History and Scope of Psychology

Structuralism

early school of thought focused on physical aspects of the mind

Functionalism

early school of thought focused on the evolved functions of the mind’s processes

Behaviorism

theory from the 1960s that psychology should be an objective study of behavior without reference to mental processes

Humanistic Psychology

branch of psych that emphasizes human grown potential

Cognitive Psychology

branch of psych that explores how we perceive and process information as well as how this interacts with psychological disorders

Cognitive neuroscience

branch of psych and neuro science that studies the underlying brain activity of mental processes

Evolutionary psychology

branch of psych that studies mind and behavior through the lens of natural selection

Behavior genetics

approach that studies how individuals differ because of genetics and the environment

Positive psychology

branch of psych that believes that happiness is a byproduct of a pleasant and engaged life

Biopsychosocial approach

combines biological psychological and sociocultural analysis

Neuroscience perspective

approach that focuses on brain processes

Evolutionary perspective

approach that focuses on adaptive advantage of behavior

Behavior genetics perspective

approach that focuses on heredity and environment influencing temperament

Psychodynamic perspective

approach that focuses on how behavior might reflect subconscious feelings

Behavioral perspective

approach that focuses on the triggers of certain actions

Cognitive perspective

approach that focuses on how our interpretations of situations impact our thinking

Sociocultural perspective

approach that focuses on how behavior can vary across cultural contexts