Psychology Chapter 1 Key Terms

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers the fundamental terms and schools of thought introduced in Chapter 1 of the psychology lecture notes.

adaptations

inherited solutions to ancestral problems that have been selected for because they directly contribute in some way to reproductive success; they continue to perform that function though the problem that required the adaptation no longer exists.

asylums

facilities for treating the mentally ill that existed in Europe during the Middle Ages and into the 19th century.

behavioral neuroscience

the study of the links among brain, mind, and behavior.

behaviorism

a school of psychology that proposed that psychology can be a true science only if it examines observable behavior, not ideas, thoughts, feelings, or motives.

biological psychology

the study of the relationship between bodily systems and chemicals, and how they influence behavior and thought.

clinical psychology

the field that deals with the treatment of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders and the promotion of psychological health.

cognitive psychology

the study of how people perceive, remember, think, speak, and solve problems.

developmental psychology

the study of how thought and behavior change and remain stable across the life span.

educational psychology

the study of how students learn, the effectiveness of particular teaching techniques, the social psychology of schools, and the psychology of teaching.

empiricism

the view that all knowledge and thoughts come from experience.

evolution

the change over time in the frequency with which specific genes occur within a breeding species.

evolutionary psychology

the branch of psychology that aims to understand the functions of the human mind by looking at and understanding what adaptive problems it may have solved earlier in its ancestral past.

forensic psychology

the study that combines psychology and the legal and criminal justice systems.

functionalism

a school of psychology that argued that it was better to look at why the mind worked the way it did than to describe its parts.

Gestalt psychology

a theory of psychology that proposes that we perceive things as wholes rather than a compilation of parts.

health psychologists

scientists who examine the role that psychological factors play in regard to physical health and illness.

humanistic psychology

a theory of psychology that focuses on personal growth and meaning as a way of reaching one’s highest potential.

industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology

the application of psychological concepts and questions to work settings and problems.

introspection

the main method of investigation for structuralists; it involves looking into one’s own mind for information about the nature of conscious experience.

moral treatment

approach to treatment of the mentally ill that began in Europe during the 18th and 19th centuries; its goal was to offer dignity and care in a relaxing environment.

natural selection

a feedback process whereby nature favors one design over another, depending on whether it has an impact on reproduction.

nature through nurture

the position that the environment—be it the womb or the home or the entire world—constantly interacts with biology to shape who we are and what we do.

personality psychology

the study of what makes people unique and the consistencies in people’s behavior across time and situations.

positive psychology

a theory of psychology that shares with humanism a belief that psychology should focus on studying, understanding, and promoting healthy and positive psychological functioning, but does so from a scientific rather than theoretical perspective.

psychoanalysis

a clinically based approach to understanding and treating psychological disorders; assumes that the unconscious mind is the most powerful force behind thought and behavior.

psychology

the scientific study of thought and behavior.

psychophysics

the first scientific form of psychology; laboratory studies of the subjective experience of physical sensations.

shamans

medicine men or women who treat the possessed by coaxing and driving out the demons with elaborate rituals, such as exorcisms, incantations, and prayers.

social psychology

the study of how living among others influences thought, feeling, and behavior.

softwiring

in contrast to hardwired, means that biological systems involved in thought and behavior—genes, brain structures, brain cells, etc.—are inherited and still open to modification from the environment.

sports psychology

the study of psychological factors in sports and exercise.

structuralism

19th-century school of psychology that argued that breaking down experience into its elemental parts offers the best way to understand thought and behavior.