AP Psychology Psychological History and Approaches Vocab List

first set

Critical Thinking

Thinking that does not blindly accept arguments or conclusions. It examines assumptions, evaluates the source and evidence, recognizes biases, and assesses conclusions.

Empiricism

The idea that knowledge comes from experience, and that observation and experimentation allow us to gain scientific knowledge.

Structuralism

An early school of thought promoted by Wundt and Titchener that used introspection to reveal the structure of the human mind.

Introspection

The process of looking inward in an attempt to directly observe one's own psychological processes.

Functionalism

An early school of thought promoted by James and influenced by Darwin that explored how mental and behavioral processes function to help an organism adapt, survive, and flourish.

Behaviorism

The view that psychology should be an objective science that studies behavior without referring to mental processes.

Humanistic Psychology

A historically important perspective that emphasized human growth and potential.

Cognitive Psychology

The study of mental processes involved in perceiving, learning, remembering, thinking, communicating, and solving problems.

Cognitive Neuroscience

The interdisciplinary study of brain activity connected with cognition, including perception, thinking, memory, and language.

Psychology

The science of behavior and mental processes.

Nature-Nurture Issue

The longstanding debate over the relative contributions of genes and experience to the development of psychological traits and behaviors.

Natural Selection

The principle that inherited traits that help an organism survive and reproduce in its environment are more likely to be passed on to future generations.

Evolutionary Psychology

The study of how behavior and the mind have evolved using principles of natural selection.

Behavior Genetics

The study of the relative effects and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior.

Culture

The enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, and traditions shared by a group and passed from one generation to the next.

Positive Psychology

The scientific study of human flourishing, focused on discovering and promoting strengths and virtues that help individuals and communities thrive.

Biopsychosocial Approach.

An integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological, and social-cultural viewpoints

Behavioral Psychology.

The scientific study of observable behavior and its explanation through principles of learning

Biological Approach

The scientific study of the connections between biological processes, such as genetic, neural, hormonal, and psychological processes.

Psychodynamic Psychology

A branch of psychology that studies how unconscious drives and conflicts influence behavior and uses that information to treat psychological disorders.

Social-Cultural Psychology

The study of how situations and cultures affect our behavior and thinking

Testing Effect

Improved memory that occurs after retrieving information through testing rather than simply rereading it. It is also called retrieval practice or test-enhanced learning.

SQ3R

A study method based on five steps: Survey, Question, Read, Retrieve, and Review.

Psychometrics

The scientific study of measuring human abilities, attitudes, and traits.

Basic Research

Pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base.

Developmental Psychology

A branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the lifespan.

Educational Psychology

The study of how psychological processes affect and can improve teaching and learning.

Personality Psychology

The study of an individual's characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling, and acting.

Social Psychology

The scientific study of how people think about, influence, and relate to one another.

Applied Research

Scientific study designed to solve practical problems

Industrial-Organizational Psychology

The application of psychological concepts and methods to optimize human behavior in workplaces.

Human Factors Psychology

A field of psychology, related to I/O psychology, that examines how people interact with machines and how machines and physical environments can be made safer and easier to use.

Counseling Psychology

A branch of psychology that helps people with problems in living, often involving school, work, or relationships, and assists them in achieving greater well-being.

Clinical Psychology

A branch of psychology that studies, assesses, and treats people with psychological disorders.

Psychiatry

A branch of medicine dealing with psychological disorders, practiced by physicians who can provide medical treatments, such as drugs, as well as psychological therapy.

Community Psychology.

A branch of psychology that studies how people interact with their social environments and how social institutions affect individuals and groups