History of Psychology

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, theories, experiments, and notable figures from the history of psychology as presented in the lecture notes.

Experimental psychology

The branch that began in 1879 with Wilhelm Wundt’s lab, using controlled experiments to study mental processes.

Wilhelm Wundt

Founder of experimental psychology; established the first psychology laboratory in 1879 and studied conscious experience with introspection and reaction-time methods.

Introspection

A method of examining and reporting one’s own conscious experiences in response to stimuli.

Reaction time experiments

Methods used to infer mental processes by measuring the speed of responses to stimuli.

Structuralism

Early school of thought aiming to identify the basic elements of consciousness through introspection.

Edward Titchener

Proponent of structuralism who emphasized breaking conscious experience into building blocks.

Functionalism

School of thought focusing on the function of mind and behavior and how they aid adaptation to the environment.

William James

Key figure in functionalism; emphasized the purpose and adaptive function of mental processes.

Darwin

Charles Darwin; his theory of evolution underpins functionalism and the idea of natural selection.

Behaviorism

School emphasizing environmental forces shaping observable behavior; dominated research into the early-mid 20th century.

John B. Watson

Founder of behaviorism; argued psychology should study observable behavior and environmental stimuli.

B. F. Skinner

Leading behaviorist who analyzed how reinforcement and environment shape behavior.

Gestalt psychology

School proposing that the whole of experience is different from the sum of its parts; emphasis on perception as organized wholes.

Max Wertheimer

One of the founders of Gestalt psychology; studied perception and is known for the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of parts.

Wolfgang Kohler

Gestalt psychologist famous for insight learning studies in chimpanzees.

Psychoanalytic theory

Freud’s theory emphasizing unconscious mental forces and conflicts that influence behavior and mental disorders.

Sigmund Freud

Neurologist who developed psychoanalytic theory and the study of unconscious processes.

Humanistic psychology

Perspective led by Maslow and Rogers focusing on human potential, growth, and the concept of positive psychology.

Abraham Maslow

Humanistic psychologist known for the hierarchy of needs and a focus on growth and self-actualization.

Carl Rogers

Humanistic psychologist who emphasized client-centered therapy and personal growth.

Cognitive psychology

Study of internal mental processes that influence behavior; focuses on perception, memory, thinking, and problem solving.

George Miller

Cognitive psychologist known for exploring internal mental processes and contributing to the information-processing view.

Ulric Neisser

Cognitive psychologist who helped establish cognitive psychology as a formal field.

Cognitive neuroscience

Interdisciplinary field studying the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive processes.

Mind-body problem

Philosophical question about whether the mind and body are separate; modern view sees the mind as a product of neurobiological processes.

Nature vs. nurture

Debate over whether genetics (nature) or environment (nurture) primarily shapes behavior and development; both contribute.

Margaret Washburn

First woman to receive a PhD in psychology (1894).

Mary Whiton Calkins

Prominent psychologist who became the first female president of the APA in 1905; studied memory and self-psychology.

Christine Ladd-Franklin

Early female psychologist recognized for color-vision research; listed among the 50 most important U.S. psychologists in 1908.

Francis Sumner

First African American to receive a PhD in psychology (1920); established a psychology program at Howard University.