Introduction Flashcards
Edward Bradford Titchener
Titchener used introspection to search for the minds structural elements
What is structuralism?
The early school of thought promoted by Wundt and Titchener; used introspection to reveal the structure of the human mind
What is functionalism?
The early school of thought promoted by James and influenced by Darwin; explored how mental and behavioral processes function and how they enabled the organism to adapt, survive, and flourish
Who was William James?
James was a teacher/writer who authors a psychology textbook in 1890. He mentored Calkins.
Who was Mary Whiton Calkins?
She was a pioneer in memory research and the first woman to be president of the American Psychological Association
Who was Margaret Floy Washburn?
She was the first woman to receive a psychology Ph.D. She synthesized animal behavior research in The Animal Mind. She was also the second female president of the American Psychological Association
What event defined the start of scientific psychology?
Scientific psychology began in Germany in 1879 when Wilhelm Wundt opened the first psychology lab
Why did introspection fail as a method for understanding how the mind works?
People’s self-reports varied, depending on the experience and the person’s intelligence and verbal ability
(Blank 1) used introspection to define the mind’s makeup; (blank 2) focused on how the mental processes enable us to adapt, survive, and flourish.
Blank 1: structuralism
Blank 2: functionalism
Who were John B. Watson and Rosalie Rayner?
They showed that fear could be learned in the experiment “Little Albert”
Who was B. f. Skinner?
Leading behaviorist rejected introspection and studied how consequences shape behavior
Who was Sigmund Freud
Personality theorist and therapist believed who came up with the Freudian school of thought.
Freudian Psychology
Emphasized the ways our unconscious thought processes and our emotional responses to childhood experiences affect our behavior
Behaviorism
The view that psychology should (1) be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes. Most psychologists today agree with 1 but not 2
Humanistic psychology
Historically significant perspective that emphasized human growth potential. Really lovey and about feelings and love and nurture help humans reach full potential
Cognitive neuroscience
The interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking memory, and language)
Psychology
The science of behavior and mental processes
Nature-nurture issue
The longstanding controversy over the relative contributions that genes and experience make to development of psychological traits and behaviors. Today’s science sees traits and behaviors arising from the interaction of nature and nurture
Natural selection
The principle that among the range of inherited trait variations, those contributing to reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations
Evolutionary psychology
The study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection
Behavior genetics
The study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influence on behavior
Culture
The enduring behaviors, ideas, values, attitudes, and traditions shared by a group of people transmitted from one generation to the next
Positive psychology
The scientific study of human functioning, with the goals of discovering and promoting strengths and virtues that help individuals and communities thrive
Levels of analysis
The differing complementary views, from biological to psychological to social-cultural, for analyzing any given phenomenon
