AP Psych 1.1 Introducing Psychology

Wilhelm Wundt 

Combined physiology and philosophy to create psychology and established the first psychology lab in Germany (1879). He believed in introspection and structuralism.

Structuralism

says that structure is more important than function. Structuralists believed that the mind must be broken into elements to understand the brain and its functions.

Introspection

looking inward, people try to understand the thoughts or emotions they are experiencing at the time.

functionalism

came after structuralism and was created to understand how the conscious mind is related to behavior.

William James: developed functionalism to search for consciousness and behavior.

James Rowland Angell: said to have transformed functionalism from a movement into a working school, despite his protestations that the movement was too broad to be embodied within any single framework.

John Dewey: stressed the importance of empirical, rational thought over an experimental, trial-and-error philosophy.

List of functionalist

Early Behaviorism

was the study of observable events. This theory shifted psychology from a study of the unconscious and conscious mind to a more science-based study based on observable events.

John Watson

was a behavioral psychologist who studied observable behaviors and led the Little Albert experiment, where he trained an 11-month-old boy to fear a white rat. 🐁 The boy was not initially afraid of the rat, but when the white rat was paired with a loud sound, the boy would show signs of distress. Eventually, the boy began to cry when just seeing the white rat without the sound. Believed that observable events are the only events that can be proven true, unlike studying the conscious, where results are not verifiable. Father of Behaviorism.

\

Gestalt psychology

says that the whole is different than the sum of its parts. Gestalt psychology looks at the mind and behavior as a whole. It suggests that human minds do not focus on small components. Instead, humans see the greater whole.

Proximity, similarity, figure-ground, continuity, closure, connectedness

What does Gestalt psychology suggest human brains focus on as parts of a greater whole?

Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic Approach

focuses on the study of the unconscious mind. It states that behavior is determined by past experiences. Sigmund Freud is the key individual that used this approach, and he built his theories based on it.

humanistic approach

believes that humans have free will and the ability to grow. All individuals are striving to reach self-actualization and their greatest potential with this approach. 

evolutionary approach

uses evolutionary biology to explain human behavior. Also, it looks at how natural selection due to variable traits promotes the survival of genes. An evolutionary psychologist may study how anger could be a gene inherited from our ancestors.

biological perspective

 states that behavior is based on physical processes, such as those relating to the brain, hormones, and other chemicals.

cognitive approach

states that thought processes impact the way people behave. A cognitive psychologist may study how an emotion, such as fear, affects one’s thinking.

biopsychosocial perspective

acknowledges the person as a whole and tries to look at all of the patient's circumstances. It looks at biological, psychological, and social factors to understand a person’s behavior.

sociocultural approach

studies how thinking and behavior vary across cultures and situations. A sociocultural psychologist may study how expressions of sadness vary across cultures.

Biological psychology

 states that physical processes shape behavior. For example, a biological psychologist might say that anger is due to a certain hormonal balance in the brain.

Clinical psychology 

is a section of psychology focused on assessing and treating mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. 

Cognitive psychology 

studies the mental processes associated with thinking, knowing, and communicating. 

Counseling psychology

focuses on personal issues that are not classified as mental disorders. These types of therapists help people cope with challenges and crises in life. For example, they can help a student with social or academic struggles. They could even help an individual with marital issues. 

Developmental psychology 

studies social, physical, and cognitive changes throughout the lifespan. So, they study from “womb to tomb.”

Educational psychology

is the study of how psychological processes can impact and improve learning and teaching.

Experimental psychology 

uses the experimental method to examine relationships between behavior and the mind.

Industrial-organizational psychology 

studies the relationships between work and people in order to help companies increase productivity, boost morale, and select and train employees. 

Personality psychology

is the study of how personality affects the way people think and behave. 

Psychometric psychology

 focuses on psychological measurement and is concerned with the design of psychological examinations.

Social psychology

studies how humans are influenced by one another and how we relate and think about each other. 

Positive psychology

focuses on making human existence more fulfilling, rather than focusing on the treatment of mental illness. It promotes strengths and virtues to improve the lives of people and communities.

Tabula Rasa

Means blank slate, refers to the importance of experience on shaping an individual

John Locke

Coined the term tabula rasa