ch 1-4 notes: psych

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering foundational concepts, historical perspectives, contemporary subfields, key historical figures, and career options in general psychology.

Psychology

The scientific study of the mind and behavior.

Hypothesis

A tentative explanation proposed by a researcher to explain a phenomenon, which should fit into the context of a scientific theory.

Scientific Theory

A broad explanation or group of explanations for some aspect of the natural world that is consistently supported by evidence over time.

Empirical Method

A method for acquiring knowledge based on observation, including experimentation, rather than a method based only on logical argument or previous authorities.

Critical Thinking

The active application of a set of skills to information for the understanding and evaluation of that information, maintaining an attitude of skepticism and recognizing internal biases.

Wilhelm Wundt

A German scientist (1832–1920) credited as one of the founders of psychology who established the first laboratory for psychological research at the University of Leipzig in 1879.

Introspection

A process by which someone examines their own conscious experience as objectively as possible, termed internal perception by Wilhelm Wundt.

Structuralism

A psychological perspective developed by Edward Titchener that focused on the contents of mental processes rather than their function.

Functionalism

A psychological perspective established by William James, John Dewey, and Charles Sanders Peirce focusing on how mental activities help an organism fit into its environment and operating on the whole mind.

Psychoanalytic Theory

A perspective popularized by Sigmund Freud that focuses on the role of a person's unconscious mind and early childhood experiences in shaping behavior and clinical health.

Gestalt Psychology

A perspective founded by Max Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka, and Wolfgang Köhler emphasizing that sensory experience, though breakable into parts, is perceived as a whole based on how those parts relate to one another.

Behaviorism

An approach championed by John B. Watson that shifted psychology's focus away from unobservable conscious experience to the objective observation and control of learned behavior.

Operant Conditioning Chamber

A device developed by B. F. Skinner (also known as a Skinner box) that isolates a subject and delivers positive reinforcement or punishment following a specific behavioral trigger like a lever or button.

Humanism

A perspective within psychology that emphasizes personal control, intentionality, and the innate potential for good present in all humans.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

A motivational framework proposed by Abraham Maslow stating that lower-level physiological and safety needs must be satisfied before higher-level needs like self-actualization motivate behavior.

Client-Centered Therapy

A therapeutic technique developed by Carl Rogers where the client takes a lead role in therapy while the therapist demonstrates unconditional positive regard, genuineness, and empathy.

Cognitive Revolution

A movement during the 1950s revived by multidisciplinary research in linguistics, neuroscience, and computer science that re-established the mind as a primary focus of scientific inquiry.

WEIRD Societies

An acronym standing for Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic societies, which have historically been over-studied in psychological research.

Francis Cecil Sumner

The first African American to receive a PhD in psychology in the United States (1920), who later established a psychology degree program at Howard University.

Mamie Phipps Clark and Kenneth Clark

African American psychologists famous for their research on African American children and doll preference, which was instrumental in the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling.

Margaret Floy Washburn

The first woman awarded the doctoral degree in psychology (1894) and author of The Animal Mind: A Textbook of Comparative Psychology.

Mary Whiton Calkins

A memory researcher who completed all PhD requirements at Harvard in the mid-1890s but was denied the degree because of her gender, known for studying primacy and recency.

American Psychological Association (APA)

The largest professional organization of psychologists in the world, founded with G. Stanley Hall as its first president, representing 54 specialized divisions.

Biopsychology

A subfield of psychology that explores how the structure and function of the biological nervous system influence behavior.

Evolutionary Psychology

A field seeking to study the ultimate biological and genetic causes of behavior based on adaptation to physical and social environments over human history.

Object Permanence

A cognitive developmental concept studied by Jean Piaget referring to the understanding that physical objects continue to exist even when hidden from view.

Five Factor Model

A quantitative personality model defining five major trait dimensions: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.

Research Confederate

An individual in a research study who pretends to be a participant but is actually working for the experimenter and following specific instructions.

Industrial-Organizational Psychology

A subfield that applies psychological theories, principles, and empirical findings to workplace settings, personnel management, and organizational structures.

Biopsychosocial Model

A model in health psychology postulating that health and illness are determined by an interaction of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors.

Forensic Psychology

A branch of psychology that applies psychological theories, assessment tools, and clinical evaluation within the context of the legal and justice system.

PhD in Psychology

A Doctor of Philosophy degree in psychology, requiring 5–6 years of graduate study and defense of a dissertation.

Dissertation

A lengthy research paper or series of bundled published articles describing original research conducted during doctoral training.

PsyD

A Doctor of Psychology degree that places less emphasis on research skills and focuses primarily on the practical application of principles in clinical settings.

Psychiatrist

A medical doctor holding an MD degree who can prescribe medications and conduct therapy, distinct from a clinical psychologist who holds a PhD or PsyD.