Key Concepts in American Psychology, Functionalism, & Behaviourism

These flashcards are designed to help students review key concepts in American psychology, functionalism, and behaviorism for their upcoming exam.

Functionalism

A school of psychology based on the theory of evolution, focusing on how the mind and behavior function to adapt to the environment.

William James

An American psychologist who contributed to functionalism and proposed the concept of the 'stream of consciousness'.

Stream of Consciousness

A concept by William James indicating that consciousness is personal, continuous, changing, and functional.

Crisis

William James's period of depression that led him to rethink his purpose and beliefs, ultimately influencing his psychological views.

Pragmatism

A philosophy by William James that judges ideas by their practical applications and usefulness.

Hugo Münsterberg

An early applied psychologist known for his work in clinical, forensic, and industrial psychology.

Mary Whiton Calkins

An early psychologist who faced gender discrimination, developed the paired-associate learning technique, and advanced self psychology.

Granville Stanley Hall

The first American to earn a PhD in psychology, known for his work in developmental psychology and for founding the American Journal of Psychology.

John Dewey

A philosopher and psychologist recognized as the founder of functionalism and advocate for progressive education.

Edward Lee Thorndike

An early psychologist known for his work in animal behavior, associationism, and the laws of learning.

Burrhus Frederic Skinner

A prominent behaviorist who developed operant conditioning and focused on the effects of reinforcement on behavior.

Neobehaviorism

An integration of behaviorism and logical positivism that emphasizes operational definitions and the use of theoretical terms.

Operational Definition

A definition that describes a concept in terms of measurable operations used to observe it.

Latent Learning

A type of learning that occurs but is not immediately reflected in behavior, as proposed by Edward Tolman.

Cognitive Map

A mental representation of spatial relationships; a concept developed by Edward Tolman during his studies with rats.

Associative Learning

A learning principle where responses become associated with specific stimuli, as demonstrated in Thorndike's work.

Recapitulation Theory

Granville Stanley Hall's theory that individuals pass through developmental stages that mirror the evolutionary stages of species.

Radical Empiricism

William James's belief that all aspects of human experience are worthy of study, regardless of their scientific testability.

James-Lange Theory of Emotion

A theory proposed by William James stating that emotions result from physiological reactions to events.

Conditioned Reflex

A learned response that occurs when a neutral stimulus is paired with an unconditioned stimulus; a concept by Pavlov.

Dynamic Psychology

The branch of psychology founded by Robert Sessions Woodworth that focuses on internal variables motivating behaviors.

Introspection

A research method involving self-examination of one’s conscious thoughts and feelings, used mainly in Structuralism.

Functionalism vs. Structuralism

Functionalism focuses on mental processes and their functions in adapting to the environment, while structuralism focuses on breaking down mental processes into their basic components.

Four Types of Behavior (Watson)

1) Explicit learned behavior 2) Implicit learned behavior 3) Explicit unlearned behavior 4) Implicit unlearned behavior.

Theory of Free Will (James)

The idea that individuals can choose their behaviors, which highlights the interaction between will and action.