AP Unit 1: Scientific Foundations of Psychology (Myers Unit 1)

Empiricism

the view that knowledge originates in experience and that observation and experimentation enable scientific knowledge

Structuralism

an early school of psychology that used introspection to explore the elemental structure of the human mind

Functionalism

early school of thought promoted by James and influenced by Darwin; explored how mental and behavioral processes function- how they enable the organism to adapt, survive, and flourish

Wilhelm Wundt

german physiologist who founded psychology as a formal science; opened first psychology research laboratory in 1879

G. Stanley Hall

american psychologist who established the first psychology research laboratory in the United States

Edward Bradford Titchener

used introspection to search for the mind's structural elements

William James

founder of functionalism; studied how humans use perception to function in our environment

Charles Darwin

English natural scientist who formulated a theory of evolution by natural selection (1809-1882)

Mary Whiton Calkins

first female president of the APA (1905); a student of William James; denied the PhD she earned from Harvard because of her sex (later, posthumously, it was granted to her)

Margaret Floy Washburn

First female to be awarded a PhD in psychology; 2nd president of the APA (1921)

John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner

dismissed introspection and redefined psychology as "the scientific study of observable behavior"

Behaviorism

the view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes. Most research psychologists today agree with (1) but not with (2).

Sigmund Freud

Austrian neurologist known for his work on the unconscious mind. Father of psychoanalysis.

Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow

humanistic psychologists who dismissed behaviorism and Freudian psychology to focus on human growth.

cognitive neuroscience

the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language)

cognition

how our mind processes and retains information

behavior

anything an organism does that can be observed and recorded

mental processes

internal, subjective experiences we infer from behavior

Ivan Pavlov

Russian psychologist who discovered classical conditioning

Jean Piaget

Known for his theory of cognitive development in children

nature-nurture issue

the longstanding controversy over the relative contributions that genes and experience make to the development of psychological traits and behaviors. Today's science sees traits and behaviors arising from the interaction of nature and nurture (Nurture works on what nature provides)

natural selection

the principle that inherited traits that better enable an organism to survive and reproduce in a particular environment will (in competition with other trait variations) most likely be passed on to succeeding generations

behavior genetics

the study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior

Culture

the enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next

positive psychology

the scientific study of human flourishing, with the goals of discovering and promoting strengths and virtues that help individuals and communities to thrive

experimental psychology

the scientific study of basic behavioral processes in humans and animals.

biopsychosocial approach

an integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological, and social-cultural levels of analysis

behavioral psychology

the scientific study of observable behavior, and its explanation by principles of learning

biological psychology

the scientific study of the links between biological and psychological processes

Cognitive Psychology

the scientific study of mental processes, including perception, thought, memory, and reasoning

evolutionary psychology

the study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection

humanistic psychology

historically significant perspective that emphasized the growth potential

psychodynamic psychology

a branch of psychology that studies how unconscious drives and conflicts influence behavior, and uses that information to treat people with psychological disorders

social-cultural psychology

the study of how situations and cultures affect our behavior and thinking

testing effect

enhanced memory after retrieving, rather than simply rereading, information

SQR3

a study method incorporating five steps: Survey, Question, Read, Retrieve, Review

psychometrics

the scientific study of the measurement of human abilities, attitudes, and traits

basic research

pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base

developmental psychology

a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span

educational psychology

the study of how psychological processes affect and can enhance teaching and learning

personality psychology

the study of an individual's characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting

social psychology

the scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another

applied research

scientific study that aims to solve practical problems

industrial-organizational (I/O) psychology

the application of psychological concepts and methods to optimizing human behavior in workplaces

human factors psychology

a field of psychology allied with I/O psychology that explores how people and machines interact and how machines and physical environments can be made safe and easy to use.

counseling psychology

a branch of psychology that assists people with problems in living (often related to school, work, or marriage) and in achieving greater well-being

clinical psychology

a branch of psychology that studies, assesses, and treats people with psychological disorders

psychiatry

a branch of medicine dealing with psychological disorders; practiced by physicians who sometimes provide medical (for example, drug) treatments as well as psychological therapy

community psychology

a branch of psychology that studies how people interact with their social environments and how social institutions affect individuals and groups

Dorothea Dix

A reformer and pioneer in the movement to treat the insane as mentally ill

Epigenetics

the study of environmental influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change