AP Psyche ID Quiz Study Guide

Abraham Maslow

an American psychologist who was best known for creating the Hierarchy of Needs

applied psychologists

psychologists who use the knowledge developed by experimental psychologists to solve human problems

Aristotle

believed the way to understand the essence of something was to study examples in nature
observation and data
human behaviors subject to rules and laws

B.F. Skinner

pioneer of operant conditioning who believed that everything we do is determined by our past history of rewards and punishments

basic psychologists

psychologists who research without concern to personal or social problems

behaviorism

a theory of learning that focuses solely on observable behaviors, discounting the importance of mental activity such as thinking, wishing, and hoping

behaviorist

a psychologist who analyzes how organisms learn or modify their behavior based on their response to events in the environment

biological approach

an approach to psychology focusing on the body, especially the brain and nervous system

biological psychologists

study behaviors and mental processes from a biological perspective
provide insight into the causes of and treatments for psychological disorders
a complex interaction between a person's biology and their behavior and mental processes

biopsychosocial model

a model that sees health as the result of biological, psychological, and social factors

Carl Rogers

psychologist best known for developing the psychotherapy method called client-centered therapy and for being one of the founders of humanistic psychology

Charles Darwin

1859 published his ideas on the origin of species
a centerpiece of his theory was the principle of natural selection

classical conditioning

learning process in which a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an innately meaningful stimulus and acquires the capacity to elicit a similar response

clinical psychologists

typically have a doctoral degree in psychology, which requires approximately four to five years of graduate work and one year of internship in a mental health facility
cannot prescribe drugs
have an interest in improving the lives of people with mental health problems

cognitive approach

an approach to psychology focusing on the mental processes involved in knowing: how we direct our attention, perceive, remember, think, and solve problems

cognitive psychologists

examine attention, consciousness, information processing, and memory
interested in skills and abilities such as problem solving, decision making, expertise, and intelligence

counseling psychologists

sometimes work with people to help solve practical problems in life
may work with students, advising them about personal problems and career planning

developmental psychologists

concerned with how people become who they are, from conception to death
concentrate on the biological and environmental factors that contribute to human development
study child development but also adult development and aging

Dorthea Dix

a reformer and pioneer in the movement to treat the insane as mentally ill
beginning in the 1820s, she was responsible for improving conditions in jails, poorhouses, and insane asylums throughout the U.S. and Canada

dualism

2 part quality to humans
2 parts interact
a physical brain and soul

educational psychologists

research learning issues
make tests such as SATs
research how people learn
basic psychologists

Edward Thorndike

psychologist who created the law of effect
believed rewarded behavior is likely to recur

Edward Titchener

student of Wilhelm Wundt
coined the term "structuralism"

ego

the Freudian structure of personality that deals with the demands of reality

empiricism

gaining knowledge through the observation of events, the collection of data, and logical reasoning

evolutionary psychologists

psychologists who focuses on evolutionary ideas such as adaptation, reproduction, and natural selection as the basis for explaining specific human behaviors

experimental psychologists

psychologists who explore behavior and thinking with experiments

functionalism

James' approach to mental processes, emphasizing the functions and purposes of the mind and behavior in the individual's adaptation to the environment

Gestalt Psychology

a school of thought interested in how people naturally organize their perceptions according to certain patterns

Hierarchy of Needs

a theory of psychological health developed by Abraham Maslow, predicated on fulfilling innate human needs in priority, culminating in self-actualization

human factors psychologists

make technical systems more user-friendly
typically background in engineering

humanistic approach

an approach to psychology focusing on a person's positive qualities, the capacity for positive growth, and the freedom to choose one's own destiny

id

the Freudian structure of personality consisting of unconscious drives
the individuals' reservoir of sexual energy

industrial-organizational psychologists

study the relationship between people and work to increase efficiency
study behavior of people in organizations like businesses

introspection

looking inside our own minds, by focusing on our thoughts (literally "looking inside")

Ivan Pavlov

psychologist that developed classical conditioning theory of learning
conducted famous salivating dogs experiment to research classical conditioning

Jean Piaget

a Swiss psychologist most famously known for his theory of cognitive development that looked at how children develop intellectually throughout the course of childhood

John Locke

believed:
tabula rasa
experiences shape the person
behaviorism
empiricism: examine data not using intuition or reason alone
nature vs. nurture

John Watson

early behaviorist
famous for the "Little Albert" experiments on fear conditioning

latent

according to Freud, a dream's hidden content
its unconscious and true meaning

Margaret Floy Washburn

a leading American psychologist in the early 20th century
known for her experimental work in animal behavior and motor theory development
the first woman to be granted a PhD in psychology

Mary Whiton Calkins

American psychologist who conducted research on memory, personality, and dreams
first woman president of the American Psychological Association
student of William James

monism

nothing exists except physical matter
mind is a function of the brain

Nature vs. Nurture

concept asking, "do genes or environmental factors contribute more to a person's being?"

operant conditioning

a form of associative learning in which the consequences of a behavior change the probability of the behavior's occurrence

personality psychologists

consider personality, consisting of the relatively enduring characteristics of individuals
study topics such as traits, goals, motives, genetics, personality development, and well-being
interested in those aspects of your psychological makeup that make you uniquely you

Plato

believed experiences create a subjective reality and cannot be observed
we each have our own perception unique to our own life experiences

psychiatrist

a physician with a medical degree who subsequently specializes in abnormal behavior and psychotherapy
can prescribe drugs
has an interest in improving the lives of people with mental health problems

psychology

the scientific study of behavior and mental processes

psychometric psychologists

design and evaluate tests of mental abilities, aptitudes, interests, and personality

Rene Descartes

dualism vs. monism

school psychologists

identify and assist students with learning problems
work in gifted programs, special education, IQ testing, and individual education plans

Sigmund Freud

the founding father of the psychoanalytic approach

Skinner Box

a laboratory apparatus used to study operant conditioning in animals, which typically contains a lever that animals can press to dispense food as reinforcement

social psychologists

deal with people's interactions with one another, relationships, social perceptions, social cognition, and attitudes
interested in the influence of groups on our thinking and behavior and in the ways that the groups to which we belong influence our attitudes

sociocultural Approach

an approach to psychology focusing on the ways in which social and cultural environments influence behavior

stimulus and response learning

the ability to learn to perform a particular behavior when a particular stimulus is present

stream of consciousness

term used by William James to describe the mind as a continuous flow of changing sensations, images, thoughts, and feelings

structuralism

Wundt's approach to discovering the basic elements, or structures, of mental processes
so-called because of its focus on identifying the structures of the human mind

superego

the Freudian structure of personality that serves as the harsh internal judge of our behavior

what we often call conscience

sychoanalytic approach

an approach to psychology focusing on unconscious thought, the conflict between biological drives and society's demands, and early childhood family experiences

tabula rasa

blank slate

theory of evolution

states that organisms change and develop over time to adapt an increased rate of survival

unconscious

according to Freud, a reservoir of mostly unacceptable thoughts, wishes, feelings, and memories

Wilhelm Wundt

debut of modern psychology as a lab science
1879 established first psychology lab is Leipzig, Germany
established structuralism
tried to understand basic elements of consciousness

William James

founded functionalism