AP Psychology Perspectives and History of Psychology

functionalism

functionalism

Studies the function of mental and behavioral processes and how they enable an organism to thrive

William James

nature nurture issue

controversy over genes and experiences contribution to psychological development

natural selection

Organisms that are better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring (based on Darwin)

behavioral psychology

study of observable behavior

John B Watson

championed psychology as a science of behavior; Focuses exclusively on observable actions.

individualistic culture

a culture that emphasizes individuality and responsibility to oneself. More likely to do what's best for them (USA, most European cultures)

Gestalt Psychology

a psychological approach that emphasizes that we often perceive the whole rather than the sum of the parts

empiricism

What we know comes from experience, scientific knowledge is from observation and experimentation

structuralism

introspection reveals the structure of the human mind

Wilhelm Wundt and Titchener advocated this early school of thought

behaviorism

Psychology is an objective science that should study only behavior, not mental processes. Focus on reinforcement of particular behaviors

humanistic psychology

emphasized the growth potential of healthy people. Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers

psychology

science of behavior and mental processes

cognitive psychology

study of thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating

evolutionary psychology

How particular behaviors aid in survival and/or passing on genes....ex: a phobia in ancient times led to survival and keeping people alive; founded by Charles Darwin

psychoanalytic psychology

study of how unconscious drives and conflicts influence behavior; people do many things without being aware of why. Often deals with childhood memories and trauma

social cultural psychology

study of how situations and cultures affect behavior and thinking

basic research

science with aims to increase the database and gain knowledge

social psychology

study of how we think, influence, and affect eachother

Wilhelm Wundt

established the first psychology laboratory at the University of Leipzig, Germany. Used "introspection" to have people report their own subjective experiences

Sigmund Freud

Started Psychoanalytic Psychology

(Based mostly off of childhood experiences)

B F Skinner

a leading controversial behaviorist.....trained pigeons to play ping pong and pioneered Operant conditioning

Carl Rogers

Humanistic psychologist who used the theory of self-concept. To help his clients get back on the road to self-actualization, he developed a therapeutic approach called client-centered therapy, in which the therapist offers the client unconditional positive regard by supporting the client regardless of what is said.

collectivist cultures

cultures in which people deemphasize their personal goals to those of a stable community. Do what's good for the group and not so much the self. Examples: parts of India, Middle East and parts of Asia

Abraham Maslow

Humanistic psychologist known for his "Hierarchy of Needs" and the concept of "self-actualization"

eclectic approach

an approach to psychotherapy that uses techniques from various forms of therapy

Introspection

A method of self-observation in which participants report their thoughts and feelings. used by Wilhelm Wundt and Edward Titchener in the early days of Psychology

William James

Father of (American) psychology, founder of functionalism; studied how humans use perception to function in our environment. Also wrote first psych textbook called "principles of Psychology" in America

Margaret Floy Washburn

first woman to earn a Ph.D. in psychology

Philosophy and biology

the two disciplines that Psychology has most derived/developed from

Biopsychosocial approach

Integrates several fields of psychology (biological, psychological, social-cultural influences) to explain behavior or mental processes

Mary Calkins

First female president of APA (1905)

Dorothea Dix

Reformed the way mentally ill patients are treated

G. Stanley Hall

american psychologist who established the first psychology research laboratory in the United States and founded the American Psychological Association

Ivan Pavlov

discovered classical conditioning; trained dogs to salivate at the ringing of a bell

Jean Piaget

Known for his theory of cognitive development in children