Chapter 1: The Science of Psychology

Vocabulary flashcards based on Chapter 1: The Science of Psychology, covering key figures, early and modern perspectives, subfields, and research methods.

Psychology

The science of behavior and mental processes, derived from the Latin words psyche ("mind") and logos ("study" or "knowledge").

Behavior

Anything that an organism does.

Mental Processes

The private experiences that constitute our inner lives.

Wilhelm Wundt

German psychologist who established the world's first formal laboratory of psychology in Leipzig, Germany, in 1879.

Introspection

A research method used by Wilhelm Wundt involving an inward focusing on mental experiences.

Structuralism

An early school of psychology, named by Wilhelm Wundt and Edward Titchener, aimed at understanding the mind by breaking it down into its component parts.

Christine Ladd-Franklin

Psychologist who completed all Ph.D. requirements at Johns Hopkins University in 1882 but was denied her degree due to gender, finally receiving it 44 years later in 1926.

Mary Whiton Calkins

Psychologist who completed doctoral requirements at Harvard University but was denied her degree due to gender, and later became the first female president of the American Psychological Association in 1905.

Margaret Floy Washburn

The first woman to earn a Ph.D. in psychology in the United States (1894) and the second female president of the APA (1921).

Francis Sumner

The first African American to receive a doctorate in psychology in the United States, awarded in 1920.

J. Henry Alston

The first African American to publish research findings in a United States journal.

Kenneth Bancroft Clark

Educator and researcher who, along with Mamie Phipps Clark, conducted child development research, co-founded the Northside Center for Child Development, and became the first Black president of the APA.

Phrenology

An early perspective developed by Franz Joseph Gall proposing that personality, intellect, and character could be determined by reading bumps and indentations on the skull.

Behaviorism

A psychological approach holding that environment is the sole determinant of behavior and that thoughts and feelings are not internal causes of actions.

Social-Cognitive Theory

A contemporary model expanding on behaviorism that incorporates both environmental and cognitive contributors to behavior.

Psychodynamic Perspective

An evolution of psychoanalysis that moves beyond sex and aggression to emphasize self-awareness, self-direction, and conscious choices.

Evolutionary Psychology

A perspective based on Charles Darwin's work that examines adaptations and genetic roots promoting survival across environments.

Dunbar Number

A concept proposed by Robin Dunbar stating that humans can maintain stable social relationships with approximately 150 people due to ancestral group limits.

Physiological Perspective

Also known as the biological or biopsychological perspective; links behavior and mental processes to biological events, brain structures, genetics, and hormones.

Humanistic Perspective

Known as psychology's "third force," focusing on conscious choice, free will, and personal fulfillment.

Cognitive Perspective

The school of thought examining processes by which humans acquire and use knowledge, including memory, problem-solving, language, and decision-making.

Sociocultural Perspective

The perspective focusing on how surrounding culture, society, ethnicity, age, gender, and lifestyle influence psychological functioning.

Social Psychology

The branch of psychology studying how individuals think, feel, and act in social situations, including social cognition, group dynamics, and social influence.

Basic Research

Research focused on acquiring knowledge for its own sake without immediate practical application.

Applied Research

Research conducted specifically to find practical solutions to real-world problems.

Clinical Psychologists

The largest group of psychology specialists, dedicated to evaluating and treating individuals with psychological disorders.

Counseling Psychologists

Psychologists who assist individuals in handling life adjustment challenges.

Industrial/Organizational Psychologists

Psychologists who study interactions between people and their workplace environments.

Psychiatrist

A medical doctor (M.D.) who completes medical school and is authorized to prescribe medication for treating psychological disorders.

Survey Method

A research technique using questionnaires or interviews to gather data from representative samples of a population.

Social Desirability Bias

The tendency of research participants to provide socially acceptable answers rather than truthful reflections of their beliefs or feelings.

Correlational Method

A research approach examining statistical relationships between variables without direct manipulation.

Correlation Coefficient

A statistic ranging from $-1.00$ to $+1.00$ indicating the direction and strength of a relationship between two variables.

Positive Correlation

A relationship where increase in one variable corresponds to an increase in another variable.

Negative Correlation

A relationship where increase in one variable corresponds to a decrease in another variable.

Experimental Method

A research methodology establishing cause-and-effect relationships by manipulating an independent variable under controlled conditions.

Independent Variable

The factor intentionally manipulated by an experimenter to measure its impact on an outcome.

Dependent Variable

The variable measured to detect any changes produced by manipulating the independent variable.

Placebo Effect

An observed change in behavior or state caused by participant expectations rather than an active intervention.

Double-Blind Study

An experimental setup in which both subjects and experimenters are kept unaware of group assignments to eliminate researcher bias.

Case Study Method

An in-depth investigation of a single participant or small group via interviews, observations, or records.

Naturalistic Observation

A methodology observing subject behavior in natural environments without researcher intervention.