Schools of Thought in Psychology

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering the major schools of thought, key theorists, core definitions, and historical shifts in psychology from Chapter 1 of Weiten.

Structuralism

An early school of psychology led by Edward Titchener that aimed to analyze consciousness into its basic elements (sensations, feelings, and images) and investigate how those elements are related.

Introspection

The structuralist method involving the careful, systematic self-observation of one's own conscious experience when exposed to sensory stimuli such as auditory tones and visual images.

Functionalism

A school of thought influenced by William James emphasizing that psychology should investigate the function, purpose, and adaptive value of consciousness rather than its structure.

Stream of Consciousness

William James's concept describing conscious experience as a continuous, unbroken flow of thoughts, contrasting with the structuralist attempt to analyze it into static elements.

Behaviourism

A theoretical orientation founded by John B. Watson in 1913 asserting that scientific psychology should restrict its study exclusively to observable behaviour.

Behaviour

Any overt, observable response or activity by an organism, such as shopping, eating, or playing chess, that can be verified by independent observers.

Stimulus-Response View

The behavioural approach, influenced by Pavlov's conditioned reflex, that explains actions by relating overt observable responses to observable events in the environment.

Psychoanalysis

A theoretical system and clinical procedure developed by Sigmund Freud that explains personality, motivation, and mental disorders through unconscious determinants and conflicts.

Unconscious

In psychoanalytic theory, the thoughts, memories, and desires existing below conscious awareness that exert a powerful influence on overt behaviour.

Radical Behaviourism

B. F. Skinner's philosophy holding that internal mental events cannot be studied scientifically and that behaviour is fully governed by external environmental stimuli, rendering free will an illusion.

Humanism

A theoretical perspective led by Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow emphasizing the unique qualities of human beings, their capacity for free will, and their fundamental drive toward personal growth.

Self-Concept

Carl Rogers's construct defining an individual's organized set of beliefs about their own nature, which he posited primarily governs human behaviour.

Cognition

The mental processes involved in acquiring, storing, retrieving, and processing knowledge, including thinking, reasoning, and problem solving.

Cell Assembly

Donald Hebb's concept of neural networks that develop through repeated stimulation, acting as functional cognitive units in the brain to facilitate behaviour.

Behavioural Neuroscience

A perspective holding that psychological functioning and overt behaviour are explained by physiological, biological, and biochemical processes in the brain.

Evolutionary Psychology

A theoretical perspective emerging in the 1980s that examines behavioural processes in terms of their adaptive value and natural selection over many generations to enhance reproductive success.

Positive Psychology

A movement initiated in the late 1990s by Martin Seligman that uses theory and research to examine positive subjective experiences, individual strengths, and positive institutions.

Person-Centred Therapy

An innovative psychotherapy approach pioneered by Carl Rogers founded on humanistic principles to foster personal growth and fulfillment.