W1: INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY

Question 1

what does psychology mean?

Answer 1

the science of behavior and mental processes in humans and animals

• science: systematic observation, reliable data
• behavior: measurable, observable actions
• mental process: covert private processes

Question 2

what are the goals of psychology?

Answer 2

Description, prediction, intervention/influence

Explanation: using theory: explanation of facts and casual relationships

Question 3

name 2 theories based on the nature of conscious experience ?

Answer 3

structuralism and gestalt psychology

Question 4

what does structuralism there mean and the founder and year?

Answer 4

• Wilhelm Wundt: the 1st psychological laboratory in 1879 in Germany.
• based on basic elements of conscious experience and the structure of mind.
• inrospection: the process of looking inward at ones own’s mind

Question 5

what does Gestalt psychology mean and the founder and year?

Answer 5

• Max Wertheimer- early 1900s
• said: stimuli have meaning only in context and focusses on the whole
• human consciousness cannot be broken down into simpler elements and the whole is different from the sum of the parts

Question 6

why was the phi phenomenon used by Gestalt psychologist?

Answer 6

to demonstrate that the whole is different from the sum of its parts.

Question 7

name 1 theory based on the nature of unconscious experience ?

Answer 7

Humanistic psychology

Question 8

what does Humanistic psychology entail, founder and year?

Answer 8

• Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow-1950s
• innate need for growth and self-actualisation
• conditions of love
• aspects of self not accepted by other are pushed into the unconscious

Question 9

name 1 theory based on the nature of behaviours?

Answer 9

Behaviorism

Question 10

what does behaviourism entail, founder and year?

Answer 10

• Watson , 1920s
• consciousness cannot be studied scientifically and it focusses on overt behaviours
• tabula-rasa:
• behaviour is the results of learning-pairing of stimulus response: pavlov’s experiments
• social leaning: Bandura’s work

Question 11

name 5 basic areas in Modern Psychology

Answer 11

biological, cognitive, development, personality and social psychology

Question 12

what does biological psychology entail?

Answer 12

• nervous system+ body+ bodily functions
• biological underpinnings of behaviour and mental processes
• comparison between animals and humans

Question 13

what does cognitive psychology entail?

Answer 13

• cognition: all intellectual/mental processes
• sensation/oerceotion: how do we sense/perceive/interptret incoming information
• learning/memeory: how do we learn new information and skills? how do we remember retrieve or forget past experiences?

Question 14

what does development psychology entail?

Answer 14

• changes during the lifespan in cognitive, social, physical and emotional domains
• from birth to old age

Question 15

what does personality psychology entail?

Answer 15

-individual differences in personality

motivation/emotion: needs.drives that guide our actions and goal directed behaviours

Question 16

what does social psychology entail?

Answer 16

• the influence of other people on our behaviours
• group processes and dynamics
• interpersonal relations
• sociocultural psychology:
• -emphasis on culture and other social influences
• understanding the Individual in context
• cultural relativity: thinking of difference in relative term rather than in judgemental terms

Question 17

name 5 applied areas in modern psychology?

Answer 17

clinical, counseling, educational, industrial and health psychology

Question 18

what does clinical psychology entail?

Answer 18

• understand/treat emotional and behavioural problems

- different from psychiatry

Question 19

what does counseling psychology entail?

Answer 19

• work with students in the school context

- handle school problems and assist students with career choices

Question 20

what does educational psychology entail?

Answer 20

• aims to facilitate learning in the classroom
• psychological testing
• special education programs

Question 21

what does industrial psychology entail?

Answer 21

• study humans in the work context

- Human Resources

Question 22

what does health psychology entail?

Answer 22

• investigate health-related behaviours

- explore the link between stress and health