Psychology Major Perspectives and Concepts

Vocabulary flashcards covering major perspectives, fields of psychology, prenatal developmental conditions, historical milestones, and key psychoanalytic concepts.

Biological Perspective

Focuses on the physiological and genetic bases of behavior and mental processes, viewing the body and brain as key players in psychology.

Psychodynamic Perspective

Emphasizes unconscious processes and childhood experiences in shaping behavior, with a focus on inner conflicts.

Behavioral Perspective

Studies observable behavior and the ways it can be learned or unlearned through conditioning (classical and operant).

Humanistic Perspective

Highlights personal growth and the concept of self-actualization, emphasizing subjective experiences and human potential.

Cognitive Perspective

Examines mental processes such as thinking, memory, and problem-solving, viewing the mind as an information processor.

Positive Psychology

Focuses on strengths, resilience, and factors that contribute to a fulfilling life, promoting well-being.

Cross-Cultural Perspective

Explores how cultural factors influence behavior and mental processes, emphasizing the diversity of human experience.

Evolutionary Perspective

Investigates how evolution shapes behavior and cognitive processes, emphasizing survival and reproduction mechanisms.

Biological Psychologist

Studies the impact of biology on behavior, including genetics and neurochemistry.

Cognitive Psychologist

Focuses on mental processes like memory, language, and perception.

Developmental Psychologist

Examines human development across the lifespan, including cognitive, emotional, and social growth.

Experimental Psychologist

Conducts research to understand psychological phenomena through controlled experiments.

Personality Psychologist

Studies individual differences and traits that make up personality.

Clinical Psychologist

Diagnoses and treats mental disorders and emotional issues.

Educational Psychologist

Focuses on how people learn and the best practices for effective teaching.

Social Psychologist

Examines how individuals influence and are influenced by social environments.

Health Psychologist

Explores how psychological factors affect health and illness.

Industrial-Organizational Psychologist

Studies workplace behavior and applies psychological principles to improve organizational functioning.

Science of Fetal Origins

Refers to the study of how prenatal environments, including maternal health, nutrition, and stress, can influence the long-term health and development of offspring.

Interactive Dualism

Proposed by René Descartes, the idea that the mind and body are distinct but interact to influence one another.

Structuralism

School of psychology emphasized by Wilhelm Wundt that focused on analyzing consciousness into its basic elements.

Functionalism

School of psychology focused on by William James that centered on how mental processes help organisms adapt to their environment.

Psychoanalysis

School of psychology founded by Sigmund Freud that concentrated on the unconscious mind and its influence on behavior.

Gestalt Psychology

School of psychology associated with Max Wertheimer that focused on perception and how the whole differs from the sum of its parts.

Introspection

Examination of one’s own conscious thoughts and feelings, used primarily by the Structuralism school to study consciousness through subjective reports.

Self-Actualization

The realization of personal potential, self-fulfillment, and seeking personal growth.

Hysteria

A psychological disorder characterized by excessive or uncontrollable emotional states, often resulting in physical symptoms like paralysis or convulsions without a clear physiological cause.

Id

The primal part of the mind operating on the pleasure principle, which seeks immediate gratification driven by basic urges and desires.

Ego

The rational part of the mind operating on the reality principle, which mediates between the id and the external world.

Superego

The moral component of the mind that internalizes societal ideals and values, representing conscience and driving toward moral perfection.

Pleasure Principle

The instinctive drive to seek pleasure and avoid pain, primarily associated with the id.

Reality Principle

The ability of the ego to delay gratification and operate within the constraints of reality.

Moral Principle

The ethical standards of the superego, guiding behavior according to societal norms.

Manifest Content

The actual storyline and imagery of a dream as recalled by the dreamer.

Latent Content

The hidden, symbolic meaning of a dream, representing repressed desires and conflicts.

Libido

Refers to the energy of the sexual drive as a motivating force in human behavior, encompassing both sexual and creative energies.

Erogenous Zone

Areas of the body that are especially sensitive and can lead to sexual arousal.

Fixation

A persistent focus on an earlier psychosexual stage that may result from unresolved conflicts during that stage.

Oedipus Complex

A child's feelings of desire for the opposite-sex parent and jealousy toward the same-sex parent.

Castration Anxiety

The fear in boys that they will be punished (by castration) for their sexual feelings towards their mother.

Electra Complex

The female counterpart to the Oedipus complex, where a girl feels desire for her father and rivalry with her mother.

Penis Envy

A concept whereby a girl feels inferior due to lacking a penis, leading to envy towards males.

Free Association

A method in therapy where patients are instructed to say whatever comes to mind, without censorship, to uncover repressed thoughts and emotions.

Resistance

Refers to the patient’s reluctance to discuss certain thoughts or feelings in therapy, often indicating areas of repressed material.

Transference

Occurs when patients project feelings and attitudes related to significant figures in their lives onto the therapist.

Insight

In psychoanalysis, the awareness and understanding of one’s unconscious processes and how they influence behaviors and thoughts.

Archetypes

Universal, symbolic patterns inherent in the human psyche, expressed through myths, dreams, and art.

Collective Unconscious

A part of the unconscious mind shared among beings of the same species, containing archetypes.

Personal Unconscious

An individual’s unique experiences, memories, and repressed thoughts.

Inferiority Complex

A belief of inadequacy stemming from real or perceived deficiencies.

Superiority Complex

Overcompensation for feelings of inferiority, often manifesting as arrogance or disdain for others.

Womb Envy

A concept posited by Karen Horney suggesting that men might experience envy toward women’s ability to bear children.