psych vocab quiz 1

applied research

applied research

scientific study that aims to solve practical problems

basic research

pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base

behavioral psychology

scientific study of observable behavior, and its explanation by principles of learning

behaviorism

that view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes. Most research psychologists today agree with (1) but not with (2).

biological psychology

a branch of psychology concerned with the links between biology and behavior

biopsychosocial approach

an integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological, and social-cultural levels of analysis

clinical psychology

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

cognitive neuroscience

the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language)

cognitive psychology

the scientific study of all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating.

counseling psychology

a branch of psych that assists people with problems in living (often related to school, work, or marriage) and in achieving greater wellbeing.

developmental psychology

a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span

educational psychology

the study of how psychological processes affect and can enhance teaching and learning

Empiricism

the view that knowledge originates in experience and that science should, therefore, rely on observation and experimentation

evolutionary psychology

the study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection and genetic composition of a species can be altered through natural selection

experimental psychology

the study of behavior and thinking using the experimental method

Functionalism

A school of psychology that focused on how our mental and behavioral processes function - how they enable us to adapt, survive, and flourish.

human factors psychology

a branch of psychology that explores how people and machines interact and how machines and physical environments can be made safe and easy to use

humanistic psychology

historically significant perspective that emphasized the growth potential of healthy people and the individual's potential for personal growth

industrial-organizational (I/O) psychology

the application of psychological concepts and methods to optimizing human behavior in workplaces

levels of analysis

the differing complementary views, from biological to psychological to social-cultural, for analyzing any given phenomenon

natural selection

A process in which individuals that have certain inherited traits tend to survive and reproduce at higher rates than other individuals because of those traits.

nature-nurture issue

the longstanding controversy over the relative contributions that genes and experience make to the development of psychological traits and behaviors. Today's science sees traits and behaviors arising from the interaction of nature and nurture

personality psychology

the study of an individual's characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting

psychiatry

a branch of medicine dealing with psychological disorders; practiced by physicians who sometimes provide medical (for example, drug) treatments as well as psychological therapy

psychodynamic psychology

a branch of psychology that studies how unconscious drives and conflicts influence behavior, and uses that information to treat people with psychological disorders

Psychology

the scientific study of behavior and mental processes or systematic and scientific study of human behavior

Psychometrics

the scientific study of the measurement of human abilities, attitudes, and traits

social psychology

the scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another

social-cultural psychology

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

SQ3R

a study method incorporating five steps: Survey, Question, Read, Retrieve, Review

Structuralism

an early school of psychology that used introspection to explore the elemental structure of the human mind