Introduction to Psychology

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the introductory concepts, history, goals, major schools of thought, professional fields, and ethical guidelines in psychology.

Psychology

The scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

Psyche and Logos

The two Greek words from which "psychology" originates, where psyche means "Mind" and logos means "Study".

Behavior

In the definition of psychology, refers to anything that an individual does (e.g., eating, sleeping, talking, sneezing).

Wilhelm Wundt

Known as the "Father of Psychology"; established the first laboratory of psychology in 1879 at Leipzig, Germany.

Organismic Variables

Factors that operate within the individual to determine behavior, including genetic makeup, motivation, intelligence, and self-esteem.

Situational Variables

External or environmental events that play a role in influencing and determining behavior.

Description

A goal of psychology involving naming and classification, typically based on making a detailed record of behavioral observations to identify what is happening.

Explanation / Understanding

A goal of psychology that seeks to state the causes of a behavior and explain why it occurs.

Prediction

A goal of psychology defined as the ability to forecast behavior accurately and determine when it will occur.

Control

A goal of psychology that focuses on altering the conditions that influence or affect behavior.

DEPC

A mnemonic representing the four primary goals of psychology: Description, Explanation, Prediction, and Control.

School of Thought

An intellectual tradition representing the perspective of a group of people who share common characteristics of opinion or outlook regarding a philosophy, discipline, belief, or social movement.

Structuralism

The first school of psychology, founded by Wilhelm Wundt and Edward Titchener, which deals with analyzing the structure of mental life and conscious experience into basic building blocks.

Elements of Mind

The three mental components identified by structuralists that constitute conscious experience: sensations, images, and affections.

Introspection

A research method meaning "looking inward," in which subjects were presented with a stimulus and asked to describe what they were experiencing in their own words and in detailed reports.

Functionalism

A school of psychology founded by William James that studies what the mind does, focusing on the functions of mental activity and the role of behavior in helping individuals survive and adapt to their environments.

Gestalt Psychology

A psychological school founded by Max Wertheimer based on holism ("The whole is greater than the sum of its parts"), which studies thinking, learning, and perception in whole units rather than broken into parts.

Phi Phenomenon

An optical illusion in which two stationary objects appear to move if they are presented appearing and disappearing in rapid succession, resulting in perceived movement where there is none.

Behaviorism

A school of thought founded by J. B. Watson that focuses exclusively on the study of observable behavior and posits that all behavior can be explained by environmental causes rather than internal forces.

Classical Conditioning

A form of learning that involves pairing a previously neutral stimulus with a stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers a response until the neutral stimulus produces a conditioned response.

Operant Conditioning

A form of learning that uses rewards and punishments to create an association between a behavior and the consequences of that behavior.

Psychoanalysis Perspective

A perspective linked to Sigmund Freud based on the view that behavior is motivated by unconscious inner forces over which the individual has little or no control.

Id

In Freud's structural model of personality, the component that consists of primal urges.

Ego

In Freud's structural model of personality, the component charged with dealing with reality.

Superego

In Freud's structural model of personality, the component that holds all internalized ideals and values learned from parents and culture.

Humanistic Psychology

An approach founded by Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow that developed as a response to psychoanalysis and behaviorism, focusing on human potential, growth, and self-actualization.

Free Will

The central emphasis of the humanistic perspective, defined as the ability to freely make decisions about one's own behavior and life.

Cognitive Perspective

An approach studying the processes behind the perception, transformation, storage, and recovery of information, often comparing human thinking to a computer's information processing.

Biological Perspective

An approach that investigates how genetics, brain structure, hormones, neurotransmitters, and physiological factors influence mental processes and human behavior.

Developmental Psychology

A branch of psychology that examines human growth and change across the entire life span, including childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age.

Social Psychology

The study of interpersonal behavior and the role of social forces in governing behavior, including conformity, attitude change, prejudice, attraction, and group dynamics.

Experimental Psychology

An area of psychology that uses systematic research to investigate core psychological processes, such as sensation, perception, learning, conditioning, motivation, and emotion.

Health Psychology

The study of how psychological factors influence physical health, focusing on promoting healthy behaviors, managing chronic illnesses, and developing stress reduction techniques.

Forensic Psychology

The application of psychological principles and tests to questions and issues relating to law, legal systems, and criminal justice.

Clinical Psychology

The psychological specialty concerned with the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of individuals suffering from psychological disorders and emotional/behavioral problems.

Sports Psychology

The field that assists athletes in enhancing performance and resilience by addressing mental factors such as motivation, focus, and anxiety.

Counseling Psychology

A field overlapping with clinical psychology that assists clients dealing with everyday problems of moderate severity, often specializing in family, marital, or career guidance.

Educational and School Psychology

A discipline focused on improving curriculum design, achievement testing, and teacher training, as well as counseling children having difficulties in elementary or secondary schools.

Industrial and Organizational Psychology

The application of psychological principles to business and industry to improve staff morale, job satisfaction, productivity, and organizational procedures.

Informed Consent

An ethical requirement ensuring participants voluntarily agree to participate after being fully informed about the study's nature, purpose, and potential risks.

Confidentiality

An ethical guideline requiring psychologists to protect participants' personal data by storing it securely and sharing it only under proper authorization or legal obligations.

Deception

An ethical concern occurring when a researcher intentionally misleads participants or withholds information about a study's procedures, purpose, or researcher roles.

Debriefing

A post-experimental session providing participants with full disclosure of the study's purpose, addressing distress, and clarifying any deception used during the research.

Protection of Participants

An ethical obligation to safeguard subjects from physical and psychological harm by minimizing research risks and maximizing potential benefits.

Competence

An ethical responsibility for psychologists to maintain high professional standards, pursue ongoing education, recognize personal limits, and refer clients when necessary.

Right to Withdraw

An ethical rule stating that participants may leave a study at any point without incurring penalties, negative consequences, or loss of rights.

Compensation

Fair remuneration provided to participants for their time and effort in research, structured so that it is not coercive and does not compromise voluntary consent.