History and Major Perspectives in Psychology

A set of vocabulary flashcards based on lecture notes covering prominent figures, subfields, and key terminology in psychology.

Plato

Believed that the human mind was imprinted with all relevant knowledge and that this knowledge was innate. He believed that the healthy mind represented a balance among intellect, emotion, and base desires and appetites, where an over-reliance on one area resulted in an unhealthy imbalance.

Aristotle

One of the first to promote empirical, or testable, investigations of the natural world. He formed ideas about how living things are hierarchically categorized, looked inward at sensory experiences, and scrutinized his environment, searching for the basic purpose of all objects and creatures.

Positive Psychology (Martin Seligman)

Studies our capacity for good and joy rather than the absence of it.

Eclecticism

Acknowledges that many factors influence human behaviour, and that to understand the human brain we need to acknowledge all of the perspectives.

Mary Calkins

Known for her emphasis on the self, conscious, emotions, and dreams.

Leta Hollingworth

Studied mentally deficient and mentally gifted individuals, and was known for her views on gender differences in mental functioning.

Magda Arnold

Known for emotional research and as the Mother of Modern Emotion Theory.

Mary Ainsworth

Known for her work on mother-infant attachment and for the development of the Strange Situation method.

Mary Wright

Known for her work on Canadian history psychology.

Brenda Milner

Studied memory and other cognitive functions in humans.

Cultural Psychologists

Focuses on the differences between collectivist cultures and individualistic cultures.

Collectivist Culture

A culture whose members prioritize the group rather than the individual.

Individualistic Culture

A culture whose members prioritize the person over the group.

Cognitive Neuroscience

The study of mental processes and how they relate to biological components in the brain.

Social Neuroscience

The study of how social function affects brain activity.

Hippocrates

Greek philosopher from the 4th to 5th centuries B.C.E. who believed that an individual's physical health was influenced by four bodily fluids (phlegm, black bile, yellow bile, blood), and that an excess or lack of any of these fluids influenced an individual's personality.

Evolutionary Psychology

A study that believes the body and brain are products of evolution and focuses on how genetics play an important role on human thoughts and behaviour.

Cultural Universality

Behaviours and practices that occur across all cultures.

Academic Psychology

A branch of psychology focusing on research and instruction in the various areas of psychology.

Applied Psychology

Applying psychological principles to practical problems in other fields (e.g., business psychology).

Clinical / Counselling Psychology

The study of behaviour and goals to treat behaviours.

Information Processing

How information is stored and operates internally.

Cultural Psychology

The study of how cultural practices influence one's mental processes and behaviour.

Cross-Cultural Psychology

The study of what is generally or universally true about human behaviour regardless of culture.

Neuroscience (1980s-1990s)

The study of psychological functions looking at biological components.

Behavioural Genetics

Looking at how genetics influence human behaviour.

Sociobiologists

Theorists who believe humans have an inborn concept of how social behaviour should be organized.