psych chapter 1a

psychology

scientific study of behavior and mental processes

behavior

anything you do (eating, hanging out, sleeping, talking, or even sneezing)

goals of psychology

description of behaviors, understanding, prediction

overt behaviors

directly observed (ie crying)

covert behaviors

not directly observed (ie remembering)

psychology is which two things

behavior and mental processes

scientific observation

empirical investigation structured to answer questions about the world in a systematic and intersubjective fashion (observations can be reliably confirmed by multiple observers)

empirical evidence

information gained from direct observation

intersubjective

can be confirmed by two or more individuals

scientific method

systematic approach to answering scientific questions

description

in scientific research: the process of naming and classifying

understanding

in psychology: achieved when the cause of a behavior can be stated

control

altering conditions that influence behavior

critical thinking

in psychology: a type of reflection involving the support of beliefs through scientific explanation and observation

commonsense beliefs

often vague, inconsistent, and based on limited observations

best psychological information is based on

forecasting behaviors

are sciences interested in controlling the phenomena they study

no

critical thinking principle: few truths transcend the need for

empirical testing and evidence

critical thinking principle: critical thinkers often wonder

what it would take to show that a “truth” is false

critical thinking principle: 2 things to not automatically make an idea true or false

authority or claimed expertise

critical thinking principle: judging what is crucial

quality of evidence

critical thinking principle: critical thinking requires

an open mind

pseudopsychologies

any false and unscientific system of beliefs and practices that is offered as an explanation of behavior

superstitions

unfounded belief held without evidence or in spite of falsifying evidence

uncritical acceptance

the tendency to believe claims because they seem true or because it would be nice if they were true

confirmation bias

the tendency to remember or notice information that fits one’s expectations but to forget discrepancies

Barnum Effect

the tendency to consider a personal description accurate if it is stated in very general terms

scientific method

a form of critical thinking based on careful measurement and controlled observation

hypothesis

a statement of the predicted outcome of an experiment or an educated guess about the relationship between variables

operational definition

defining a scientific concept by stating the specific actions or procedures used to measure it (ie hunger might be defined as the number of hours of food deprivation)

theory

a system of ideas designed to interrelate concepts and facts in a way that summarizes existing data and predicts future observations

father of psychology

Wilhelm Wundt

Wilhelm Wundt’s years

1832-1920

Wilhelm Wundt

credited with making psychology an independent science

what did wundt attempt to discover

the building blocks of conscious thought; based on pure, immediate sensory experience

stimulus

any physical energy sensed by an organism

introspection

to look within; to examine one’s own thoughts, feelings, or sensations

William James’ years

1842-1910

William James

son of philosopher Henry James Sr. and brother of novelist Henry James; believed ideas should be judged in terms of their practical consequences for human conduct

how the mind functions helps us

adapt and survive

functionalism

school of psychology concerned with how thoughts and behaviors help people adapt to their environments

who did functionalists admire

Darwin and natural selection theory

natural selection theory

Darwin’s theory that evolution favors those plants and animals best suited to their living conditions

John B. Watson’s years

1878-1958

John B. Watson

psych professor at Johns Hopkins University; theories in behaviorism

behaviorism

school of psychology that emphasizes the study of overt, observable behavior

response

any muscular action, glandular activity, or other identifiable aspect of behavior

BF Skinner’s years

1904-1990

skinner box

widely used to study learning in simplified animal experiments

cognitive behaviorism

approach that combines behavioral principles with cognition (perception, thinking, anticipation) to explain behavior

Max Wertheimer’s years

1880-1941

Wertheimer’s viewpoints

gestalt viewpoint that explained perceptual illusions; later promoted gestalt psychology

Gestalt psychology

a school of psychology emphasizing the study of thinking, learning, and perception in whole units, not by the sum of its parts

psychoanalytic behavior

our behavior is largely influences by unconscious wishes, thoughts, desires (sex and aggression)

Sigmund Freud’s years

1856-1939

Sigmund Freud

probed unconscious mind and altered modern views of human nature

repression

unconscious process by which memories, thoughts, or impulses are held out of awareness

psychoanalysis

freudian approach to psychotherapy emphasizing the exploration of unconscious conflicts

neo-freudian

psychologist who accepts the broad features of freud’s theory but has revised the theory to fit his or her own concepts

psychodynamic theory

any theory of behavior that emphasizes internal conflicts, motives, and unconscious forces

Abraham Maslow’s years

1908-1970

humanism

an approach to psychology that focuses on human experience, problems, potentials, and ideals

determinism

the idea that all behavior has prior causes that would completely explain one’s choices and actions if all such causes were known

free will

the idea that human beings are capable of freely making choices or decisions

self-actualization (Maslow)

the ongoing process of fully developing one’s personal potential

first woman to be awarded a PhD in psychology in 1894

Margaret Washburn

by 1906 in America how many women were in psychology

1 in 10

first African-American man to earn a doctoral degree in psychology in 1920

Francis Cecil Sumner

first African-American female to earn PhD in 1933

Inez Beverly Prosser