Unit 1 Flashcards
Critical Thinking
Thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions.
Rather, it examines assumptions, appraises the source, discerns
hidden biases, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions.
Empiricism
The idea that knowledge comes from experience, and that observation and experimentation enable scientific knowledge
Structuralism
An early school of thought promoted by Wilhelm Wundt and Edward
Titchener; used introspection to reveal the structure of the mind
introspection
The process of looking inward in an attempt to directly observe one’s own psychological processes
functionalism
An early school of thought promoted by William James and influenced
by Charles Darwin; explored how mental and behavioural processes
function - how they enable the organism to adapt, survive, and
flourish
behaviourism
The view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2)
studies behaviour without reference to mental processes. Most
psychologists today agree with (1) but not with (2)
Gestalt psychology
Argued against dividing human thought and behaviour into discrete
structures. Examined a person’s total experience since the way one
experiences the world is more than just an accumulation of various
perceptual experiences.
experimental psychology
The field of psychology that conducts experiments do study behaviour
and thinking
humanistic psychology
A historically significant perspective that emphasized human growth
potential
Socrates
Greek philosopher who believed that knowledge is innate
Aristotle
Greek philosopher who believed knowledge comes from experience
Francis Bacon
British researcher who emphasized observation and experimentation
René Descartes
French philosopher who believed the kind and body are separate
John Locke
A British political philosopher who believed the mind at birth is a
“tabula rasa”
Wilhelm Wundt
He established the first psychology lab in 1879 in Germany
Max Wertheimer
A proponent of Gestalt psychology
Stanley Hall
A student of Wundt Established the first formal psychology lab in the US in 1883 at Johns Hopkins University
Stanley Hall
A student of Wundt Established the first formal psychology lab in the US in 1883 at Johns Hopkins University
Edward Titchener
A student of Wundt Used introspection to search for the mind’s structural elements Introduced “structuralism”
William James
A legendary professor who wrote an important text on psychology in 1890. He was inspired by Charles Darwin and believed that thoughts and feelings were evolved functions. They were adaptive which helped our ancestors to survive. This made him a functionalist.
Mary Whiton Calkins
A student of William James at Harvard She became a famed memory researcher and the first female president of the American Psychological Association (APA) in 1905.
Margaret FLoy Washburn Image:
She was the first woman to officially receive a Ph.D. in psychology. She became a famed researcher in animal behaviour and wrote the important book, “The Animal Mind”
Ivan Pavlov
A Russian physiologist who pioneered the study of learning with his classical conditioning experiments
John B. Watson
He rejected introspection and redefined psychology as the study of observable behaviour Behaviourism became one of the two most important forces in psychology well into the 1960s.
B. F. Skinner
Like Watson, Skinner rejected introspection and became a leading behaviourist. He focussed his research on how consequences shape behaviour
Sigmund Freud
He was a famed personality theorist who was a leading proponent of psychoanalytic theory. Psychoanalytic Theory and Behaviourism became the two leading forces in psychology well into the 1960s.
Carl Rogers
He was a famed humanistic psychologist. Humanistic psychologists rejected behaviourism and Freudian psychology in the 1960s. Instead he focussed on our potential for personal growth
Abraham Maslow
A famed humanistic psychologist who rejected behaviourism and Freudian Theory. He became famous for his “Hierarchy of Needs”
cognitive psychology
The study of mental processes, such as occur when we perceive, learn, remember, think, communicate, and solve problems
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
behaviour
Any action an organism does that we can observe and record.
mental processes
MENTAL PROCESSES are the internal, subjective experiences we infer from behavior - sensations, perceptions, dreams, thoughts, beliefs, and feelings.
nature-nurture issue
The longstanding controversy over the relative contributions that genes and experience make to the development of psychological traits and behaviours. Today’s science sees traits and behaviours arising from the interaction of nature and nurture
natural selection
The principle that inherited traits that better enable an organism to survive and reproduce in a particular environment will (in competition with other trait variations) most likely be passed on to succeeding generations
evolutionary psychology
The. study of the evolution of behaviour and the mind, using principles of natural selection
behavior genetics
The study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior
culture
The enduring behaviours, ideas, attitudes, values, and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next
positive psychology
The scientific study of human flourishing, with the goals of discovering and promoting strengths and virtues that help individuals and communities to thrive
biopsychosocial approach
An integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological, and social-cultural viewpoints
behavioral psychology
The scientific study of observable behaviour, and its explanation by principles of learning
biological psychology
The scientific study of the links between biological (genetic, neural, hormonal) and psychological processes (Some biological psychologists call themselves behavioural neuroscientists, neuropsychologists, behaviour geneticists, physiological psychologists, or biopsychologists)
psychodynamic psychology
A branch of psychology that studies how unconscious drives and conflicts influence behavior and uses that information to treat people with psychological disorders
social-cultural psychology
The study of how situations and cultures affect our behaviour and thinking
Charles Darwin
Darwin is famous for his scientific theory of evolution by natural selection. He argued that species evolve through adaptation which helps them to survive and reproduce.
Martin Seligman
An American psychologist who is a strong proponent of the positive psychology approach.
psychometrics (quantitative psychology)
The scientific study of the measurement of human abilities, attitudes, and traits.
basic research
Pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base.
developmental psychology
A branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social changes throughout the lifespan.
educational psychology
The study of how psychological processes affect and can enhance teaching and learning.
personality psychology
The study of individuals’ characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling, and acting.
social psychology
The scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another.
