AP Psychology - Unit 0 Vocabulary - Chapter 1 Vocabulary #1 & Chapter 2 Vocabulary #1

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Structuralism

Structuralism

A school of psychology based on the notion that the task of psychology is to analyze consciousness into its basic elements and to investigate how these elements are related.

“analyze consciousness into basic elements; investigate how these elements are related”

Introspection

Careful, systematic observation of one’s own conscious experience

“one’s own conscious experience”

Functionalism

A school of psychology based on the belief that psychology should investigate the function or purpose of consciousness, rather than its structure

“function or purpose of consciousness, rather than its structure”

Unconscious

According to Freud, thoughts, memories, and desires that are well below the surface of conscious awareness, but nonetheless exert great influence on behavior

“below the surface of conscious awareness”

Physiological Psychology

Examines the influence of genetic factors on behavior and the role of the brain, nervous system, endocrine system, and bodily chemicals in the regulation of behavior

“Examines the influence of genetic factors on behavior”

Experimental Psychology

Encompasses the traditional core of topics that psychology focused on heavily in its first half-century as a science: sensation, perception, learning, condition, motivation, and emotion

“sensation, perception, learning, condition, motivation, and emotion”

Cognitive Psychology

Focuses on “higher” mental processes, such as memory, reasoning, information processing, language, problem solving, decision making, and creativity

“Focuses on ‘higher’ mental processes”

Psychometrics

Concerned with the measurement and capacities, usually through the development of psychological tests. Psychometrics is involved with the design of tests to access personality, intelligence, and a wide range of abilities. Also concerned with the development of new techniques for statistical analysis.

“development of psychological tests; personality, intelligence, and a wide range of abilities”

Personality

An individual’s unique set of consistent behavioral traits

Clinical Psychology

The branch of psychology concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of psychological problems and disorders

“branch of psychology concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of psychological problems and disorders”

DIFFERS FROM PSYCHIATRY AS THIS IS A BRANCH OF PSYCHOLOGY

Counseling Psychology

Focuses on providing assistance to people struggling with everyday problems of moderate severity; often specializes in family, marital, or career counseling

“providing assistance to people struggling with everyday problems of moderate severity; family, marital, or career counseling”

Industrial and Organizational Psychology

Focuses on a wide variety of tasks in the world of business and industry including: running human resources department, working to improve staff morale/attitude, striving to improve job satisfaction and productivity, examining organizational structure and procedures, and making recommendations for improvement

“running human resources department”

School Psychology

Strives to promote the cognitive, emotional, and social development of children in schools (elementary/secondary). Tests and counsels children having difficulty in schools and aids parents and teachers in solving school-related problems

“(elementary/secondary); aids parents and teachers in solving school-related problems”

Psychiatry

A branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of psychological problems and disorders

“branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of psychological problems and disorders”

DIFFERS FROM CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY AS THIS IS A PROFESSION

Psychoanalytic Theory

A theory developed by Freud that attempts to explain personality, motivation, and mental disorders by focusing on unconscious determinants of behavior

“A theory developed by Freud that attempts to explain personality, motivation, and mental disorders; unconscious”

Behaviorism

A theoretical orientation based on the premise that scientific psychology should study only observable behavior

“scientific psychology should study only observable behavior”

Behavior

Any overt (observable) response/activity by an organism

Humanism

A theoretical orientation that emphasizes the unique qualities of humans, especially their freedom and their potential for personal growth

“qualities of humans, especially their freedom and their potential for personal growth”

Cognition

The mental processes involved in acquiring knowledge

Evolutionary Psychology

Theoretical perspective that examines behavioral processes in terms of their adaptive value for a species over the course of many generations

“adaptive value for a species over the course of many generations”

Positive Psychology

Approach to psychology that uses theory and research to better understand the positive, adaptive, creative, and fulfilling aspects of human existence

“positive, adaptive, creative, and fulfilling aspects of human existence”

Psychology

The science that studies behavior and the physiological and cognitive processes that underlie it, and the profession that applies the accumulated knowledge of this science to practical problems

“The science that studies behavior and the physiological and cognitive processes that underlie it”

Developmental Psychology

Looks at human development across the lifespan

Social Psychology

Focuses on interpersonal behavior and the role of social forces in governing behavior. Typical topics include attitude formation/change, prejudice, conformity, attraction, aggression, intimate relationships, and behavior in groups

“attitude formation/change, prejudice, conformity, attraction, aggression, intimate relationships, and behavior in groups”

Educational Psychology

Studies show how people learn and the best ways to teach them. Examines curriculum design, teacher training, achievement testing, student motivation, classroom diversity, and other aspects of the educational process

“Studies show how people learn and the best ways to teach them”

Health Psychology

Focuses on how psychological factors relate to the promotion and maintenance of physical health and the causation, prevention, and treatment of illness

“physical health and the causation, prevention, and treatment of illness“

Empiricism

The premise that knowledge should be acquired through observation

Theory

A system of interrelated ideas that is used to explain a set of observations

Culture

The widely shared customs, beliefs, values, norms, institutions, and other products of a community that are transmitted socially across generations

“products of a community that are transmitted socially across generations”

Hypothesis

A tentative statement about the relationship between two or more variables

Variables

Any measurable conditions, events, characteristics, or behaviors that are controlled/observed in a study

Operational Definition

In empirical research, a definition that describes the actions or operations that will be used to measure or to control a variable

Participants/Subjects

The persons or animals where behavior is systematically observed in a study

Data Collection Techniques

Procedures for making empirical observations and measurements

Journal

A periodical that publishes technical and scholarly material, usually in a narrowly defined area of inquiry

Research methods

Differing approaches to the observation, measurement, manipulation, and control of variables in empirical studies

Experiment

A research method in which the investigator manipulates a variable under carefully controlled conditions and observes whether any changes occur in a second variable as a result

Independent Variable

In an experiment, a condition or event that a researcher varies in order to see its impact on another variable

Dependent Variable

In an experiment, the variable that is thought to be affected by the manipulation of the independent variable

Experimental Group

The subjects in a study who receive some special treatment in regard to the independent variable