Ap Psych Unit 1

Functionalism

early school of thought promoted by James and influenced by Darwin; explored how mental and behavioral processes function-how they enable the organism to adapt

Behavioral

perspective that studies human behavior. Behaviorism observed and measured human behavior in various settings and circumstances.

Socio-cultural

Social interaction and the cultural determinants of behavior and mental processes Key words: Culture

Biological Psychology

a branch of psychology concerned with the links between biology and behavior

Biopsychosocial

explores how the biological

Cognitive Psychology

the scientific study of all the mental activities associated with thinking

Community Psychology

a branch of psychology that studies how people interact with their social environments and how social institutions affect individuals and groups

Psychology

the science of behavior and mental processes

Basic Research

pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base

Applied Research

scientific study that aims to solve practical problems

Structuralism

an early school of psychology that used introspection to explore the elemental structure of the human mind People associated: Edward Titchener

Behaviorism

the view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes. Most research psychologists today agree with (1) but not with (2). People associated: Ivan Pavlov John

Pyschoanalysis

emphasized the ways our unconscious thought processes and our emotional responses to childhood experiences affects our behavior ;People associated: Sigmund Freud

Gestalt

an organized whole. Gestalt psychologists emphasized our tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes ;People associated: Max Wertheimer

Biological

focuses on how the body and its biological processes

Evolutionary

focuses on evolutionary ideas such as adaptation

Psychodynamic

A psychological perspective that analyzes how behavior springs from unconscious drives and conflicts;Key terms: unconsciousness

Cognitive

focuses on the mental processes involved in knowing; how we direct our attention; perceive; remember

Humanistic

historically significant perspective that emphasized the growth potential of healthy people and the individual's potential for personal growth ;People associated: Carl Rogers

Counseling Psychology

a branch of psychology that assists people with problems in living (often related to school

Development Psychology

a branch of psychology that studies physical

Educational Psychology

the study of how psychological processes affect and can enhance teaching and learning

Experimental Psychology

the study of behavior and thinking using the experimental method

Human Factors Psychology

an I/O psychology subfield that explores how people and machines interact and how machines and physical environments can be made safe and easy to use

Industrial/Organizational Psychology

the application of psychological concepts and methods to optimizing human behavior in workplaces

Personality Psychology

the study of an individual's characteristic pattern of thinking

Social Psychology

the scientific study of how we think about

Positive Psychology

the scientific study of human functioning

Case Study

a descriptive technique in which one individual or group is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles

Naturalistic Observation

a descriptive technique of observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation

Survey

a descriptive technique for obtaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a particular group

Correlation

When two variables change together

Experimental

the researcher manipulates one of the variables and tries to determine how the manipulation influences other variables

Longitudinal

describes research that measures a trait in a particular group of subjects over a long period of time

Cross-Sectional

type of study that measures a variable across several age groups at the same time

Theory

an explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes observations and predicts behaviors or events

Hypothesis

A testable prediction

Replication

repeating the essence of a research study ;Population all those in a group being studied