Module 1: Foundations of Psychology

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the definitions, schools of thought, and subfields of Psychology as detailed in the lecture notes.

Psychology

The scientific study of experiences, behaviours, and mental processes like knowing, thinking, reasoning, and understanding.

Nervous system

The system that controls the functioning of the human body, built of nerve cells that transmit information to and from different parts of the body.

Observable behaviour

Actions performed by an individual that others can see and know, such as playing a Cricket match; also known as overt behaviour.

Covert behaviour

Behaviour that cannot be seen or known by others, such as thinking about a next move in a game.

Cognition

The mental processes of human beings, including thinking, reasoning, understanding, concentration, and attention.

Culture

The man-made part of the environment that influences human experiences, interpersonal relationships, and attributes over generations.

Hypothesis

A tentative statement which is to be proved through research.

Structuralism

An early school of Psychology established by William Wundt that considers Psychology the study of the structure of mind and consciousness.

Introspection

The method used in Structuralism where a subject describes his or her own conscious experiences to understand conscious processes.

Functionalism

A school of thought proposed by William James, John Dewey, and James Angell focusing on how behaviour functions and what the mind does rather than its components.

Gestalt perspective

A perspective founded by Max Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka, and Wolfgang Kohler emphasizing that perception is organized into wholes and that the whole is more than the sum of its parts.

Behavioristic perspective

A school of thought founded by John B Watson emphasizing observable behavior that can be measured and studied through environment modification, conditioning, and reinforcement.

Psychodynamic perspective

A perspective founded by Sigmund Freud in Vienna focusing on unconscious motivation and the theme that behavior is a manifestation of unconscious motives, needs, and desires.

Humanistic perspective

An approach by Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow emphasizing the sense of self, self-actualization, and reducing the discrepancy between the real self and the ideal self.

Cognitive perspective

A view of the human mind as an information processing system where environmental information is processed, transformed, stored, and retrieved.

Narendra Nath Sen Gupta

A Harvard-educated psychologist who founded the Indian Psychological Association and established the first psychological laboratory in India in 1916 at Calcutta.

Behavioral economics

An emerging subject dealing with micro-level economic behavior understood through the lens of Psychology.

Clinical Psychology

The subfield dealing with the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of psychological disorders through psychotherapy.

Counselling Psychology

A subfield that helps people deal with milder emotional, personal, or vocational problems like career choice, marriage, and family issues.

Educational Psychology

The study of the educational process, involving curriculum planning, teacher training, and instruction design based on student abilities.

Developmental Psychology

The study of how people grow and change in physical, cognitive, social, and emotional domains from conception until death.

Social Psychology

The study of how people's thoughts, feelings, and actions are influenced by others, covering topics like attitudes, stereotypes, and group processes.

Industrial / Organisational Psychology

A branch concerned with the workplace, including hiring, productivity, leadership, and management of team morale.

Community Psychology

A subfield that reaches out to the community to help with problems like social discrimination, health promotion, and rehabilitation programs like de-addiction.

Environmental Psychology

The study of the relationship between people and their physical environment, including the impact of factors like land, climate, and pollution.