Mid-term Review (Chapter 1)

Psychology

Scientific study of behaviour and the mind

Behaviour

Actions and responses that can be directly observed

Mind

Internal states and processes (thoughts and feelings)

Science

process where you systematically gather/evaluate empirical evidence to answer question + beliefs about the natural world

Empirical Evidence

Evidence gained through experience and observation, including evidence that is manipulated, then observing what happens to that manipulated evidence

Human Behaviour

Combination of science, family/friends, literature, religion, internet, popular media, and intuition (knowledge gained through personal experience

Confirmation Bias

Interpret information that supports your prior belief all while ignoring opposing evidence

Critical Thinking

evaluating/questioning validity of something that is presented as a fact - not just receiving information

Pseudoscience

cumulation of beliefs presented as scientific but lack empirical evidence (concrete and verifiable)

Basic Research

research designed to obtain knowledge for its own sake

Applied Research

research involving the application of scientific knowledge to solve practiced problems

Mind-body Interactions

the relations between mental processes in the brain and the functioning of other bodily systems (I.e. negative thoughts stimulate the release of stress hormones)

Perspectives

a theoretical vantage point from which to analyse behaviour and its causes

Mind-body dualism

the philosophical position that the mind is a non-physical entity that is not subject to physical laws and cannot be reduced to physical processes; basically mind and body are two separate entities (I.e. body like car --> physical can be touched, Mind like driver --> non-tangible, internal)

Monism

opposite to MBD, mind and body are one and the same (I.e. even if different Lego pieces, they still are all Lego pieces)

British Empricism

knowledge gained through senses, concrete empirical evidence

Structuralism

analysis of the mind in terms of the basic elements (sensations, therefore the five senses)

Functionalism

how thoughts and behaviours help people adapt and function in their environment (functionalist asks why?)

Psychodynamic Perspective

role of unconscious impulses and defences

Free association

treatment technique where the patient expresses any thought that comes to mind, relieving themselves of traumatic experiences, essentially sharing the burden with another individual instead of carrying it alone

Psychoanalysis

the analysis of internal and primarily unconscious psychological forces. Freud proposed that humans have strong inborn impulses (sexual and aggressive).

Behavioural Perspective

role of the external environment in governing our actions (behaviour is determined by both prior experiences and immediate stimuli)

Behaviourism

belief that psychology should only study what people actually do, not what they think or feel (Behaviour is only learnt through environment)

Behaviour modification

conditioning principles, like positive reinforcement, operant extinction (certain behaviour stops due to no reward, causing no action) and punishment

Cognitive Behaviourism

an approach that incorporated cognitive concepts, suggesting that the environment influences our behaviour by affecting our thoughts and giving us info; these cognitive processes allow us to control our behaviour and the environment

Humanistic Perspective

emphasizes free will, personal growth, finding one's meaning in life

Self-actualization

inborn tendency to strive toward the realization of one's full potential

Positive Psychology Movement

the study of human strengths, fulfilment, and optimal living. Nurturing positives perspectives rather than focusing on "what's wrong with our world"

Cognitive Perspective

perspective that views humans as rational info processors and problem solvers, and focuses on the mental processes that influence behaviour

Gestalt Pyschology

school of psychology that emphasized the natural organization of perceptual elements into wholes, or patterns, as well as the role of insight in problem solving (the human brain naturally organizes separate visual pieces into a single, meaningful picture)

Cognitive Psychology

study the nature of memory and how memories become distorted

Cognitive Neuroscience

study of the brain activity of people engaging in cognitive tasks

Sociocultural Perspective

perspective that emphasizes the role of culture and the social environment in understanding commonalities and differences in human behaviour

Culture

enduring values, beliefs, behaviours, and traditions that are shared by a large group of people and passed from one generation to the next

Norms

test scores derived from a relevant sample used to evaluate individuals' scores; behavioural "rules"

Cultural Psychology

how culture is transmitted to a society's members

Biological Perspective

focuses on the role of biological factors in behaviour, including biochemical and brain processes as well as genetic and evolutionary factors

Behavioural Neuroscience

study of brain processes and other physiological functions that underlie our behaviour, sensory experiences, emotions, and thoughts

Neurotransmitters

chemicals released by nerve cells that allow them to communicate with one another

Behaviour Genetics

study of how behavioural tendencies are influenced by genetic factors

Natural Selection

process named by Darwin, an inherited trait gives certain members an advantage over others, these members will be more likely to survive and then pass on those characteristics to their offspring. This makes disadvantaged traits less common as less and less survive due to their inherited trait

Evolutionary Psychology

focuses on the role of evolutionary processes like natural selection, in the development of adaptive psychological mechanisms and social behaviour in humans.

Sociobiology

theory of social behaviour that emphasizes the role of adaptive behaviour in maintaining one's genes in the species' gene pool