Chapter 1: Introduction to Psychology - Vocab

Structuralism

Understanding the conscious experience through introspection

Functionalism

Focused on how mental activities helped an organism adapt to its environment

****Psychoanalytic Theory****

Focuses on the role of the unconscious in affecting conscious behavior

***Gestalt Psychology***

Focuses on humans as a whole rather than individual parts

Behaviorism

Focuses on observing and controlling behavior

Humanism

Emphassizes the potential for good that is innate to all humans

Mentalism

Non-Material mind; the idea of a soul, psyche, spirit

Monism

A lot of our mind/consciousness is tied to our natural habitat

Dualism

Tries to marry mentalism and their understanding, time wise, to the physical mind

Phrenology

The study of the shape and size of the brain

Sudo-Science

Something that mimics or looks likes a science but its not

Introspection

Examination or observation of your mental and emotional process

Classical Conditioning

Organisms learn to associate events that repeatedly happen together

Biopsychology

Explores how our biology influences our behavior; how the structure and function of the nervous system generate behavior

Sensation and Perception

Sensing info from the environment, then experience it and how you interpret it

Sensation = What do I detect?

Perception = What does it mean?

Cognitive Psychology

The area of psychology that focuses on studying cognitions (thoughts) and their relationship to our experiences and actions

Developmental Psychology

Study of development across and lifespan; processes related to physical maturation

Personality Psychology

Focuses on patterns of thoughts and behaviors that make each individual unique

Social Psychology

Focuses on how ew interact with and relate to others

Industrial-Organizational Psychology

Subfield of psychology that applies psychological theories, principles, and research findings in industrial and organizational settings

Health Psychology

Focuses on how health is affected by the interaction of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors

Sport and Exercise Psychology

Study of the psychological aspects of sport performance, including motivation and performance anxiety, and the effects of sports on mental and emotional wellbeing

Clinical Psychology

Area of psychology that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders and other problematic patterns of behavior

Counseling Psychology

Focuses on emotional, social, vocational, and health-related outcomes in individuals who are considered psychologically healthy

Forensic Psychology

Deals questions of psychology as they arise in the context of the justice system

American Psychological Association (APA)

Professional organizations representing psychologists in the US

Biopsychosocial Model

Perspective that asserts that biology, psychology, and social factors interact to determine an individual’s health

Dissertation

Long research paper about research that was conducted as a part of the candidate’s doctoral training

Empirical Method

Method for acquiring knowledge based on observation, including experimentation, rather than a method based only on forms of logical argument or previous authorities

-ology

Suffix that denotes “scientific study of”

Personality Trait

Consistent pattern of though and behavior

PhD

(Doctor of Philosophy) doctoral degree conferred in many disciplinary perspectives housed in a traditional college of liberal arts and sciences

Postdoctoral Training Program

Allows young scientists to further develop their research programs and

broaden their research skills under the supervision of other professionals in the field

Psychology

Scientific study of the mind and behavior

PsyD

(Doctor of Psychology) Doctoral degree that places less emphasis on research-oriented skills and focuses more on application of psychological principles in the clinical context

Cognitive Revolution

By the 1950’s, new disciplinary perspectives in linguistics, neuroscience, and computer science were emerging.

The mind became the new focus of scientific inquiry.