Introduction to Psychology

Flashcards covering key definitions and concepts from the 'Introduction to Psychology' lecture, including major schools of thought, historical figures, fundamental terms, and contemporary fields of psychology.

Psychology

The scientific study of the mind and behavior.

Psych (root)

Meaning 'Soul, Mind'.

Ology (suffix)

Meaning 'Scientific study of'.

Scientific (in psychology)

Refers to something that can be understood, studied, and quantified; 'empirical'.

Behavior

Any outward action that is directly observable.

Mental processes

Perceptions, thoughts, and feelings that are considered latent constructs and cannot be observed or measured directly.

Latent constructs

Mental processes that cannot be observed or measured directly.

Wilhelm Wundt

Considered the 'Father of Psychology,' who published the first book on psychology in 1873 and founded the first experimental psychology laboratory in 1879.

Introspection

A process by which someone examines their own conscious experience as objectively as possible, used by Wundt to study consciousness.

Edward Titchener

Wundt's student who expanded upon his views and developed structuralism.

Structuralism

An approach to understanding the conscious experience through introspection, focusing on the elements (structures) of mental processes rather than their function.

William James

The first American psychologist, interested in the function of consciousness and a key figure in functionalism.

Functionalism

A school of thought focused on how mental activities helped an organism adapt to its environment, studying the function of consciousness in allowing people to work, play, and adapt.

Sigmund Freud

An Austrian neurologist who developed psychoanalytic theory, theorizing that many patient problems arose from the unconscious mind.

Unconscious

Part of our mind outside of our awareness where dark urges and desires are pushed down, a repository of feelings and urges of which we have no awareness.

Psychoanalytic theory

A theory focusing on the role of the unconscious in affecting behavior.

Psychoanalysis

A therapy based on Freud’s ideas, focusing on early childhood development and gaining access to unconscious desires/conflicts for resolution through methods like dream analysis or slips of the tongue.

Gestalt Psychology

A school of thought emphasizing that although a sensory experience can be broken down into individual parts, how those parts relate to each other as a whole (Gestalt meaning 'whole') is often what the individual responds to in perception.

Ivan Pavlov

A psychologist who discovered the concept of classical conditioning, laying the foundation for the move away from the study of consciousness to behaviors.

Behaviorism

A school of thought focusing on observing and controlling behavior; considered the science of behavior.

Conditioning

Learning a reflexive response to a stimulus.

John Watson

Known as the 'Father of Behaviorism,' who believed objective analysis of the mind was impossible and advocated for studying only observable behavior.

Little Albert Study

Watson's study that used classical conditioning to create a phobia in a child, demonstrating that phobias are learned rather than unconscious.

B.F. Skinner

A behaviorist who concentrated on how behavior was affected by its consequences (reinforcement and punishment) and developed operant conditioning.

Operant conditioning

A method of manipulating voluntary behavior by changing the consequences of behavior through reinforcement and punishment.

Humanism

A perspective within psychology emphasizing the potential for good that is innate to all humans, focusing on empowering the individual to achieve self-actualization.

Free will (Humanism)

The freedom to choose and shape one's own destiny, a core belief in humanistic psychology.

Carl Rogers

A humanist who developed client-centered therapy, emphasizing the patient's lead role and the therapist's provision of unconditional positive regard, genuineness, and empathy.

Client-centered therapy

A therapeutic method developed by Carl Rogers where the patient takes a lead role, and the therapist offers unconditional positive regard, genuineness, and empathy.

Unconditional positive regard (Rogers)

A therapeutic concept where the therapist accepts and supports the client without judgment.

Genuineness (Rogers)

A therapeutic concept where the therapist is authentic and transparent.

Empathy (Rogers)

A therapeutic concept where the therapist understands and shares the feelings of the client.

Abraham Maslow

A humanist who proposed a hierarchy of human needs, asserting that higher-level needs motivate behavior once basic survival needs are met.

Hierarchy of human needs (Maslow)

Maslow's theory that as basic needs for survival are met, individuals are motivated by higher-level needs.

Cognitive Revolution

A shift in psychology that revived interest in the human mind after behaviorism, influenced by linguistics, neuroscience, and computer science, leading to a refocus on mental processes.

Noam Chomsky

An influential figure in the cognitive revolution who believed psychology needed to focus on mental processes to fully understand human behavior.

Feminist Psychology

An approach that re-evaluates the contributions of women to psychology, studies psychological gender differences, and questions biases in the scientific approach to knowledge.

Margaret Floy Washburn

The first woman to earn a doctoral degree in Psychology.

Martha Bernal

The first Latina to earn a doctoral degree in Psychology, dedicated to promoting the representation of marginalized groups.

Cultural psychologists

Psychologists who develop theories and conduct research with diverse populations, typically within one country.

Cross-cultural psychologists

Psychologists who compare populations across countries, such as participants from the United States compared to participants from Japan.

Mamie Phipps Clark & Kenneth Clark

Psychologists known for their research on doll preference which exposed internalized racism and the harmful effects of segregation, instrumental in the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court case.

Biopsychology

The study of how the structure and function of the nervous system generate behavior, explaining mental processes by interaction with biological factors like genes or hormones.

Behavioral genetics

The study of the relationship between certain genes and mental processes and behaviors, often through heritability or twin studies.

Evolutionary Psychology

A field stemmed from Functionalism that argues human behavior is a result of psychological adaptations helping people successfully function and survive.

Sensation and Perception

This area of study focuses on both the physiological aspects of sensory systems and the psychological experience of sensory information.

Sensation

Sensory information such as sights, sounds, touch, and smell.

Perception

The experience of the world, influenced by attention, previous experiences, and cultural backgrounds.

Cognitive Psychology

The study of how cognitions (thoughts) relate to our experiences and behavior, including how people think, remember, and store information, language, problem-solving, attention, intelligence, and decision making.

Developmental Psychology

The study of the physical and mental attributes of aging and maturation, including the acquisition of moral reasoning, cognitive skills, and social skills throughout growth.

Jean Piaget

Famous for his theories regarding changes in cognitive ability that occur as we move from infancy to adulthood.

Personality Psychology

Focuses on how patterns of thoughts and behaviors (traits) make each individual unique and determine how a person will behave in a given situation (e.g., The Five-Factor Model of Personality).

Social Psychology

Focuses on how we interact with and relate to others, conducting research on topics like prejudice, attraction, resolving interpersonal conflicts, and how others can change our thoughts and behavior.

Health Psychology

Focuses on how individual health is directly related or affected by the interaction of biological, psychological, and sociocultural influences.

Clinical Psychology

Focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders and problematic patterns of behavior, shaped by behaviorism, cognitive, and humanistic psychology.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy

A therapeutic approach that takes cognitive processes and behaviors into account when providing psychotherapy.

Industrial-Organizational Psychology

Applies psychological theories, principles, and research to industrial settings (job analysis, recruitment, selection, performance management, training, employment law) and organizational settings (job attitudes, motivation, leadership, occupational stress & health, teams, organizational culture & change).

Sports and Exercise Psychology

Focuses on psychological aspects related to sports and physical performance, investigating motivation, performance-related anxiety, and general mental well-being.

Forensic Psychology

A branch of psychology dealing with the justice system, with tasks including assessment of mental competency to stand trial, sentencing and treatment suggestions, and advisement regarding eyewitness testimonies; requires a strong understanding of the legal system.