Psychology Class Concepts

Heyo, This is an AI genrerated list of terms from when my physlogy notes If any term or etc. is wrong lmk

Psychology

The study of mental processes and behavior.

Wilhelm Wundt

The founder of psychology who established the first research institute in 1879 in Germany, focusing on structuralism.

William James

The first U.S. psychologist and father of functionalism, which examines the conscious mind and adaptation.

Sigmund Freud

A psychiatrist known for psychoanalysis, studying the unconscious mind's impact on behavior.

John Watson

The founder of behaviorism, emphasizing observable behavior.

Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow

Associated with humanistic and positive psychology perspectives.

Mary Calkins

The first woman to complete requirements for a PhD in psychology and the first female president of the American Psychological Association.

Margaret Washburn

The first woman to receive a PhD in psychology from Cornell and served as president of the American Psychological Association.

George Sanchez

A Hispanic psychologist influential in educational and cultural psychology and a civil rights advocate.

Neuroscience Perspective

Focuses on how the nervous system operates.

Evolutionary Psychology

Assumes species evolve to maximize gene transmission.

Collectivist Cultures

Emphasize group goals over individual goals and trust in group decisions.

Individualist Cultures

Value independence and prioritize personal goals over group goals.

Scientific Methods

Procedures to gather, analyze, and interpret information for research.

Sample

A group of subjects selected for a research study.

Population

The identifiable group from which a sample is drawn.

Critical Thinking

The process of evaluating evidence to make informed decisions.

Theory-Hypothesis Relationship

Hypotheses support theories in research.

Self-Reports

Allow researchers to measure subjective states but may be subject to deception.

Direct Observations

Involves observing participants' behavior directly.

Correlational Research

Examines relationships between variables.

Operant Conditioning

Behavior is strengthened by reinforcement and weakened by punishment.

Reinforcement

Stimuli that increase the likelihood of a behavior being repeated.

Punishment

Stimuli that decrease the probability of a behavior being repeated.

Observational Learning

Learning through observing others' behaviors.

Serial processing

Brain processing information like a computer but very slowly.

Parallel processing

Millions of neurons released throughout the brain and all active at once.

Parallel distributed processing model

A memory where a large network of processing units distributed throughout the brain simultaneously work on different memory tasks.

Memory retrieval

The process of recalling stored information.

Recall

Using explicit memory to retrieve and reproduce information from memory.

Recognition

Retrieval from explicit memory where the information to be remembered must be recognized.

Tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon

Temporary inability to remember something known.

Retrieval cues

Help trigger recall.

Retrieval cue

A stimulus that aids in recalling information from long-term memory.

State-Dependent memory

Retrieval is better when the state of mind during retrieval matches the state during encoding.

Encoding specificity principle

Conditions at retrieval closely match those present during learning.

Source Confusion

Forgetting the true source of a memory episode shaped by false remembering.

Deja vu illusion

Feeling familiar in a situation never encountered before.

Cryptomnesia

Believing work done is original when it is not (unknown plagiarism).

Infantile amnesia

Inability to remember events before age three.

Misinformation effects

Distortions in memory due to misleading information.

Flashbulb memories

Detailed, vivid memories of surprising and emotion-provoking events.

Interference

Before or after learning can hinder memory recall.

Retroactive interference

Forgetting due to interference from newly learned information.

Proactive interference

Forgetting due to interference from previously learned information.

DSM-5

Published in 2013, the latest classification system used for categorizing psychological disorders.

Anxiety Disorders

Disorders characterized by distressing persistent fear, anxiety, and maladaptive behavior.

Panic Disorders

Characterized by sudden, intense fear occurring unexpectedly.

Specific Phobias

Intense fear of specific objects or situations like airplanes or insects.

Social Anxiety Disorder

Fear of being in front of other people.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Excessive worry about various aspects of life.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Characterized by repetitive unwanted actions or thoughts causing distress.

Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders

Disorders like Reactive Attachment Disorder and PTSD due to traumatic events.

Dissociative Disorders

Characterized by disruptions in consciousness, memory, or sense of identity.

Depressive Disorders

Include Major Depressive Disorder and Persistent Depressive Disorder.

Bipolar Disorder

Involves swings between emotional mania and depression.

Schizophrenia

Severe impairment in thinking with positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms.

Personality Disorders

Characterized by ineffective styles of living, like Antisocial Personality Disorder.

Psychotherapy

Treatment for psychological disorders involving a personal relationship between client and therapist.

Biomedical Therapy

Treatment altering brain function with physical or chemical intervention.

Psychodynamic Therapies

Psychotherapies based on Freud's work focusing on unconscious forces.

Behavior Therapies

Apply learning principles to eliminate unwanted behaviors.

Cognitive Therapies

Focus on identifying and modifying dysfunctional thought patterns.

Humanistic Therapies

Help individuals connect with their feelings and purposes in life.

Antipsychotic Drugs

Treat delusions, hallucinations, and block dopamine receptors.

Antidepressant Drugs

Treat depression by increasing neurotransmitters like norepinephrine and serotonin.

Antianxiety Drugs

Have a calming effect by inhibiting the GABA neurotransmitter.

Emotions

Positive or negative feeling states involving physiological arousal, cognitive appraisal, and behavioral expression.

Stress

Response to events disturbing physical or physiological equilibrium.

Stressors

External or internal events challenging or threatening individuals.

General Adaptation Syndrome

Three-stage bodily response to stress - alarm, resistance, and exhaustion.