Myers AP Psyhology Unit 1

Introspection

Looking inward, examining one’s own thoughts, feelings and mental state. Subjects were asked to record their cognitive reactions to stimuli.

Structuralism

Created by Wilhelm Wundt and Edward B. Titchener, using self-reflection/introspection to analyze the structure of concious experience.

Functionalism

Created by William James, emphasized the function and purpose of mind and behavior, understand how mental processes/behaviors help individuals adapt to environment.

Behaviorism

Created by John B.Watson and B.F. Skinner, believed behavior is learned through interactions with the environment, and importance of stimuli responses in shaping behavior.

Conciousness

Function that allows us to consider our past and adject to our present and future.

Freudian psychology / psychoanalysis

Created by Sigmund Freud, emphasized the ways that our unconcious thought processes and emotional responses to childhood experiences affect our behavior.

Behavior

Learned associations, through conditioning

Experimental Psychologists

Explore behavior and thinking through experiments, founded by Titchener

Humanistic psychologists

Led by Carl Rogers and Abraham Moslow, drew attention to the ways that environmental factors can nurture or limit out growth potential and to the importance of having needs for love and accepance satisfied.

Cognitive psychology

Scientifically explores the ways we percieve, process and remember information.

Cognitive neuroscience

An interdisciplinary study that enriches our understanding of brain activity underlying mental activity. Gives us new ways to understand ourselves and disorders.

Psychology

Science of behavior and mental processes.

Mental Processes

Internal subjective experiences we infer from behavior, sensations, perceptions, dreams, thoughts, beliefs and feelings

Rene Descartes

(1595-1650) Proposed mind interacts with the body, nerves provoke movement and memories form as experiences.

Francis Bacon

(1595-1650) Anticipated our mind’s hunger to percieve patterns, founders of modern science

Socrates and Plato

Said the mind is seperable from the body and continues after the body dies, and that knowledge is innate (born within us).

Aristotle

Said that knowledge is not preexisting, but grows from experiences stored in our memories.

Wilhelm Wundt

Established first psychology lab in Leipzig, Germany. Trained subjects in introspection to examine cognitive structures and sensations, founded structuralism.

John Locke

(1632-1704) Wrote “An Essay Concerning Human Understanding,” argued the ind is a tabula rasa - a “blank slate” on which experiences write.

Wilhelm Wundt

Established the first psychology labatory in Leipzig, Germany. Trained subjects in introspection to examine cognitive structures and sensations, founded structuralism.

Edward Bradford Titchener

Introduced structuralism, used introspection to discover the structural elements of the mind.

William James

Published “The Principles of Psychology,” founded functionalism, developed the concept of conciousness, considered the father of Americain psychology

Mary Whiton Calkins

Mentored by James, pioneering memory researcher & first women to be president of the Americain Psychological Association (APA).

Margaret Floy Washburn

First women to recieve a psychology PHD, synthesized animal behavior research in “The Animal Mind.”

G. Stanley Hall

Student of James, pioneered the study of child development, first president of APA.

John B. Watson & B.F.Skinner

behaviorists, redefined psychology as “the scientific study of observable behavior.”

Sigmund Freud

Freudian psychology / psychodynamics, his ideas influenced huamnity’s self-understanding.

Nature vs. Nurture

The longstanding controversy over the relative contributions that genes and experience make to the development of psychological traits and behaviors.

Natural Selection

The principle that among the range of inherited trait variations, those contributing to reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on to suceeding generations.

Level of Analysis

The differing complementary views, from biological to psychological to social-cultural, for analyzing any given phenomenon. "Everything is related to everything else.”

Biopsychological Approach

An integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychogical and social-cultural level of analysis

Biological Approach

Focuses on how the brain, hormones, and genetics, influence and shape human behavior and mental processes. It explores how our biology, including the structure and function of the nervous system, contributes to things like thoughts, emotions, and actions. This approach emphasizes the connection between our physical bodies and our psychological experiences.

Behavorial Approach

Looks at how our actions and behaviors are influenced by our environment and experiences. It emphasizes observable behaviors and the idea that behaviors are learned through interactions with the environment. This approach often involves studying how behaviors are acquired, modified, and maintained through processes like conditioning and reinforcement.

Cognitive Approach

Focuses on how people think, perceive, remember, and solve problems. It examines mental processes such as attention, memory, language, and problem-solving to understand how they influence behavior, suggests that our thoughts and interpretations of situations play a crucial role in shaping our actions and emotions.

Evolutionary Approach

looks at how human behaviors and traits have developed over time through the process of evolution. It suggests that certain behaviors and characteristics have evolved because they helped our ancestors survive and reproduce.

Humanistic Approach

a psychological perspective that focuses on the positive aspects of human experience and emphasizes the importance of personal growth, self-awareness, and the pursuit of one's full potential. It views individuals as inherently good and capable of making meaningful choices in their lives.

Psychodynamic Approach

(Psychoanalysis) psychological perspective that emphasizes the role of unconscious processes and the influence of early childhood experiences in shaping human behavior, thoughts, and emotions. This approach was developed by Sigmund Freud and later expanded upon by other theorists.

Social-Cultural Approach

Examines how the culture and society in which individuals live influence their behavior, thoughts, and emotions. It emphasizes the impact of social norms, cultural values, and the social environment on shaping human psychology. This approach recognizes that people's beliefs, customs, and social interactions play a significant role in understanding and explaining their behavior and mental processes.

Basic Research

scientific investigations that are conducted for the purpose of advancing our understanding of fundamental principles and theories within the field. Its goal is to enhance our general knowledge and contribute to the theoretical foundation of psychology.

Psychometrics

The scientific study of the measurement of human abilities, attitudes and traits.

Cognitive Psychology

The scientific study of all mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering and communicating.

Evolutionary Psychology

The study of the evolution of behavior and mind, using principles of natural selection, Charles Darwin.

Psychodynamic Psychology

A branch of psychology that explores how unconscious thoughts and emotions influence behavior, emphasizes the role of early experiences, especially in childhood, in shaping an individual's personality and psychological processes, Sigmund Freud.

Educational Psychology

The study of how psychological processes affect and can enhance teaching and learning

Social-Cultural Psychology

The study of how situations and cultures affect our behavior and thinking.

Biological Psychology

Exploring the links between brain and mind.

Developmental Psychology

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

Personality Psychology

The study of an individual’s characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling and acting.

Social Psychology

The scientific study of how we think about, influence and relate to one another.

Applied Research

Scientific investigations that are conducted with the specific goal of addressing practical issues or solving real-world problems, primary objective is to find solutions, develop interventions, or provide information that can be directly used to improve aspects of everyday life.

Industrial-Organization Psychology (I/O)

The application of psychological concepts and methods to optimizing human behavior in workplaces.

Counseling Psychology

A branch of psychology that assists people with problems in living (often related to school, work, or marriage) and in achieving greater well-being.

Clinical Psychology

A branch of psychology that studies, asseses, and treats people with psychological disorders or mental heath illnesses.

Psychiatry

A branch of medicine dealing with psychological disorders; practiced by physicians and sometimes provide medical treatments as well as psychological therapy.

Positive Psychology

The scientific study of human functioning, with the goals of discovering and promoting strengths and virtues that help individuals and communities thrive.

Community Psychology

A branch of psychology that studies how people interact with their social environments and how social institutions affect individuals and groups.

Ivan Pavolv

Russian psychologist pioneering in classical conditioning. Through experiments with dogs, he demonstrated animals could learn to associate a stimulus and reflex response, laid the development of behaviorism.

Jean Piaget

Studied the stages of child development, specifically focusing on cognitive development in children.

Human Factors Psychology

An I/O subfield that explores how people and machines interact, and how machines and physical environments can be made safe and easy to use

Experimental Psychologists

Diverse group of scientist who investigate a variety of basic behaviorial processes in humans and other animals.

Quantitative Psychologists

Collaborate with researchers to design, analyze and interpret results of neurocognitive and personality tests.

Psychometrician

Update exisiting neurocognitive and personality tests for use in clincial and school settings or in business and society≥

Forensic Psychologists

Apply psychological principles in legal issues, conduct research on the interface of law and psychology, help to create public policies related to mental health, help law enforcement agencies in criminal investigations or consult juries.

Health Psychologists

Investigate the relationship between neurological processes (structure and nervous system) and behavior, asses, diagnose, or treat central nervous system disorders, evaluate individuals for head injusries, disabilities and other psychiatric diesorders.

Rehabilitation Psychologists

Researchers and practicioners who work with people who have lost optimal functioning after an incident, illness or other event.

Sport Psychologists

Study the psychological factors that influence and are influenced by participation in sports and physical activities.