Historical Perspectives on Understanding Human Behaviour

Psychosis

A mental disorder characterized by a disconnection from reality.

Delirium

A serious disturbance in mental abilities that results in confused thinking and reduced awareness of the environment.

Convulsions

A sudden, violent, and irregular movement of a group of muscles.

Epilepsy

A neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizure activities.

Dementia

A group of symptoms affecting memory, thinking, and social abilities severely enough to interfere with daily life.

Huntington's disease

A genetic disorder that causes the progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain.

Tourette's syndrome

A neurological disorder characterized by repetitive, involuntary movements and sounds.

Extreme paranoia

An irrational and persistent feeling of being persecuted or harmed.

Trance states

A state of altered consciousness often associated with meditation or hypnosis.

Fugue states

A dissociative disorder characterized by a temporary loss of personal identity.

Black bile

According to ancient belief, one of the four humors, thought to cause sadness when in excess.

Yellow bile

According to ancient belief, one of the four humors associated with irritability when in excess.

Phlegm

According to ancient belief, one of the four humors that caused calmness when in excess.

Blood

According to ancient belief, one of the four humors that was thought to be associated with a sociable and carefree temperament when in excess.

Sanguine

A temperament characterized by being sociable and carefree, believed to result from excessive blood.

Phlegmatic

A temperament characterized by calmness and unemotional behavior, believed to result from excessive phlegm.

Choleric

A temperament characterized by ambition and energy, believed to result from excessive yellow bile.

Melancholic

A temperament characterized by thoughtfulness and depression, believed to result from excessive black bile.

Hysteria

A psychological disorder characterized by excessive emotional response and various physical symptoms.

Parapraxis

A Freudian slip reflecting unconscious thoughts and feelings.

Behaviourism

A psychological approach that focuses on observable behaviors and the ways they are learned.

Cognitive-Social Theory

A theory that emphasizes the interaction of cognitive factors, environment, and behavior in shaping personality.

Trait Theories

Theories that focus on the identification and measurement of specific personality traits.

Big Factors (OCEAN)

A model of personality that includes five major traits: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.

Medical model

A perspective that attributes psychological disorders to biological factors.

Structuralism

Study of how our minds make meaning through small step-by-step cognitive processes.

Functionalism

Study of how our minds adapt to external stimuli in order to helo us survive and thrive in our environments.

Introscpection

A method of self-observation where individuals report their thoughts and feelings to understand conscious experiences. Included in Structuralism.

Humanistic approach emphasizes…

the importance of personal growth, self-actualization, and the subjective experience of individuals.

Cognitive approach emphasizes…

the role of mental processes such as perception, memory, and problem-solving in understanding behavior. how people process and store information.

Behavioural neuroscience emphasizes…

the study of the relationship between brain function and behavior, focusing on how biological processes influence actions and decision-making.

Psychodynamic approach emphasizes…

the influence of unconscious processes and childhood experiences on behavior and personality.

Evolutionary psychology emphasizes…

the role of evolutionary principles in shaping human behavior, focusing on how certain traits and behaviors may have developed to enhance survival and reproduction.

Sociocultural approach emphasizes…

the impact of social and cultural factors on behavior, including norms, values, and traditions.

Behavioural approach emphasizes…

the importance of observable behaviors and the ways in which they're learned through interactions with the environment.

Personality

is a combination of traits and patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that make an individual unique. It encompasses inherent characteristics as well as environmental influences.

Id

Is about instant pleasure. It doesn’t care about rules or consequences. It wasnts to feel good instantly.

Ego

is the rational part of the personality that mediates between the desires of the id and the realities of the external world, helping to balance impulses and societal expectations.

Superego

is the moral component of personality, incorporating the values and rules of society which guide behavior and help regulate the id and ego.

Oral stage

A psychosexual stage of development proposed by Freud, occurring from birth to about 18 months, where pleasure centers on the mouth through activities such as sucking and biting.

Anal stage

A psychosexual stage of development identified by Freud, typically occurring between 18 months to 3 years, focused on pleasure derived from controlling bladder and bowel movements.

Phallic stage

A psychosexual stage of development described by Freud, occurring between ages 3 and 6, where pleasure focuses on the genitals and children begin to identify with the same-sex parent.

Latencystage

A psychosexual stage of development proposed by Freud, lasting from age 6 to puberty, during which sexual feelings are largely suppressed and children focus on social and intellectual skills.

Genital stage

The last stage of Freud's psychosexual development, occurring from puberty onward, where the focus shifts to mature sexual intimacy and relationships.

Oedipus / Electra complex

A central concept in Freud's theory, where a child experiences unconscious desires for the opposite-sex parent and rivalry with the same-sex parent, typically occurring during the phallic stage.

Logical Irrefutability

The idea that a proposition cannot be proven false and is thus accepted as true within a specific context or system, often seen in philosophical and logical discussions.

Internal Locus of Control

A psychological concept that refers to the belief that individuals can control their own life outcomes through their actions, as opposed to external forces being responsible.

External Locus of Control

A psychological concept in which individuals believe that their life outcomes are determined by external forces, such as fate, luck, or the influence of others, rather than their own actions.