Psychology Chapter 1 Notes

Vocabulary flashcards covering introductory psychology terms, historical schools of thought, key figures, and modern psychological perspectives.

Empirical

Based on observation or experience; learning something requires observing it.

René Descartes' View of the Mind

The philosophical belief that the mind and body are separate, but interact through the pineal gland.

Wilhelm Wundt

The founder and father of psychology (1832-1920) who combined physiology and philosophy, defining psychology as the scientific study of conscious experience.

Consciousness

The state of mind of awareness of an external object or something within oneself.

Structuralism

A school of thought stating that psychology should analyze consciousness into basic elements (sensations, feelings, images) and investigate how these elements are related.

Introspection

A method used in Structuralism where highly trained participants examine their mental processes for basic elements.

Psychoanalysis

A theory and treatment approach that attempts to explain personality, motivation, and mental disorders by focusing on unconscious determinants of behavior.

Freudian Slips

Slips in speech or behavior that give clues to the unconscious mind.

John B. Watson

The founder of Behaviorism who proposed that psychology should strictly be the scientific study of observable behavior and emphasized nurture over nature.

Behaviorism

A school of thought asserting that psychology should be the scientific study of observable (overt) behavior, abandoning the study of consciousness.

Behavior

An overt (observable) response or activity by an organism.

B. F. Skinner

A behaviorist (1904-1990) who insisted that mental states cannot be studied scientifically, behaviors are driven by environmental consequences (rewards and punishments), and free will is an illusion.

Clinical Psychology

A branch of psychology concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of psychological problems and disorders, which gained prominence following the World Wars.

Cognition

The mental processes involved in acquiring knowledge, including thinking or conscious experience.

Humanism

A theoretical perspective associated with Rogers and Maslow that stresses the unique qualities of human behavior and personal growth potential, viewing psychoanalytic and behaviorist theories as dehumanizing.

Biological Psychology

A perspective holding that behavior and cognition can be understood through anatomical and chemical processes in the brain and body.

Evolutionary Psychology

A perspective that examines behavioral processes in terms of their adaptive value, proposing that natural selection favors behaviors that enhance reproductive success.

Modern Definition of Psychology

A science studying behavior and its physiological and cognitive underpinnings, as well as a profession that applies knowledge from science to practical problems.