foundations of psychology Flashcards
(93 cards)
Psychology
The scientific study of behavior and mental processes in both humans and animals
behavior
any observable action
mental processes
individual thoughts and feelings cannot be directly observed
Nature versus nurture
are we a product of our biology or our environment
stability versus change
are we born with traits to persist through life or do our personalities change
what makes psychology of science
empirical evidence
Scientific method
Scientific attitude
question everything: skepticism curiosity humility
Overconfidence
people tend to be more confident than correct
Hindsight bias
I knew it all along phenomenon
perspectives
variety of approaches to explain why people act how they do
Structuralism
wihelm wundt (father of psych) introspection
Functionalism
william james
function over structure
first american school of psychology
Evolutionary perspective
Darwin
The basic principles of evolution including natural selection are applied to physical phenomenon

mental processes except exist because they serve an evolutionary purpose survival and reproduction
psychodynamic perspective
sigmund frued
emphasizes that behavior is determined by your past experiences that are in our unconscious mind and childhood experiences are crucial and shaping adult personality
Behavioral perspective
john watson, ivan pavlov, b.f skinner
Focus on observable behavior, controlled by environment
more likely to do things with positive outcomes and less likely to do things with negative outcomes
Cognitive perspective
jean piaget, albert ellis, aaron beck
memory, intelligence, perception, problem-solving, language and learning are internal processes of the mind influencing behavior
humanistic perspective
abraham maslow, carl rogers
human capacity for choice and growth peoples motivations to fulfill potential positive outlook, future rather than past
Socio-cultural perspective
stanley milgram, philip zimbardo
Society and culture and behavior shaping
social customs, beliefs, values and language are part of what shapes a person
biological perspective
roger sperry, mike gazzanigo
genetics and brain chemistry I’m thinking and behavior. Physical and biological processes. Grown with advances in technology
Bio psychosocial approach
Electric approach, multiple perspectives included, links between genetic and environment. The approach encompasses biological psychological and social cultural influences
Basic research
increasing the scientific knowledge base
Applied research
research to find solutions to specific problems
quantitive data
numerical type of data, information about quantities
qualitative data
non-numerical, descriptive