Psychology: Foundations, Methods, and Historical Perspectives

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering core terms and concepts from the lecture notes.

Psychology

The scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

Focus of psychology

Thoughts, emotions, behavior, and underlying processes.

Basic Research

Gathers knowledge for its own sake; builds on existing knowledge.

Applied Research

Aims to change behaviors and outcomes; leads to real-world applications.

Describe (goal of psychology)

Report what is observed.

Explain (goal of psychology)

Organize and make sense of research findings.

Predict (goal of psychology)

Anticipate behaviors or outcomes.

Change Behavior (goal of psychology)

Apply findings to modify behavior in beneficial ways.

Psychology vs. Common Sense

Not just common sense; relies on scientific methods.

Bystander Effect

Fewer people help when more are present.

Hindsight Bias

“I knew it all along”; creates false confidence and blocks learning.

Anecdotal Evidence

Based on personal experience; valuable but not a substitute for scientific research.

APA style

Essential skill for psychology students.

Pseudoscience

Practices that appear scientific but lack real scientific basis.

Plato (innate knowledge)

Humans are born with some innate knowledge.

Aristotle (knowledge from experience)

Knowledge comes from experiences.

Nature and Nurture

Both nature and nurture matter.

Al-Haytham (father of optics)

Emphasized experiments, replication, skepticism.

Descartes

“I think, therefore I am”; mind and body are separate but interact (dualism).

Dualism

Mind and body are separate but interact.

Fechner

Studied how mind & body connect through sensation.

Wilhelm Wundt

“Father of Psychology”; structuralism.

Structuralism

Early school focusing on the structure of the mind.

William James

Functionalism; study of the functions of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Functionalism

Focus on the functions of mental processes in adapting to environments.

Mary Whiton Calkins

Completed PhD at Harvard, denied degree.

Margaret Floy Washburn

1st woman to earn a PhD in psychology.

Mamie Phipps Clark

1st Black woman with PhD in psychology (Columbia).

Psychoanalytic

Unconscious conflicts influence behavior.

Behavioral

Behavior learned through associations, reinforcers, and observation.

Humanistic

People are naturally motivated to grow positively.

Cognitive

Thoughts drive behavior; includes neuroscience.

Evolutionary

Traits evolve for adaptation and survival.

Biological

Behavior and mental processes arise from physiology.

Sociocultural

Culture and social interactions shape behavior.

Biopsychosocial

Integrates biological, psychological, and sociocultural influences.