Foundations — Intro to Psychology

These flashcards cover key concepts in psychology as discussed in the lecture notes, providing definitions and explanations for fundamental terms and principles.

Psychology

The scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

Individual differences

Variations among people in their thinking, emotion, personality, and behavior.

Behavior

The actions or reactions of an individual or animal in response to external or internal stimuli.

Psychological principles

Fundamental truths that serve as the foundation for understanding human behavior.

Bias

A tendency to favor one perspective or outcome over others.

Perception

The process of organizing and interpreting sensory information.

Empiricism

The theory that all knowledge is based on experience derived from the senses.

Nomothetic approach

An approach in psychology that seeks to develop general laws that apply across individuals.

Wilhelm Wundt

A German psychologist considered the 'father of psychology,' who established the first psychology lab and pioneered Voluntarism.

Voluntarism

Wilhelm Wundt's idea that consciousness could be broken down into basic elements through introspection.

Edward Titchener

A student of Wundt who brought his ideas to America and established Structuralism.

Structuralism

A school of thought in psychology, established by Titchener, which aimed to identify the basic elements of consciousness.

William James

An American philosopher and psychologist, a leading proponent of Functionalism.

Functionalism

A perspective in psychology that focuses on the purpose or function of consciousness and behavior, championed by William James.

Max Wertheimer

One of the founders of Gestalt psychology, emphasizing that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Gestaltism

A movement that argues the whole of something is greater than the sum of its parts, with figures like Wertheimer, Koffka, and Köhler.