Key Psychological Theories and Experiments

These flashcards cover key psychological theories, experiments, and terms from the lecture notes, aiding in the review for the upcoming exam.

Stanley Milgram

Conducted shock experiments to demonstrate obedience to authority.

Functionalism

Founded by William James; focuses on how mental and behavioral processes function to enable adaptation, survival, and flourishing.

Wilhelm Wundt

Established the first psychology laboratory and is known as the founder of structuralism.

B.F. Skinner

Founder of behaviorism, emphasizing behavior as a result of the environment.

Aaron Beck

Known for contributions to clinical psychology and cognitive therapy.

Abraham Maslow

Founder of humanism, emphasizing human potential and self-actualization.

Sigmund Freud

The father of psychiatry and founder of psychotherapy.

John Locke

Established the idea of empiricism, suggesting that knowledge is gained through experience.

Jeremy Bentham

Founded utilitarianism, advocating for the greatest happiness for the greatest number.

William Herbert Sheldon

Founder of the somatypes theory, linking physical appearance to personality.

Francis Galton

Pioneered the nature vs. nurture theory regarding hereditary and environment influences.

Robert Rosenthal

Identified the Pygmalion and Golem effect, indicating the influence of expectations on outcomes.

Albert Bandura

Conducted the bobo doll experiment, demonstrating the effects of observing violence.

Norman Triplett

Explored social facilitation through cycling and fishing reel experiments.

Muzafer Sherif

Studied auto kinetic effect on social conformity.

Solomon Asch

Conducted line experiments to demonstrate social conformity.

Bibb Latane

Conducted experiments on social loafing.

Leon Festinger

Introduced cognitive dissonance theory, addressing the discomfort from conflicting beliefs.

Christine Maslach

Developed the theory of burnout.

Bob Altemeyer

Created the authoritarianism scale.

Philip Zimbardo

Conducted the Stanford Prison Experiment, researching depersonalization and deindividuation.

John Watson

Conducted the Little Albert experiment, demonstrating conditioned emotional responses.

Behaviorism

The theory that behavior is a direct result of environmental factors.

Humanism

A psychological perspective that emphasizes the value and potential of humans.

Psychotherapy

A therapeutic approach involving dialogue between a psychologist and a patient.

Tabula Rasa

The theory that individuals are born without innate knowledge and must learn everything.

Utilitarianism

The ethical theory that promotes actions that maximize happiness for the majority.

Somatypes

The theory that personality types are determined by physical characteristics.

Nature vs. Nurture

The debate over whether genetics or environment has a greater influence on behavior.

Pygmalion Effect

The outcome of individuals is influenced by how they are treated.

Golem Effect

Negative expectations lead to negative performance.

Observing Violence

The idea that witnessing violence leads to aggressive behaviors in individuals.

Social Facilitation

The tendency for people to perform better in the presence of others.

Auto Kinetic Effect

A study of social conformity through perceived motion.

Peer Pressure

The influence of peers on individual behavior.

Authoritarianism

A tendency to comply with authority figures.

Nativism

The belief that certain skills or abilities are innate.

Hawthorne Effect

Changes in behavior that occur when individuals know they are being observed.

Bystander Effect

The phenomenon where individuals are less likely to help a victim when others are present.

Individualism

The principle of being independent and self-reliant.

Collectivism

The practice of prioritizing the group's goals over individual goals.

Introspection

The examination of one's own thoughts and feelings.

Social Loafing

The tendency for individuals to put in less effort when working in a group.

Emic vs. Etic

The distinction between culture-specific (emic) and cross-cultural (etic) perspectives.

Narcissism

An excessive focus on oneself, leading to self-love and self-absorption.

Machiavellianism

The tendency to be manipulative or deceitful.

Fundamental Attribution Error

The tendency to attribute others' behaviors to internal factors while attributing one's own to external factors.

Actor-Observer Bias

The tendency to attribute our own actions to situational factors and others' actions to personality traits.

Self-Serving Bias

The inclination to view oneself in an overly favorable manner.

Just-World Hypothesis

The belief that people ultimately get what they deserve.

Conformity

The act of matching attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors to group norms.