Psychology: Key Concepts, Theories, and Brain Structures

Psychology

The scientific study of behavior and mental processes

Behavior

Any action that can be observed and measured

Mental processes

Internal thoughts, feelings, and memories that cannot be directly observed

Structuralism

Early school of psychology that focused on breaking mental processes into basic components

William Wundt

Founder of structuralism

Introspection

Method where people describe their thoughts and feelings

Functionalism

School of psychology that focused on what the mind does and how behavior helps people adapt

William James

Founder of functionalism

Behavioral perspective

Focuses on observable behavior and the environment

John B. Watson

Founder of behaviorism

B.F. Skinner

Psychologist who studied learning and reinforcement

Psychodynamic perspective

Focuses on unconscious thoughts and inner conflicts

Sigmund Freud

Founder of the psychodynamic perspective

Id

Part of personality that seeks pleasure

Ego

Part of personality that uses logic and reality

Superego

Part of personality that represents morals

Humanistic perspective

Emphasizes free will and personal growth

Self-actualization

Reaching one's full potential

Abraham Maslow

Humanistic psychologist associated with self-actualization

Carl Rogers

Humanistic psychologist who emphasized personal growth

Cognitive perspective

Focuses on thinking, memory, and problem-solving

Scientific method

Systematic way psychologists conduct research

Theory

Broad explanation of behavior

Hypothesis

Testable prediction

Operational definition

Specific way a variable is measured

Variable

Anything that can change in a study

Correlational research

Research that shows relationships but not cause and effect

Cause and effect

When one variable directly causes a change in another

Experimental research

Research method that proves cause and effect

Independent variable

Variable that is manipulated by the researcher

Dependent variable

Variable that is measured

Random assignment

Assigning participants to groups by chance

Experimenter effect

When a researcher unintentionally influences results

Placebo

Fake treatment

Double-blind study

Neither participants nor researchers know who receives treatment

Neuron

Nerve cell that transmits information

Excitatory message

Makes a neuron more likely to fire

Inhibitory message

Makes a neuron less likely to fire

Reuptake

Neurotransmitter is reabsorbed after use

Nervous system

Body's communication network

Autonomic nervous system

Controls involuntary actions like heart rate

Endocrine system

Uses hormones to communicate through the bloodstream

Hormones

Chemical messengers in the bloodstream

EEG

Measures electrical activity in the brain

fMRI

Shows brain activity using blood flow

PET scan

Shows biochemical activity in the brain

Limbic system

Controls emotions and memory

Cerebral cortex

Outer layer of the brain responsible for thinking

Frontal lobe

Controls decision-making, movement, and emotions

Parietal lobe

Controls touch and spatial awareness

Temporal lobe

Responsible for memory and hearing

Occipital lobe

Responsible for vision

Association areas

Control higher mental processes like thinking and judgment

Neuroplasticity

Brain's ability to change and adapt

Neurogenesis

Growth of new neurons

Amygdala

involved in fear and aggression

Hippocampus

learning and memory