AP Psychology Unit I: Psychology's History and Approaches

Empiricism

The view that knowledge originates in experience and that science should, therefore, rely on observation and experimentation.

Structuralism

Early school of thought promoted by Wundt and Titchener; used introspection to reveal the structure of the human mind.

Functionalism

Early school of thought promoted by James and influenced by Darwin; explored how mental and behavioral processes function— how they enable the organism to adapt, survive, and flourish.

Experimental psychology

The study of behavior and thinking using the experimental method.

Cognitive neuroscience

The interdisciplinary study of brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language).

Psychology

The science of behavior and mental processes.

Levels of analysis

The differing complementary views, from biological to psychological to socio-cultural, for analyzing any given phenomenon.

Psychometrics

The scientific study of the measurements of human abilities, attitudes, and traits.

Basic research

Pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base.

Industrial-organizational pscyhology

The application of psychological concepts and methods for optimizing human behavior in the workplace.