Introduction to Psychology and Scientific Inquiry

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18 Terms

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Psychology

Scientific study of behavior and mental processes

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Why is psychology scientific?

Because it uses research methods to draw conclusions, not intuition

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Goals of Psychology

  1. Describe: what is happening

  2. Explain: why is it happening

  3. Predict: when will it happen

  4. Change: How can we help

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Structuralism (Edward Titchener)

Understanding of parts to understand the whole

Ex:“Let’s break it down and look at each tiny LEGO piece to understand the whole castle.”

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Functionalism (William James)

Focuses on the purpose/ function of mental process and behavior, specifically, how they enable individuals to adapt to their environments.

Ex: The mind is best understood by looking at what it does, not just what it is made of.

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Willem Wundt (Father of psychology)*

Founded the first psychology lab in 1879

laid foundation for structuralism

Introduced the use of introspection to study conscious experience. (asking people to describe their inner experiences)

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William James *

  • Founded Functionalism

  • Wrote The Principles of Psychology (1890), the first major psychology textbook.

  • James-Lange Theory

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James-Lange Theory

Proposes that emotions arise as a consequence of our physiological reactions to events

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Edward Titchener

  • Developed Structuralism in the U.S.

  • Used introspection to find the mind’s “building blocks”

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John Locke

  • Proposed Tabula Rasa (blank slate) → all knowledge comes from experience

  • Founder of Empiricism → psychology must rely on observation

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Rene Descartes

  • Believed in Dualism (mind and body are separate)

  • Said the mind controls the body, body sends info to mind

  • His ideas launched debates that shaped early psychology

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Psychodynamic/ Psychoanalytic

Definition: Our behavior comes from deep feelings and memories we aren’t aware of, often from childhood.

Example: You get nervous every time someone raises their voice, but you don’t know why. A psychodynamic psychologist might say it’s because you were yelled at a lot as a kid and your brain still remembers it, even if you don’t.

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Behavioral Prrspective

Definition: Focuses only on what we can see and measure — our actions. It says we learn behavior through rewards, punishments, or copying others.

Example: If you study and your teacher praises you, you’re more likely to study again. That’s behavior being shaped by reward.

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Cognitive Perspective

Focused on how we think — our thoughts, memories, problem-solving, and how we see the world.

Example: Two people take the same test. One thinks, “I’m smart, I got this,” and stays calm. The other thinks, “I always fail,” and panics. Their thinking changes their behavior and feelings.

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Humanistic Perspective

Achieving one’s potential

Example: A humanistic therapist won’t tell you what’s wrong with you — they’ll help you figure out what you want from life and how to become your best self.

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Biological Perspective

our behavior comes from the brain, body chemicals, and genes.

Example: Someone with depression might have low levels of a brain chemical called serotonin. A biological psychologist would suggest medicine or brain scans, not just talk therapy.

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Evolutionary perspective

This one says we behave a certain way because it helped our ancestors survive.

Example: People tend to like sweet and fatty foods — not because they’re “bad,” but because thousands of years ago, those foods gave people energy to survive.

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Sociocultural perspective

This perspective says our behavior is shaped by the people and culture around us — our family, religion, country, and community.