Unit 1: Scientific Foundations

Question 1

scientific study that aims to solve practical problems

Answer 1

applied research

Question 2

pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base

Answer 2

basic research

Question 3

the scientific study of observable behavior, and its explanation by principles of learning

Answer 3

behavioral psychology

Question 4

the study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior

Answer 4

behavior genetics

Question 5

the view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes; most psychologists agree with (1) but not (2)

Answer 5

behaviorism

Question 6

the scientific study of the links between biological (genetic, neural, hormonal) and psychological processes

Answer 6

biological pyschology

Question 7

an integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological, and social-cultural viewpoints

Answer 7

biopsychosocial approach

Question 8

a branch of psych that studies, assesses, and treats people with psych disorders

Answer 8

clinical psychology

Question 9

the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language)

Answer 9

cognitive neuroscience

Question 10

the study of mental processes, such as occur when we perceive, learn, remember, think, communicate, and solve problems

Answer 10

cognitive psychology

Question 11

a branch of psych that studies how people interact with their social environments and how social institutions affect individuals and groups

Answer 11

community psychology

Question 12

a branch of psych that assists people with problems in living (often related to school, work, or marriage) and in achieving greater well-being

Answer 12

counseling psychology

Question 13

thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions; rather, it examines assumptions, appraises the source, discerns hidden biases, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions

Answer 13

critical thinking

Question 14

the enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next

Answer 14

culture

Question 15

a branch of psych that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span

Answer 15

developmental psychology

Question 16

the study of how psych processes affect and can enhance teaching and learning

Answer 16

educational psychology

Question 17

the idea that knowledge comes from experience, and that observation and experimentation enable scientific knowledge

Answer 17

empiricism

Question 18

the study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection

Answer 18

evolutionary psychology

Question 19

an early school of thought promoted by James and influenced by Darwin; explored how mental and behavioral processes function–how they enable the organism to adapt, survive, and flourish

Answer 19

functionalism

Question 20

a field of psych allied with I/O psych that explores how people and machines interact and how machines and physical environments can be made safe and easy to use

Answer 20

human factors psychology

Question 21

a historically significant perspective that emphasized human growth potential

Answer 21

humanistic psychology

Question 22

the application of psych concepts and methods to optimizing human behavior in workplaces

Answer 22

industrial-organizational psychology

Question 23

the process of looking inward in an attempt to directly observe one’s own psych processes

Answer 23

introspection

Question 24

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

Answer 24

natural selection

Question 25

the longstanding controversy over the relative contributions that genes and experience make to the development of psych traits and behaviors; today’s science sees traits and behaviors arising from the interactions of nature and nurture

Answer 25

nature-nurture issue

Question 26

the study of individuals’ characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling, and acting

Answer 26

personality psychology

Question 27

the scientific study of human flourishing, with the goals of discovering and promoting strengths and virtues that help individuals and communities to thrive

Answer 27

positive psychology

Question 28

a branch of medicine dealing with psychological disorders; practiced by physicians who are licensed to provide medical (ex: drug) treatments as well as psych therapy

Answer 28

psychiatry

Question 29

a branch of psych that studied how unconscious drives and conflicts influence behavior and uses that info to treat people with psych disorders

Answer 29

psychodynamic psychology

Question 30

the science of behavior and mental processes

Answer 30

psychology

Question 31

the scientific study of the measurement of human abilities, attitudes, and traits

Answer 31

psychometrics

Question 32

the study of how situations and cultures affect our behavior and thinking

Answer 32

social-cultural psychology

Question 33

the scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another

Answer 33

social psychology

Question 34

a study method incorporating 5 steps (SQ3R)

Answer 34

survey, question, read, retrieve, review

Question 35

an early school of thought promoted by Wundt and Titchener; used introspection to reveal the structure of the human mind

Answer 35

structuralism

Question 36

enhanced memory after retrieving, rather than simply rereading, info

Answer 36

testing effect