AP Psych unit 1

structuralism

used introspection to reveal the structure of the mind

functionalism

explored how mental and behavioral processes function + enable organisms to adapt, survive and thrive

introspection

examining one’s own mental and emotional processes

behaviorism

view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes.

psychologists today disagree with part 2

Freudian psych/psychoanalytic perspective

emphasizes the way our unconscious mind and childhood experiences shape our behavior. big on personalities and sexual conflicts

humanism

emphasizes peoples’ potential growth. rejected Freud & behaviorists, focusing on how we need to be loved/accepted and how our environments aid or limit our growth

cognitive psychology

the study of mental processes— how do we perceive/learn/remember/solve?

behavior

anything an organism does, observable & recordable

mental processes

internal, subjective experiences inferred from behavior

nature-nurture issue

question of the relative contributions of genes vs experiences in the development of psychological traits/behaviors

differences can be attributed to each side

biopsychosocial approach

integrated approach that incorporates biological, social-cultural, and psychological factors into analysis

neuroscientific/biological perspective

focused on how the body + brain enable emotions, memories, and sensory experiences. ex. how does brain chemistry effect mood?

evolutionary perspective

focused on how natural selection has promoted the survival of certain genes. ex. how does evolution influence behavioral tendencies?

psychodynamic perspective

investigates how behavior springs from the unconscious (less strange version of Freud’s stuff)

how can a person’s personality be explained by childhood traumas?

behavioral perspective

examines how we learn observable responses

how do we alter bad habits such as smoking?

cognitive perspective

investigates how we encode, process, store, and retrieve information

how do people use information while solving problems?

social-cultural perspective

examines how behavior and thinking different across (social) situations and cultures.

how is our behavior effected by those around us?

basic research

studies conducted with the aim of increasing the scientific knowledge base

applied research

studies conducted with the aim of solving practical issues

positive psychology

the study of human flourishing! goal is to discover and promote strengths that help people and communities thrive

industrial-organizational psychology

studies human behavior in organizations and the workplace, and uses that to solve problems at work

personality

one’s characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting.

various perspectives have different takes on how it develops

free association

in psychoanalysis, a method of exploring the unconscious where a person relaxes and says whatever comes to mind

what Freud used

psychoanalysis

Freud’s theory of personality that attributes thoughts and actions to unconscious motives and conflicts. also a technique used in therapy!

unconscious

(Freud def.) a reservoir of ‘unacceptable’ thoughts, wishes, feelings, and memories, the denial of which leads to psychological issues.

contemporary def.: info processing of which we’re unaware

id

unconscious energy that wants to satisfy basic sexual + aggressive drives. operates by the ‘pleasure principle’. devil on one’s shoulder

ego

conscious, executive part of the brain that mediates other parts’ wants

superego

represents internalized ideals and provides standards for judgement and aspirations. angel on your shoulder

preconscious

things you aren’t actively thinking of but not suppressing. they’re there, you just haven’t thought of them yet!

defense mechanisms

ego’s protective methods of reducing anxiety by distorting reality. always indirect + unconscious

repression

defense mechanism that underlies every other defense mechanism. banishes anxiety-causing thoughts/feelings/memories/wishes from the conscience

reaction formation

when one switches “bad” impulses into their opposites. ex. acting overly happy while really angry

defense mechanism

projection

disguises one’s own ‘bad’ impulses by attributing them to others

defense mechanism, now called false consensus effect

rationalization

offers justifying explanation in place of the real, threatening reasons for one’s actions

defense mechanism

displacement

shifts sexual/aggressive impulses to a more acceptable/less threatening object/person (ex. toddler kicking a dog when angry at parent)

defense mechanism

denial

when one refuses to believe painful realities

defense mechanism

regression

when one retreats to an earlier psychosexual stage that they are still fixated on (ex. nervous kid sucks thumb)

defense mechanism

sublimation

a “mature” defense mech. where unacceptable impulses are transformed into acceptable, even productive, actions

Freud liked this one

psychodynamic theory

views personality with a focus on the unconscious + childhood experiences

behavior = conscious mind + unconscious motives & conflicts

projective test

personality test that provides ambiguous images designed to trigger projection of one’s inner dynamics, ex. Rorschach

some work quite well! others not so much

false consensus effect

the tendency to overestimate the extent to which others share our beliefs and behaviors

modern version of projection!

humanistic theories

theories that view personality with a focus on the potential for healthy personal growth

self-actualization

(Maslow def.) one of the “ultimate psychological needs”, at the top of Maslow’s pyramid. the motivation to fulfill one’s potential

unconditional positive regard

a caring, accepting, nonjudgemental attitude, which Carl Rogers believed would help people develop self-awareness and self-acceptance

self-concept

all our thoughts and feelings about ourselves

trait

a characteristic pattern of behavior or a disposition to feel and act in certain ways

factor analysis

a statistical procedure that identifies clusters of test items that reflect a particular trait

ex. many introverted people like quiet, at-home activities like reading

personality inventories

a questionnaire where people respond to items designed to gauge a wide range of feelings and behaviors + used to assess personality traits

more objective than projective tests

big five theory

a set of 5 ‘dimensions’ of personality (CANOE). tests that specify where one lies on each of the dimensions say a lot about your personality

conscientiousness

how organized, careful, and disciplined one is

agreeableness

how sympathetic, trusting, and helpful one is

neuroticism

how anxious, insecure, and self-conscious one is

openness

how imaginative, willing to try new things, and independent one is

extraversion

how sociable, fun-loving, and affectionate one is

social cognitive perspective/theory

proposed by Bandura, views behavior as influenced by the interaction between people’s traits (including their thinking) and their social context

reciprocal determinism

(by Bandura) the interacting influences of behavior, internal cognition, and environment

internal locus of control

the belief that you are in control of and responsible for your actions

too much = extreme guilt over things that are out of your control

external locus of control

blaming outside forces for what happens to you

too much = extreme anxiety from feeling a lack of control

self

(in contemporary psych) assumed to be the center of personality, the organizer of our thoughts, feelings, and actions.

self-esteem

one’s feelings of high or low self-worth

self-efficacy

one’s sense of competence and effectiveness

self-serving bias

a readiness to perceive oneself favorably