Key Psychological Perspectives & Theories Flashcards
(21 cards)
What did René Descartes believe about the mind and body?
He proposed mind-body dualism, suggesting the mind and body are separate but interact.
What is John Locke’s ‘tabula rasa’ theory?
The mind is a blank slate at birth, and knowledge is gained through experience.
What was Wilhelm Wundt’s major contribution to psychology?
He founded the first psychology lab and developed structuralism.
What is the unconscious mind according to Freud?
A hidden part of the mind that contains repressed thoughts, desires, and memories.
What are Freud’s psychosexual stages of development?
Oral, anal, phallic, latent, and genital stages.
What are defence mechanisms?
Unconscious strategies the mind uses to protect itself from anxiety, e.g., repression, denial, projection.
What is the Oedipus complex?
A Freudian theory that a child experiences unconscious attraction to the opposite-sex parent.
What was Carl Jung’s major idea?
The collective unconscious and archetypes that shape human behaviour.
How did Alfred Adler’s perspective differ from Freud’s?
He focused on the need for superiority and overcoming inferiority.
What was Erik Erikson’s theory?
Psychosocial development, which describes eight stages of personal growth throughout life.
What is classical conditioning?
Learning through association, as demonstrated by Pavlov’s dogs.
What is operant conditioning?
Learning through rewards and punishments, developed by B.F. Skinner.
What is positive reinforcement?
Encouraging behaviour by adding a positive stimulus (e.g., giving a reward).
What is negative reinforcement?
Encouraging behaviour by removing an unpleasant stimulus (e.g., stopping a loud noise when a task is completed).
How does behaviourism view emotions and thoughts?
It ignores them, focusing only on observable behaviours.
What is cognitive psychology’s focus?
How people think, learn, remember, and problem-solve.
What is the information-processing model?
A theory that compares the mind to a computer, with input, processing, storage, and output.
What is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)?
A therapy that challenges and changes negative thought patterns.
How is behaviourism used in real life?
In therapy (e.g., exposure therapy for phobias), education, and training.
How does the psychodynamic perspective influence modern psychology?
It laid the foundation for talk therapy and theories on unconscious motivation.
What is one real-world application of cognitive psychology?
Cognitive therapy, memory training, artificial intelligence, and problem-solving research.
