism.

Question 34

Noam Chomsky

Answer 34

A linguist and cognitive scientist who challenged behaviorist views of language acquisition, advocating for innate structures.