History, Pillars, and Diversity in Psychology Flashcards

50 vocabulary flashcards covering key introductory concepts, major historical figures, research approaches, and diverse pioneers in psychology.

Psychology

The scientific study of mental processes and behaviors.

Mental Processes

Internal experiences including perceptions, thoughts, feelings, and decisions throughout life.

American Psychological Association (APA)

The leading scientific and professional organization representing psychology in North America, with over 130,000 members.

Introductory Psychology Initiative (IPI)

An APA initiative that created guiding principles, learning goals, and a recommended framework for teaching introductory psychology courses.

Pillar Model

A framework for introductory psychology recommended by the APA that includes five major subfields, a foundation in research methods, and seven integrative themes.

Biological Pillar

A major subfield of psychology covering biological mechanisms, neurobiology, the brain, sensation, perception, and consciousness.

Cognitive Pillar

A major subfield of psychology focusing on internal mental processes including thought, learning, memory, perception, motivation, emotion, and intelligence.

Developmental Pillar

A major subfield of psychology dedicated to studying how humans change and grow over their entire lifetime.

Social Psychology

The study of how individuals interact with others, influence one another, and function in social settings.

Personality Psychology

The study of individual differences in tendencies to act consistently across different situations and over time.

Clinical Psychology

A branch of psychology dealing with mental health that typically focuses on more severe or biologically based mental illnesses.

Counseling Psychology

A branch of psychology dealing with mental health that typically focuses on social or psychologically based illnesses and life challenges.

Intersectionality

An analytical framework borrowed from legal studies that emphasizes how human experiences vary based on overlapping identity factors and diversity issues.

Health Psychology

The study of how psychological mental processes and behaviors influence physical and mental health.

Positive Psychology

A branch of psychology focused on happiness, human flourishing, and helping individuals move from surviving to thriving.

Replication

A scientific process in which previous research studies are independently repeated to verify if the original findings are consistent and reliable.

Action Research

A concept advocated by Kurt Lewin involving the practical application of psychology to solve social problems and promote respect and cooperation.

Introspection

The detailed inner observation and self-analysis of one's own conscious mental experiences.

Structuralism

An early school of thought developed by Wundt and Titchener asserting that complex mental experiences can be broken down into basic structures or components.

Functionalism

An early school of thought developed by James and Thorndike focusing on the purpose and function of mental processes and behaviors.

Biological Approach

A psychological perspective examining how physiological factors, including genetics, hormones, and neurotransmitters, shape behavior and mental processes.

Psychodynamic Approach

A perspective pioneered by Sigmund Freud proposing that unconscious drives, hidden hopes, fears, and early childhood experiences determine behavior.

Behaviorist Approach

A perspective officialized by John Watson asserting that psychology should focus strictly on objective, observable behaviors rather than unobservable mental processes.

Sociocultural Approach

A psychological perspective focusing on social dynamics, cultural influences, group interactions, and societal context.

Humanistic Approach

A psychological perspective emphasizing human growth potential, self-actualization, self-esteem, and personal fulfillment.

Cognitive Approach

A psychological perspective centered on investigating internal cognitive processes such as memory, decision-making, reasoning, and problem-solving.

Systemic Prejudice

Structural or institutional bias and discrimination (such as racism and sexism) embedded within theories, practices, and organizations.

Ebonics

A term coined by Robert Lee Williams II in 1975 to describe the African American English dialect, arguing it should be recognized as a valid regional dialect.

Implicit Bias

Automatic stereotyping or discrimination that operates outside of a person's conscious awareness or control.

Wilhelm Wundt

German physiologist considered the founder of scientific psychology who established the first psychology laboratory at the University of Leipzig in 1879.

Edward Titchener

Student of Wilhelm Wundt who brought structuralism to the United States and promoted the method of introspection.

William James

American philosopher who taught the first psychology course in the United States at Harvard in 1875 and co-founded functionalism.

Edward Thorndike

Student of William James who contributed to functionalism by studying animal learning speed using cat puzzle boxes.

Ivan Pavlov

Russian physiologist who investigated dog digestive reflexes and established foundational principles of classical conditioning within the biological approach.

Sigmund Freud

Medical doctor who developed the psychodynamic approach to therapy, emphasizing unconscious motives and early childhood origins of mental symptoms.

John Watson

Psychologist who founded behaviorism in 1913, arguing that psychology must be a purely objective natural science predicting and controlling behavior.

Kurt Lewin

Psychologist who fled anti-Semitism in Europe, championed action research, and contributed foundational work to social psychology.

Carl Rogers

Humanistic therapist who developed person-centered counseling based on unconditional positive regard and self-acceptance.

Daniel Kahneman

Cognitive psychologist who won the 2002 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his work on decision-making errors and cognitive heuristics.

Zora Neale Hurston

American author and anthropologist who famously defined research as 'formalized curiosity… poking and prying with a purpose.'

Yūjirō Motora

Early Japanese psychologist who established Japan's first scientific psychology lab and published early descriptions of symptoms associated with ADHD in children.

Mary Whiton Calkins

First female president of the APA who established the first psychology lab studying women and met all Harvard PhD requirements without being awarded the degree.

Mamie Phipps Clark

African American psychologist whose master's thesis and doll studies with her husband provided pivotal evidence in Brown v. Board of Education.

Kenneth Clark

African American psychologist who co-conducted the famous doll studies and became the first African American president of the APA.

Robert Lee Williams II

African American psychologist who co-founded the Black Studies department at Washington University, criticized biased standardized testing, and coined Ebonics.

Martha Bernal

The first Latina woman to earn a PhD in psychology in the U.S. (1962), known for her research on identity development in Mexican American children.

Mahzarin Banaji

Experimental psychologist known for her research on implicit bias and co-authoring Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People.

Laura King

Prominent positive psychology researcher, editor, and LGBTQ+ advocate who investigates happiness and meaning-making in life events.

Alette Coble-Temple

Clinical and sport psychologist with cerebral palsy who won Ms. Wheelchair America in 2016 and advocates for disability equality and parental rights.

Association of Black Psychologists

Organization founded in 1968 after 75 Black psychologists resigned from the APA to demand an end to racially biased standardized testing.