Psychology: Overview and History (Ch 1-7)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the lecture notes.

Psychology

The scientific study of the mind and behavior.

Hypothesis

A tentative explanation proposed to explain a phenomenon.

Theory

A broad explanation for an aspect of the natural world that is consistently supported by evidence over time.

Empirical

Based on observable and measurable data gathered through observation and experimentation.

Introspection

A method used by Wilhelm Wundt involving careful, subjective examination of one's own conscious experiences.

Voluntarism

Wundt's view that people have free will and can intend to participate in research.

Structuralism

Early school led by Edward Titchener focusing on identifying the basic elements of consciousness.

Functionalism

Perspective focusing on the purpose and function of mental processes and how they help an organism adapt.

Psychoanalytic theory

Freud's theory emphasizing the role of the unconscious mind and early childhood experiences in shaping behavior.

Unconscious mind

A reservoir of feelings and urges of which we are not aware.

Psychoanalysis

Therapeutic approach in which patients talk about experiences to uncover unconscious conflicts; popularized by Freud.

Gestalt psychology

Perspective that emphasizes perceiving wholes rather than just parts; whole forms matter in perception.

Classical conditioning

A learning process in which a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a meaningful stimulus, producing a learned response.

Unconditioned stimulus

A stimulus that naturally triggers a response without prior learning (e.g., food).

Unconditioned response

An unlearned, automatic reaction to an unconditioned stimulus (e.g., salivation).

Conditioned stimulus

A previously neutral stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus, elicits a response.

Conditioned response

A learned response to a conditioned stimulus.

Operant conditioning

Learning in which behavior is shaped by rewards and punishments.

Reinforcement

A process that increases the likelihood of a behavior; can be positive (adding a stimulus) or negative (removing a stimulus).

Punishment

A process that decreases the likelihood of a behavior; can be positive (adding an aversive) or negative (removing a reward).

Skinner box

Operant conditioning chamber used to study reinforcement and punishment in a controlled setting.

Behaviorism

School of psychology that emphasizes observable behavior and rejects focus on unobservable mental states.

Cognitive revolution

Mid-20th-century shift returning focus to mental processes, aided by linguistics, neuroscience, and computer science.

Chomsky

American linguist who challenged behaviorism and helped ignite the cognitive revolution with ideas about innate language structures.

Humanism

Psychological perspective emphasizing the inherent goodness and potential of people, focusing on the whole person.

Maslow

Psychologist known for the hierarchy of needs and the concept of self-actualization.

Self-actualization

The realization of one's full potential, the top level in Maslow's hierarchy.

Rogers

Carl Rogers, founder of client-centered therapy emphasizing the client’s perspective.

Unconditional positive regard

Therapist acceptance of the client without judgment.

Genuineness

Therapist authenticity and congruence in the therapeutic relationship.

Empathy

Therapist's ability to understand and share the feelings of the client.

WEIRD

Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic societies, a common psychology sample bias.

Multicultural psychology

Field studying how culture influences behavior and mental processes across diverse populations.

APA

American Psychological Association, the largest professional organization for psychologists.

APS

Association for Psychological Science, founded to emphasize the scientific side of psychology.

Biopsychology

Study of how biology and the nervous system influence behavior; overlaps with neuroscience.

Evolutionary psychology

Approach that explains behavior via evolutionary adaptedness and natural selection.

Darwin

Charles Darwin; proposed natural selection as the mechanism of evolution.

Piaget

Jean Piaget; influential developmental psychologist known for object permanence and stages of development.

Object permanence

Understanding that objects continue to exist even when not observed.