Psychology 2E - Chapter 1: Introduction to Psychology

Flashcards covering key vocabulary terms and concepts from the introductory chapter of Psychology 2E.

Psychology

The scientific study of the mind and behavior.

Structuralism

Understanding the conscious experience through introspection.

Functionalism

Focused on how mental activities helped an organism adapt to its environment.

Psychoanalytic Theory

Focuses on the role of the unconscious in affecting conscious behavior.

Gestalt Psychology

Focuses on humans as a whole rather than individual parts.

Behaviorism

Focuses on observing and controlling behavior.

Humanism

Emphasizes the potential for good that is innate to all humans.

Introspection

Process by which someone examines their own conscious experience in an attempt to break it into its component parts.

Functionalism (William James)

Emphasized how mental activities contributed to basic environmental survival.

Psychoanalytic Theory (Sigmund Freud)

A perspective which dominated clinical psychology for many decades, focusing on the role of a person’s unconscious and early childhood experiences.

Gestalt Psychology

Based on the idea that although a sensory experience can be broken down into individual parts, how those parts relate to each other as a whole is often what the individual responds to in perception.

Classical Conditioning

An animal produced a reflex (unconscious) response to a stimulus (salivating in the presence of food) and, over time, was conditioned to produce the response to a different stimulus (salivating to the sound of a bell) that the experimenter associated with the original stimulus.

Behaviorism (John B. Watson)

Objective analysis of the mind was impossible; focused on observable behavior and ways to bring that behavior under control.

Operant Conditioning (B. F. Skinner)

Principles of modifying behavior through reinforcement and punishment which he saw as major factors in driving behavior.

Hierarchy of Needs (Abraham Maslow)

So long as basic needs necessary for survival were met (e.g., food, water, shelter), higher-level needs (e.g., social needs) would begin to motivate behavior.

Client-Centered Therapy (Carl Rogers)

Therapists need unconditional positive regard, genuineness, and empathy.

Cognitive Revolution (Noam Chomsky)

Psychology needed to incorporate mental functioning into its focus in order to fully understand human behavior.

Biopsychology

Study how the structure and function of the nervous system generate behavior.

Sensation and Perception

Focuses on both physiological aspects of sensory systems and the psychological experience of sensory information.

Developmental Psychology

Studies the physical and mental attributes of aging and maturation; moral reasoning, cognitive skills and social skills.

Personality Psychology

Focuses on behaviors and thought patterns that are unique to each individual; conscious and unconscious thinking; personality traits.

Social Psychology

How individuals interact and relate with others and how such interactions can affect behavior; prejudice, attraction, interpersonal conflicts, obedience.

Health Psychology

Focuses on how individual health is directly related or affected by biological, psychological, and sociocultural influences.

Clinical Psychology

Focuses on diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders and problematic patterns of behavior.

Industrial-Organizational Psychology

Applies psychological theories, principles and research to industrial and organizational settings.

Sports & Exercise Psychology

Focus on psychological aspects regarding sports and physical performance. Study includes motivation, performance related anxiety, and general mental well being.

Forensic Psychology

Branch of psychology dealing with justice system. Tasks of Forensic Psychologists include assessment of individuals' mental competency to stand in trial, sentencing and treatment suggestions, and advisement regarding eyewitness testimonies.