Introduction to Psychology: Concepts, History, and Perspectives

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the definition of psychology, critical thinking steps, historical schools of thought, contemporary perspectives, and primary organizational models from Chapter 1.

Psychology

The scientific study of behavior and mental processes; derived from the Greek roots psyche (meaning 'mind') and logos (meaning 'word' or 'study').

Hub Science

A scientific field that has overlapping connections and extensive interdisciplinary ties with many other fields; psychology is recognized as one of seven main hub sciences alongside mathematics, physics, chemistry, earth sciences, medicine, and social sciences.

Pseudoscience

A system of beliefs or practices based on imagination, folk wisdom, superstitions, or so-called 'common sense' that presents itself as scientific but fails to follow the steps of the scientific method.

Scientific Thinking

The process of objectively evaluating the weight of empirical, verifiable evidence for or against a specific proposition.

Critical Thinking

The ability and willingness to objectively assess claims and make logical judgments based on strong arguments and empirical research rather than emotion or unsupported assertions.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to prefer and seek out evidence that confirms preexisting expectations while disregarding, ignoring, or failing to seek out contradictory evidence (remembering 'hits' and ignoring 'misses').

Phrenology

An early pseudoscientific theory claiming that distinct areas of the brain correspond to specific personality traits and character faculties, which can be assessed by examining bumps on the skull.

Structuralism

An early school of psychological thought associated with Wilhelm Wundt and popularized in the United States by Edward Titchener, which sought to analyze conscious experience into its basic components or structures.

Introspection

A research method favored by Wilhelm Wundt involving the systematic, subjective observation and reporting of one's own immediate conscious mental experience.

Consciousness

An individual's subjective awareness of both their internal mind and the external environment.

Gestalt Psychology

A school of thought founded by German psychologists (such as Max Wertheimer) emphasizing that perceptual experience is organized into coherent wholes, arguing that 'the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.'

Functionalism

An early school of psychology founded by William James that investigated how mental processes and behaviors function to allow organisms to adapt to their environments.

Natural Selection

Charles Darwin's evolutionary principle stating that heritable traits that enhance an organism's ability to survive and reproduce are more likely to be passed on to subsequent generations.

Psychoanalytic Perspective

A psychological framework originated by Sigmund Freud in late 19th-century Vienna emphasizing unconscious mental processes, unresolved childhood conflicts, and hidden sexual or aggressive drives.

Unconscious

In psychoanalytic theory, the part of the mind that operates outside conscious awareness yet exerts a significant influence on thoughts, feelings, and actions.

Behavioral Perspective

A modern psychological perspective that emphasizes objective, observable environmental stimuli and behavioral reactions, rejecting the study of unobservable mental processes or introspection.

Reinforcement

In B. F. Skinner's operant conditioning, consequences following a behavior that increase the probability that the behavior will occur again.

Humanistic Perspective

A contemporary approach holding that humans are innately positive and inclined toward growth, emphasizing free will, personal choice, and self-actualization.

Positive Psychology

A modern subfield developed out of the humanistic approach that studies optimal human functioning, emphasizing positive emotions, individual strengths, and positive institutions.

Cognitive Perspective

A psychological approach focusing on the mental processes involved in acquiring, storing, retrieving, and using information, including thinking, memory, intelligence, and language.

Ebbinghaus Illusion

An optical illusion of relative size perception in which an identical central circle appears larger when surrounded by small circles than when surrounded by large circles.

Biological Perspective

A psychological approach that explores how genetics and biological processes within the brain and nervous system influence behavior, emotion, and cognitive functioning.

Evolutionary Perspective

A contemporary psychological perspective that applies the principles of natural selection, adaptation, and reproduction to explain universal human behaviors and mental traits.

Sociocultural Perspective

An approach in psychology emphasizing the powerful influence of social interactions and cultural environments on human behavior and mental processes.

Asch Line Judgment Experiment

A classic social psychology experiment conducted by Solomon Asch to investigate social conformity by testing whether participants would conform to an obviously incorrect group consensus when matching line lengths.

Biopsychosocial Model

An integrative modern framework holding that biological, psychological, and social factors continuously interact and influence individual health, illness, and behavior.

APA Five Pillar Model

The American Psychological Association's organizational model of psychology comprising five foundational domains: Biological, Cognitive, Developmental, Social and Personality, and Mental and Physical Health.

DEI Model

An organizational framework in psychology and industry encompassing Diversity (demographic and cultural representation), Equity (fairness in access, treatment, and advancement), and Inclusion (creating welcoming environments that foster participation).

Industrial-Organizational Psychologist

A specialist who applies psychological principles to workplace settings, including employee selection and evaluation, leadership, job satisfaction, workplace motivation, and organizational dynamics.

Comparative Psychologist

A specialist who studies the behavior and mental processes of non-human animals, with an emphasis on evolutionary relationships and interspecies comparisons.