Introduction to Psychology: Foundations, Fields, and Branches

Vocabulary flashcards covering core definitions, distinctions between sciences, signs of pseudoscience, and major branches of psychology.

The Humanities

Fields of knowledge that use critical analyses to study human aspects.

The Social Sciences

Fields of knowledge that use scientific approaches to study human aspects.

The Physical Sciences

Fields of knowledge that use scientific approaches to study physical aspects of the world.

Sociology

The scientific study of human society and its origins, development, organizations, and institutions, using empirical observations of data and trends about social groups to make conclusions.

Anthropology

The study of humans, past and present, dealing primarily with group culture and its manifestations, largely utilizing qualitative methods.

Economics

The field that deals with the production, distribution, and consumption of limited goods and services to satisfy unlimited human wants and needs, examining the exchange of valuables and human reactions to economic changes.

Psychology (Lilenfeld & Steven, 2018 definition)

The scientific study of mind, brain and behavior.

Psychology (Merriam-Webster definitions)

1: The science of mind and behavior; 2a: The mental or behavioral characteristics of an individual or group; b: The study of mind and behavior in relation to a particular field of knowledge or activity.

ABC of Human Beings

The core aspects of humans studied in psychology: Affect, Behavior, and Cognition.

Ad Hoc Immunizing Hypotheses

A warning sign of psychological pseudoscience where escape hatches or excuses are retroactively created to protect a claim from falsification when an experiment fails.

Overreliance on Anecdotes

A pseudoscience warning sign that involves relying heavily on personal stories or testimonials rather than systematic empirical research to justify a claim.

Psycho-babble / Pseudo-technical Jargon

A pseudoscience warning sign characterized by using scientific-sounding words and technical terminology to make baseless or non-scientific claims sound legitimate.

Lack of Self-Correction

A warning sign of pseudoscience wherein proponents continue asserting a claim even after multiple scientific studies have repeatedly disproven it.

Biopsychology

The branch of psychology focused on the nervous system and related physiological body systems.

Cognitive Psychology

The branch of psychology investigating the concepts and mechanisms of learning, memory, thoughts, and thinking.

Assessment Psychology and Psychometrics

The subfield dedicated to measuring, quantifying, and developing reliable and valid instruments for abstract ideas and psychological concepts.

Developmental Psychology

The branch of psychology that tracks and predicts changes in affect, behavior, and cognition across time and different life stages.

Abnormal Psychology

The branch of psychology dealing with psychological states of mind and illnesses that deviate from normative or expected functioning.

Personality Psychology

The branch of psychology focused on explaining individual differences across people's affect, behavior, and cognitions.

Social Psychology

The branch of psychology explaining how people interact and behave in the presence of and with other people.

Industrial-Organizational Psychology

The subfield applying psychological principles to corporate settings and workplace concerns, such as employee compensation and work motivation.

Cultural/Indigenous Psychology

The branch of psychology examining cultural differences and unique cultural traits or concepts that affect psychological aspects of individuals.

APA Divisions

A collection of 54 special interest sub-communities within the American Psychological Association representing distinct areas of study and professional practice in psychology.