Perspectives and Science of Psychology

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the historical origins, theoretical perspectives, key figures, measurement tools, and modern subdisciplines of psychology based on the lecture material.

Psyche

The Greek word for 'the mind', defined by Aristotle as the primary source of all human behavior.

Mentalism

The philosophical perspective, associated with Aristotle, holding that an intangible mind controls all human thought, reasoning, memory, and behavior.

Dualism

The theoretical position advocated by René Descartes asserting that a nonmaterial mind governs advanced cognition, while the physical brain directs basic mechanical behaviors.

Materialism

The perspective grounded in evolutionary theory stating that all human behavior and mental abilities can be explained entirely by physical structures and processes.

Social Darwinism

A viewpoint advocated by Francis Galton applying evolutionary principles to suggest human psychological differences are largely determined by genetics.

Wilhelm Wundt

The German researcher who established the first experimental psychology laboratory with the goal of creating a formal 'Science of Mind' through physiological psychology.

Kymograph

An early laboratory instrument featuring a revolving drum used by early psychologists to record continuous physiological activity and responses over time.

Chronoscope

A precise clockwork measuring device utilized in early psychological labs to accurately record human reaction times and processing speeds.

Absolute Threshold

The lowest intensity level at which a stimulus can be detected by a person $50\%$ of the time.

Difference Threshold

The minimal change in physical stimulus intensity required for an observer to perceive a difference, mathematically defined as a just noticeable difference.

Weber's Law

A fundamental psychophysical rule stating that the difference threshold is a constant proportion of the magnitude of the initial baseline stimulus.

Magnitude Estimation

Psychophysical experimental methods used to assess subjective perceptual experiences relative to actual physical stimulus intensities, demonstrating phenomena like response compression and response expansion.

Structuralism

An early school of psychology founded by Edward Titchener aimed at analyzing the basic structural elements of conscious mind—sensations, images, and feelings—via introspection.

Introspection

A classical research technique wherein trained subjects observe and report their immediate, subjective mental experiences under controlled experimental conditions.

Functionalism

An early psychological approach led by William James that focused on the adaptive purpose and practical utility of human thought processes outside laboratory settings.

Sigmund Freud

An Austrian physician who created the first comprehensive theory of personality and pioneered psychoanalysis to access and treat disorders of the unconscious mind.

Psychoanalytic Iceberg Model

Freud's structural representation showing how conscious, preconscious, and unconscious levels contain the interacting Ego, Id, and Superego.

Id

The primitive structure of personality present at birth that resides entirely in the unconscious mind and operates according to the pleasure principle.

Ego

The realistic personality component that develops after the id to mediate between unconscious urges and environmental realities according to the reality principle.

Superego

The moral branch of personality that develops last in childhood, internalizing societal norms and exerting moral restraint on the ego.

Pleasure Principle

The instinctual drive governing the id that demands immediate satisfaction of all drives, wants, and urges without regard for consequences.

Reality Principle

The executive process governing the ego that satisfies id impulses through realistic, socially acceptable, and delayed pathways.

Defense Mechanisms

Unconscious protective tactics used by the ego to transform or repress unwanted thoughts and reduce anxiety caused by conflict between the id and ego.

Repression

A psychoanalytic defense mechanism that forcibly banishes anxiety-provoking thoughts, feelings, and memories from conscious awareness.

Manifest Content

The obvious, surface-level story line and visual elements of a dream remembered directly by the sleeper.

Latent Content

The hidden, symbolic, and unconscious psychological meaning behind a dream that requires expert interpretation by a trained psychoanalyst.

Striving for Superiority

Alfred Adler's foundational concept in Individual Psychology proposing that humans possess an innate drive to overcome feelings of inferiority and reach self-improvement.

Collective Unconscious

Carl Jung's term for the deepest level of the psyche containing inherited, universal memory traces and instinctual concepts shared by all human beings.

Archetypes

Universal, ancient symbolic images and thought patterns stored in the collective unconscious, including figures like the Mother, Shadow, Anima, and Animus.

Persona

Carl Jung's term for the outward public identity or social mask presented by an individual to meet cultural and social expectations.

Horney's Interpersonal Styles

Karen Horney's three problematic neurosis-driven coping strategies for managing relationship anxiety: Moving Toward People, Moving Against People, and Moving Away From People.

Falsifiability

The requirement in scientific inquiry that a theory or hypothesis must be structured so that it can be proven false through empirical evidence.

Behaviorism

A major perspective in psychology focused exclusively on the objective study of overt, measurable, predictable, and changeable behavior while rejecting internal mental states.

Classical Conditioning

A learning paradigm demonstrated by Ivan Pavlov in which an organism forms learned associations between environmental cues and automatic behaviors.

John B. Watson

The American psychologist who championed behaviorism as an objective natural science dedicated solely to predicting and controlling overt behavior.

Operant Conditioning

B.F. Skinner's principle of learning stating that voluntary behaviors are strengthened or weakened based on environmental consequences.

Humanism

A psychological movement reacting against psychoanalytic and behaviorist determinism, emphasizing personal growth, free will, self-awareness, and unique human potential.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

An arrangement of human motives placing deficiency needs (physiological, safety) below higher growth needs (belonging, esteem, self-actualization).

Self-Actualization

The peak tier of Maslow's hierarchy, describing the process of reaching one's full personal potential and achieving personal aspirations.

Person-Centered Therapy

Carl Rogers's non-directive therapeutic framework wherein clients guide their own growth in a safe environment facilitated by empathetic reflection and unconditional positive regard.

Unconditional Positive Regard

An attitude of complete, non-judgmental acceptance extended by a therapist to allow clients to explore their self-concept without fear of rejection.

Self-Concept

The core structure of personality in Carl Rogers's humanistic theory, encompassing an individual's personal perceptions and beliefs about who they are.

Congruence

The harmonious state described by Carl Rogers where a person's inner self-concept aligns well with their actual real-life experiences.

Cognitive Revolution

A psychological movement emerging in the 1950s led by researchers like George Miller that re-centered the discipline on scientific study of internal mental functions.

Social Cognition

A primary area of study within social psychology examining how individuals interpret, store, and process information regarding other people and social interactions.

Cognitive Psychology

The modern subfield of psychology that investigates mental processes created by brain function, including sensation, perception, attention, memory, language, and problem solving.