AP Psychology Unit 1.1 Vocab

behavior genetics

The branch of genetics that examines the genetic and environmental contributions to personality characteristics and behavior.

behaviorism

A theoretical perspective that focuses on observable, quantifiable behavior and the relationships between behavior and environmental variables.

cognitive perspective

The branch of psychology that deals with thought processes such as memory and language.

evolutionary perspective

The study of the evolution of behavior using the principles of natural selection.

functionalism

A movement in psychology led by William James in which consciousness was studied according to the functions it serves, rather than its structures.

Gestalt

A school of psychology that believes individuals perceive objects and patterns as whole units and that the whole is more than the sum of its parts. They believed that behavior, perception, and all elements of the self must be viewed as a whole.

psychiatrist

Psychiatrists attend medical school first, then specialize in the mind, and often deal with the most serious mental disorders. They can prescribe drugs and are MDs.

psychodynamic perspective

A neo-Freudian theoretical perspective that focuses on unconscious mental processes and the impact of early childhood experiences on later personality and behavior.

psychologist

Psychologists may be involved in therapy, experimentation, or many other fields. They do graduate work in psychology and have master's or doctoral degrees. Excepting some special cases, they cannot prescribe medication.

psychology

The scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

structuralism

A movement in psychology, led by Wilhelm Wundt, that focused on analyzing conscious experience in terms of its fundamental structures

empiricist

Scientist who believes that observation is the proper source of knowledge.