The Story of Psychology - Prologue Flashcards
(36 cards)
Psychology before the 1920’s
The science of Mental Life
Psychology’s Definition Today….
The scientific study of human behavior, it’s mental processes, and brain functions
How is Psychology a science
- Conduct research and experiments
- Work in labs and clinics
- Use math and statistics to report results
- Asses, study, and treat those with mental health issues
What is Structuralism
An early school of Psychology that used introspection to explore the structural elements of the human mind
- Psychologist: Edward Bradford Titchener
What is Functionalism
A school of psychology that focused on how our mental and behavioral processes function - how they enable us to adapt, survive, and flourish.
Wilhelm Wundt
- First to study ‘atoms of the mind’
- Conducted first experiments in 1879
- Established first psychology laboratory
William James
- Created first psychology textbook
- Was a functionalist
- Preformed first lab experiments on memory
- First to have a female student (Mary Calkins)
APA
American Psychological Association
Mary Calkins
First APA Female president
Sigmund Freud
- Studied the importance of the unconscious mind and and it’s effects on human behaviors.
- Responsible for the birth of psychoanalysis
- Also studied ways emotional responses to childhood experiences effected our behaviors
Behaviorism
The view that psychology should be an objective science that studies behavior without reference to mental process.
- John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner (1960)
Humanistic psychology
Emphasized current environmental influences on our growth potential and out need for love and acceptance
- Abraham Maslow, Carl rogers
Cognitive Neuroscience
Interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language)
Biopsychosocial approach
An integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological, and social cultural levels of analysis
Biological Influences
- Natural selection of adaptive traits
- Genetic predispositions responding to environment
- Brain mechanisms
- Hormonal influences
Psychological Influences
- Learned fears and other learned expectations
- Emotional Responses
- Cognitive processing and perceptual interpretations
Social - Cultural Influences
- Presence of others
- Cultural, societal and family expectations
- Peer and group influence
- Compelling Models (such as in the media)
Neuroscience Perspective
How the body and brain enable neurochemistry, emotions, memories and sensory expectations
Evolutionary Perspective
How the natural selection of traits promoted the survival of genes
Behavior Genetics Perspective
How much of our DNA, genes and our environment influence our individual differences
Psychodynamic Perspective
How behavior springs from unconscious drives and conflicts
Behavioral Perspective
How do we learn observable responses
Cognitive Perspective
How we encode, process, store, and retrieve information. Experimenting with how we perceive, think, and solve problems
Social - Cultural Perspective
Variances of behavior and thinking across societies and cultures
