AP Psychology - Unit 0: Historical Perspectives and Key Concepts in Psychology

psychology

the scientific study of behavior and mental processes

Plato

believed experiences create a subjective reality and cannot be observed

we each have our own perception unique to our own life experiences

Aristotle

believed the way to understand the essence of something was to study examples in nature

observation and data

human behaviors subject to rules and laws

Rene Descartes

dualism vs. monism

dualism

2 part quality to humans

2 parts interact

a physical brain and soul

monism

nothing exists except physical matter

mind is a function of the brain

John Locke

believed:

tabula rasa

experiences shape the person

behaviorism

empiricism: examine data not using intuition or reason alone

nature vs. nurture

tabula rasa

blank slate

behaviorism

a theory of learning that focuses solely on observable behaviors, discounting the importance of mental activity such as thinking, wishing, and hoping

empiricism

gaining knowledge through the observation of events, the collection of data, and logical reasoning

Nature vs. Nurture

concept asking, "do genes or environmental factors contribute more to a person's being?"

Wilhelm Wundt

debut of modern psychology as a lab science

1879 established first psychology lab is Leipzig, Germany

established structuralism

tried to understand basic elements of consciousness

introspection

looking inside our own minds, by focusing on our thoughts (literally "looking inside")

Edward Titchener

student of Wilhelm Wundt

coined the term "structuralism"

structuralism

Wundt's approach to discovering the basic elements, or structures, of mental processes

so-called because of its focus on identifying the structures of the human mind

William James

founded functionalism

Charles Darwin

1859 published his ideas on the origin of species

a centerpiece of his theory was the principle of natural selection

theory of evolution

states that organisms change and develop over time to adapt an increased rate of survival

stream of consciousness

term used by William James to describe the mind as a continuous flow of changing sensations, images, thoughts, and feelings

functionalism

James' approach to mental processes, emphasizing the functions and purposes of the mind and behavior in the individual's adaptation to the environment

Mary Whiton Calkins

American psychologist who conducted research on memory, personality, and dreams

first woman president of the American Psychological Association

student of William James

Margaret Floy Washburn

a leading American psychologist in the early 20th century

known for her experimental work in animal behavior and motor theory development

the first woman to be granted a PhD in psychology

Dorthea Dix

a reformer and pioneer in the movement to treat the insane as mentally ill

beginning in the 1820s, she was responsible for improving conditions in jails, poorhouses, and insane asylums throughout the U.S. and Canada

Gestalt Psychology

a school of thought interested in how people naturally organize their perceptions according to certain patterns

Sigmund Freud

the founding father of the psychoanalytic approach

psychoanalytic approach

an approach to psychology focusing on unconscious thought, the conflict between biological drives and society's demands, and early childhood family experiences

unconscious

according to Freud, a reservoir of mostly unacceptable thoughts, wishes, feelings, and memories

latent

according to Freud, a dream's hidden content

its unconscious and true meaning

id

the Freudian structure of personality consisting of unconscious drives

the individuals' reservoir of sexual energy

superego

the Freudian structure of personality that serves as the harsh internal judge of our behavior; what we often call conscience

ego

the Freudian structure of personality that deals with the demands of reality

behaviorist

a psychologist who analyzes how organisms learn or modify their behavior based on their response to events in the environment

John Watson

early behaviorist

famous for the "Little Albert" experiments on fear conditioning

Edward Thorndike

psychologist who created the law of effect

believed rewarded behavior is likely to recur

stimulus and response learning

the ability to learn to perform a particular behavior when a particular stimulus is present

classical conditioning

learning process in which a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an innately meaningful stimulus and acquires the capacity to elicit a similar response

Ivan Pavlov

psychologist that developed classical conditioning theory of learning

conducted famous salivating dogs experiment to research classical conditioning

B.F. Skinner

pioneer of operant conditioning who believed that everything we do is determined by our past history of rewards and punishments

Skinner Box

a laboratory apparatus used to study operant conditioning in animals, which typically contains a lever that animals can press to dispense food as reinforcement

operant conditioning

a form of associative learning in which the consequences of a behavior change the probability of the behavior's occurrence

cognitive approach

an approach to psychology focusing on the mental processes involved in knowing: how we direct our attention, perceive, remember, think, and solve problems

Jean Piaget

a Swiss psychologist most famously known for his theory of cognitive development that looked at how children develop intellectually throughout the course of childhood

humanistic approach

an approach to psychology focusing on a person's positive qualities, the capacity for positive growth, and the freedom to choose one's own destiny

Carl Rogers

psychologist best known for developing the psychotherapy method called client-centered therapy and for being one of the founders of humanistic psychology

Abraham Maslow

an American psychologist who was best known for creating the Hierarchy of Needs

Hierarchy of Needs

a theory of psychological health developed by Abraham Maslow, predicated on fulfilling innate human needs in priority, culminating in self-actualization

sociocultural Approach

an approach to psychology focusing on the ways in which social and cultural environments influence behavior

biological approach

an approach to psychology focusing on the body, especially the brain and nervous system

evolutionary psychologists

psychologists who focuses on evolutionary ideas such as adaptation, reproduction, and natural selection as the basis for explaining specific human behaviors

biopsychosocial model

a model that sees health as the result of biological, psychological, and social factors

applied psychologists

psychologists who use the knowledge developed by experimental psychologists to solve human problems

basic psychologists

psychologists who research without concern to personal or social problems

psychiatrist

a physician with a medical degree who subsequently specializes in abnormal behavior and psychotherapy

can prescribe drugs

has an interest in improving the lives of people with mental health problems

clinical psychologists

typically have a doctoral degree in psychology, which requires approximately four to five years of graduate work and one year of internship in a mental health facility

cannot prescribe drugs

have an interest in improving the lives of people with mental health problems

counseling psychologists

sometimes work with people to help solve practical problems in life

may work with students, advising them about personal problems and career planning

human factors psychologists

make technical systems more user-friendly

typically background in engineering

industrial-organizational psychologists

study the relationship between people and work to increase efficiency

study behavior of people in organizations like businesses

school psychologists

identify and assist students with learning problems

work in gifted programs, special education, IQ testing, and individual education plans

biological psychologists

study behaviors and mental processes from a biological perspective

provide insight into the causes of and treatments for psychological disorders

a complex interaction between a person's biology and their behavior and mental processes

cognitive psychologists

examine attention, consciousness, information processing, and memory

interested in skills and abilities such as problem solving, decision making, expertise, and intelligence

developmental psychologists

concerned with how people become who they are, from conception to death

concentrate on the biological and environmental factors that contribute to human development

study child development but also adult development and aging

educational psychologists

research learning issues

make tests such as SATs

research how people learn

basic psychologists

experimental psychologists

psychologists who explore behavior and thinking with experiments

psychometric psychologists

design and evaluate tests of mental abilities, aptitudes, interests, and personality

personality psychologists

consider personality, consisting of the relatively enduring characteristics of individuals

study topics such as traits, goals, motives, genetics, personality development, and well-being

interested in those aspects of your psychological makeup that make you uniquely you

social psychologists

deal with people's interactions with one another, relationships, social perceptions, social cognition, and attitudes

interested in the influence of groups on our thinking and behavior and in the ways that the groups to which we belong influence our attitudes