AP Psychology - Unit 1 Vocabulary

Flashcards of key vocabulary terms from AP Psychology Unit 1.

Empiricism

The view that knowledge originates in experience and that science should rely on observation and experimentation.

Structuralism

An early school of psychology that used introspection to explore the structural elements of the human mind.

Functionalism

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

Experimental Psychology

The study of behavior and thinking using the scientific experimental method.

Behaviorism

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

Humanistic Psychology

A perspective that emphasized the growth potential of healthy people and the individual's potential for personal growth.

Psychology

The science of behavior and mental processes.

Nature-Nurture Issue

The controversy over the contributions of genes and experience to psychological traits and behaviors. Modern science acknowledges the interaction of both.

Natural Selection

The principle that traits contributing to reproduction and survival are most likely passed on to succeeding generations.

Level of Analysis

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

Biopsychosocial Approach

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

Biological Psychology

A branch of psychology that studies the links between biological (including neuroscience and behavior genetics) and psychological processes.

Evolutionary Psychology

The study of the roots of behavior and mental processes using the principles of natural selection.

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.

Behavioral Psychology

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

Cognitive Psychology

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

Social-Cultural Psychology

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