The Princeton Review AP Psychology Chapter 5

Psychology

the study of behavior and the mind

Behavior

a natural process subject to natural laws, refers to the observable actions of a person or an animal

Mind

the sensations, memories, motives, emotions, thoughts, and other subjective phenomena particular to an individual or animal that are not readily observed

Dualism

the idea that divides the world and all things in it into two parts: body and spirit

Brain

the command center of the central nervous system

Rene Descartes

philosopher that believed that the physical world is not under divine influence but rather follows a set of observable laws or rules

Pineal gland

gland located deep within the brain at the top of the brain stem, Descartes believed that the interaction between the mind and body occurred in this gland

Reflex

an immediate, unconscious reaction to an environmental event

John Locke

philosopher that extended Descartes's application of natural laws to all things, believing that even the mind is under the control of such laws

Empiricism

the acquisition of truth through observations and experiences

Thomas Hobbes

philosopher that believed that the idea of a soul or spirit, or even a mind, is meaningless

Materialism

the belief that the only things that exist are matter and energy

Behaviorism

the theory that psychology is the study of observable behavior

Charles Darwin

naturalist, geologist, and biologist that is most famous for the theory of natural selection

On the Origin of Species

book written by Charles Darwin, supports the theory of evolution

Natural selection

theory that all creatures have evolved into their present state over long periods of time

Evolutionary theory

theory that explains differences between species and justifying the use of animals as a means to study the roots of human behavior

Wilhelm Wundt

the founder of the science of psychology

Edward Titchener

student of Wundt's, brought the science of psychology to the United States

Structuralism

theory that understanding all of the parts would lead to the understanding of the greater structure of the mind

Introspection

interviews with a subject describing his or her conscious experience

William James

an American psychologist who opposed the structuralist approach, instead arguing that what is important is the function of the mind

Functionalism

the belief that the important thing to understand is how the mind fulfills its purpose

Biological philosophy

field of psychology that seeks to understand the interactions between anatomy and physiology and behavior

Behavioral genetics

field of psychology that emphasizes that particular behaviors are attributed to specific, genetically based psychological characteristives

Classical conditioning

a basic form of learning in which a behavior comes to be elicited by a formerly neutral stimulus

John Watson

psychologist who applied classical conditioning to humans in the Little Albert experiment

B. F. Skinner

behaviorist described operant conditioning in which a subject learns to associate a behavioral response with an environmental outcome

Behavior modification

a set of techniques in which psychological problems are considered to be the product of learned habits, which can be unlearned by the application of behavioral methods

Cognitive psychology

the idea that to understand people's behavior, we must first understand how they construe their environment, or how they think

Humanistic approach

idea that emphasizes personal values and goals and how they influence behavior, rather then attempting to divide personality into smaller components

Abraham Maslow

psychologist who proposed the idea of self-actualization

Self-actualization

the need for individuals to reach their full potential in a creative way. Attaining self-actualization means accepting yourself and your nature, while knowing your limits and struggles.

Carl Rogers

psychologists that stressed the role of unconditional positive regard in interactions and the need for positive self-concept as critical factors in attaining self-actualization

Unconditional positive regard

belief that the basic acceptance and support of a person regardless of what the person says or does

Sigmund Freud

psychologist who developed a theory of human behavior known as psychoanalytic theory

Psychoanalytic theory

the theory of personality organization and the dynamics of personality development that guides psychoanalysis

Conscious mind

a mental state of awareness that we have ready access to

Unconscious mind

those mental processes that we do not normally have access to but are yet influenced by in some way

Repressed

the description of information that is buried in the unconscious

Carl Jung

psychoanalyst who expanded on the psychoanalytic theory with his concept of the collective unconscious

Collective unconscious

a part of the individual's unconscious which derives memory and knowledge from an ancestral memory, common to the human experience

Sociocultural approach

belief that the environment a person lives in has a great deal to do with how the person behaves and how others perceive that behavior

Evolutionary approach

approach of psychology focusing on the theories of Darwin

What question does the biological approach attempt to answer?

How is the physiology of high-risk takers different from that of non-risk-takers?

What is the cause of behavior based off the biological approach?

Physiology

What question does the behavioral genetics approach attempt to answer?

Which genes contribute to the development of risk-tasking?

What is the cause of behavior based off the behavioral genetics approach?

Genes

What question does the behavioral approach attempt to answer?

How does rewarding or punishing a risk-taker affect his or her behavior?

What is the cause of behavior based off the behavioral approach?

Learning and reflexes

What question does the cognitive approach attempt to answer?

How do risk-takers think and solve problems?

What is the cause of behavior based off the cognitive approach?

Thoughts

What question does the humanistic approach attempt to answer?

How does the adolescent's self-esteem encourage or discourage risk-taker behavior?

What is the cause of behavior based off the humanistic approach?

Self-concept

What question does the psychoanalytic/psycodynamic approach attempt to answer?

How might a child's early experiences affect risk-taking in adolescence?

What is the cause of behavior based off the psychoanalytic/psychodynamic approach?

Unconscious mind

What question does the sociocultural approach attempt to answer?

How might an adolescent's culture lead to risk-taking?

What is the cause of behavior based off the sociocultural approach?

Cultural environment

What question does the evolutionary approach attempt to answer?

Is risk-taking an evolutionary adaptive trait?

What is the cause of behavior based off the evolutionary approach?

Natural selection

A cognitive psychologist would likely be most interested in

a. concentration of neural transmitters in the spinal cord

b. unconditional positive regard in the therapeutic setting

c. token economies in prisons

d. perceptual speed on word association tests

e. development of fine motor skills in toddlers

d. perceptual speed on word association tests

The concept of tabula rasa, or "blank slate" (the idea that human beings come into the world knowing nothing, and thereafter acquire all of their knowledge through experience), is most closely associated with

a. David Hume

b. Charles Darwin

c. John Locke

d. Sigmund Freud

e. Erich Fromm

c. John Locke

The concept of dualism refers to the division of all things in the world into

a. thought and action

b. body and spirit

c. structural and functional

d. theoretical and practical

e. dependent and independent

b. body and spirit

The humanistic approach to psychology emphasizes the importance of

a. childhood experiences

b. biological predisposition

c. maladaptive thoughts

d. free will and conscious awareness

e. cultural experiences

d. free will and conscious awareness

Psychologists who emphasize the importance of repressed memories and childhood experiences subscribe to which of the following perspectives?

a. cognitive

b. behavioral

c. psychodynamic

d. social cultural

e. medical/biological

c. psychodynamic

Psychologists who believe behaviors are learned most likely ascribe to the philosophy of

a. Abraham Maslow

b. B. F. Skinner

c. Carl Rogers

d. Sigmund Freud

e. Wilhelm Wundt

b. B. F. Skinner

According to the psychoanalytic perspective, a person who does not remember a painful event experiences which defense mechanisms?

a. denial

b. self-actualization

c. projection

d. consciousness

e. repression

e. repression

Carl Rogers is most closely associated with which psychological approach?

a. unconditional positive regard

b. cognitive psychology

c. humanistic

d. sociocultural

e. behaviorism

c. humanistic

According to Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs, the most basic of human need is

a. self-actualization

b. esteem

c. belonging

d. safety

e. physiological

e. physiological

Many people credit the discovery of psychology as its own field of study to

a. Wilhelm Wundt

b. John Locke

c. John Watson

d. Sigmund Freud

e. Rene Descartes

a. Wilhelm Wundt