Schools and Fields of Psychology

This set covers vocabulary from structuralism, functionalism, psychoanalysis, Gestalt psychology, behaviorism, and the determinants and methods of psychological study as detailed in the lecture transcript.

Psychology

The study of behavior; the science that seeks to measure, explain, and sometimes change the behavior of man and animals.

Psyche

One of the two Greek roots of psychology, meaning mind or soul.

Logos

One of the two Greek roots of psychology, meaning science.

Structuralism

Founded in 1879 by Wilhelm Wundt and Edward B. Titchener to discover the elements of consciousness or the structure of the mind using introspection and experiment.

Introspection

A method consisting in the observations of one's own behavior and looking into one's own mind to discover the building blocks of sensation and perception.

Functionalism

Founded in 1898, it focused on the functions of mental activity and the role of behavior in allowing people to adapt to their environment.

Psychoanalysis

Founded in 1900 by Sigmund Freud, this school aims to discover the cause and cure of personality disorders by exploring unconscious processes.

Id

The unconscious part of the personality according to Freud's Theory of Personality.

Ego

The part of the personality associated with conscious thought and reality.

Superego

The part of the personality representing conscience and morality.

Libido Theory

A theory stressing the role of motives and cravings hidden in the unconscious, asserting that sex urges constitute the main human drive.

Erogenous Zone

According to the Psychosexual Theory of Development, a specific area of the body that becomes the focus of pleasure needs during each stage of human development.

Fixations

Manifested behaviors that result from needs being left unsatisfied during a particular psychosexual stage.

Oedipus Complex

A state in the Phallic Stage where boys experience rivalry with their father for their mother's attention and affection, leading to castration anxiety.

Electra Complex

A state in the Phallic Stage where girls see their mother as a rival for their father's affection, involving the development of penis envy.

Gestalt

Founded in 1912, this school posits that the whole of experience is more than the sum of its parts and focuses on organized configuration.

Perceptual Organization

The brain's innate ability to organize the perceptual field into meaningful patterns rather than perceiving separate elements.

Principle of Closure

A Gestalt principle that occurs when an element is incomplete, subconsciously involving the filling of missing gaps or information.

Principle of Pragnanz

A German term meaning 'good figure,' referring to the tendency to perceive complex images in the simplest forms possible.

Behaviorism

Founded in 1912, it explains behavior in terms of stimulus and response, focusing on overt behavior rather than consciousness.

Law of Effect

Edward Thorndike's law stating that a response followed by a reward becomes stronger (a habit), while a response that deters a reward becomes weaker.

Law of Readiness

According to Thorndike, a set of responses linked to achieve a goal; prevention from achieving the goal causes 'annoyance.'

Classical Conditioning

Ivan Pavlov's theory where a neutral stimulus is paired with an unconditioned stimulus until the neutral stimulus evokes a conditioned response.

Operate Conditioning

B.F. Skinner's method of learning using rewards and punishments to alter or shape behavior.

Positive Reinforcement

The addition of a positive outcome to increase the likelihood of a behavior being repeated.

Negative Reinforcement

The removal of something undesirable to increase the likelihood of repeating a behavior.

Positive Punishment

Adding a stimulus (like a reprimand) to decrease the likelihood of a behavior.

Negative Punishment

The removal of a stimulus (like a favorite toy) to decrease the likelihood of a behavior.

Heredity (Nature)

The totality of biologically transmitted influences from parents to offspring that determines how an individual uses their environment.

Environment (Nurture)

The sum total of all external factors potentially capable of influencing an organism after conception.

Interaction

The relationship between heredity and environment, conceived as a product ($H \times E$) where factors operate differently depending on the specific material they act upon.

Zygote

Produced by the union of the egg and sperm within the mother's body, containing combined heredity materials.

Experimental Method

A systematic observation where an Independent Variable is manipulated to determine its effect on a Dependent Variable.

Longitudinal Method

A method involving observations and measurements at periodic intervals, often spread over years, to provide a consistent picture of behavior.

Senescent psychology

The scientific study of human behavior in old age.

Comparative psychology

A field that treats the behavior and mental processes of different species.

Psychiatry

Psychology as applied in medicine, concerning the treatment of mental diseases.

Dynamic psychology

A scientific interpretation of mental phenomena emphasizing internal drives and motives; also referred to as Personality Psychology.

Differential Method

A method used when the Independent Variable cannot be manipulated, requiring a comparison between the Independent Variable and a Controlled Variable.

Naturalistic Method

A study focusing on animals or humans in their natural environment.