General Psychology Introduction Flashcards

Flashcards based on lecture notes for a General Psychology course.

Psychology (Formal Definition)

The scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

Four Main Goals of Psychology

Describe, Understand, Predict, and Control or Modify behavior and mental processes.

Psychiatry

The medical study, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders; a sister science to psychology.

Wilhelm Wundt

Considered the 'Father of Psychology,' he established the first psychology research laboratory in Leipzig, Germany, in 1879.

Structuralism

A school of thought that studied the basic elements of experience (sensations, images, and feelings), aiming to answer the question 'what?'

Functionalism

A school of thought that studied the purpose of behavior, seeking to answer the question 'why?' and influenced by Darwin's 'Survival of the Fittest.'

Gestalt Psychology

A school of thought that studies how people interpret sensory information to acquire knowledge; emphasizes that the 'whole is more than the sum of its parts.'

Biological Approach

An approach to psychology that emphasizes the activity of the nervous system (brain, hormones, and neurochemistry).

Evolutionary Approach

An approach to psychology that emphasizes the adaptive processes passed down from one generation to the next.

Psychodynamic Approach

An approach to psychology that emphasizes unconscious conflicts, motivations, and desires (Sigmund Freud).

Behavioral Approach

An approach to psychology that emphasizes learning and stimulus-response psychology (John B. Watson); includes Classical Conditioning (Pavlov), Operant Conditioning (Skinner), and Social Learning (Bandura).

Cognitive Approach

An approach to psychology that emphasizes mental processes such as memory, learning, perception, language, and problem-solving.

Humanistic Approach

An approach to psychology that emphasizes the potential for growth and self-actualization (Abraham Maslow/Carl Rogers); includes Existentialism, which emphasizes the meaning of existence (Rollo May).

Individualism

A sociocultural perspective that prioritizes personal goals over group goals, emphasizing self-serving values, feeling good, and independence.

Collectivism

A sociocultural perspective that emphasizes serving the group by subordinating personal goals, preserving group integrity, and fostering harmonious relationships and interdependence.

Critical Thinking

Assessing claims and making judgments based on well-supported evidence.

Theory (in research)

An organized system of principles that attempts to explain a phenomena (e.g., social learning theory).

Hypothesis

A statement that makes a prediction.

Positive Correlation

A relationship between two variables in which high values in one variable are associated with high values in another (e.g., SAT & GPA).

Negative Correlation

A relationship between two variables in which high values in one variable are associated with low values in another (e.g., Age & Number of hairs on your head).

Experiment

A research method that shows cause and effect relationship, where the researcher controls the situation.

Independent Variable

The variable that is manipulated or controlled by the experimenter.

Dependent Variable

The reaction of the subjects in an experiment (measured as a numerical value).

Placebo

A fake treatment used in experiments.

Informed consent

An ethical principle requiring that human subjects be fully informed of all risks involved in a research study.

Debriefing

The ethical obligation to inform subjects about the true intent of the research after deception is used.