Ch.1 History and Approaches

Psychology

the study of behavior and mental processes

Wilhelm Wundt

started the 1st Psych lab in Germany where he gathered research data and is the founder of modern psychology

Empiricism

refers to the view that knowledge originates in experience and that science should, therefore, rely on observation and experimentation

Structuralism

early school of psychology that used introspection to explore the structural elements of the human mind

humanistic psychology

the perspective of psychology founded by Maslow and Rogers that emphasized the growth potential of healthy people as influenced by their environment

nature-nurture debate

controversy over the relative contributions that genes and experience make to our development - twin studies

Neuroscience/Biopsychology

the perspective of psychology that focus on how genetics and brain structures affect our mental life

Psychoanalytic

the perspective that focuses on how behavior springs from unconscious drives and conflicts

Behavioral Perspective

the perspective that was founded by John Watson and focuses on the scientific study of observable behavior

evolutionary psychology

the perspective that emphasizes the role that natural selection and adaptation influences our current behavior

Cognitive Psychology

the perspective that focuses on how we encode, process, store, and retrieve information into memory

social-cultural psychology

the perspective that studies how situations and cultures affect our behavior and thinking

psychiatry

the medical doctors who provide psychotherapy and are licensed to prescribe drugs

Functionalism

the school of psychology that focused on how our mental and behavioral processes function and how they enable us to adapt, survive, and thrive

William James

Founder of functionalism, the author of the first psychology textbook and who coined the term "stream of consciousness"

bio-psycho-social perspective

the influences of biological, psychological, and social-cultural factors

clinical psychology

the branch of psychology that studies, assesses, and treats people with psychological disorders

Sigmund Freud

the name of the man who founded psychoanalytical psychology and focused on the unconscious mind

eclectic approach

the psychological approach which considers several perspectives as complementary in giving a more complete understanding of behavior

developmental psychology

a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span

introspection

the early structuralists psychological practice of careful systematic self-observation of one's own conscious experiences

American Psychological Association (APA)

the world's largest Psychological organization

Industrial Psychology

the specialty of psychology which focuses on maximizing worker efficiency and morale

Abraham Maslow

the humanist theorist who came up with the hierarchy of needs

consciousness

the awareness of immediate experience

Counseling Psychologist

the psychologists who work with clients who are going through tough times in their lives

Applied Psychology

the specialty of psychology which attempts to solve practical problems

Margaret Washburn

First female to be awarded a PhD in psychology; 2nd president of the APA (1921)

Sociohistorical context

connections that exist between what happens in psychology and what happens in society at large

positive psychology

the scientific study of optimal human functioning; aims to discover and promote strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive

Introspection

A method of self-observation in which participants report their thoughts and feelings

free association

in psychoanalysis, a method of exploring the unconscious in which the person relaxes and says whatever comes to mind, no matter how trivial or embarrassing