AP Psych: Unit 1, Lecture 2 - The Fields of Psychology

These flashcards cover the key fields of psychology introduced in Unit 1, Lecture 2, including their central theories, breakthrough discoveries, and associated major figures.

Early Behaviorism

A field of psychology focusing on how we learn through stimuli and the most effective ways to train or alter behavior through negative and positive reinforcement.

Ivan Pavlov

A researcher known for his breakthrough discovery with dogs, demonstrating that behavior can be trained to associate a bell with food.

John B. Watson

The founder of Behaviorism known for his experiment on Little Albert to support the theory that behavior is learned through stimuli.

B.F. Skinner

A behaviorist who conducted experiments on rats to show how behavior can be altered through positive and negative reinforcement.

Gestalt Psychology

A field centered on the theory that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, focusing on how the brain takes in visual information and looks for patterns.

Psychoanalytic / Psychodynamic

A psychological perspective popularizing the theory that the unconscious mind is the primary driver of human personality and behavior.

Sigmund Freud

Often considered one of the founding fathers of psychology, he developed the ideas of psychoanalysis and the three-part mind (Id, Ego, Superego).

Conscious Mind

In psychoanalytic theory, these are average, everyday thoughts such as "I'm hungry" or "I'm excited for my date."

Unconscious Mind

The part of the mind containing painful thoughts, repressed traumatic memories, and savage human instincts that drive personality but are kept below the surface.

Id, Ego, and Superego

Three components of the mind in psychoanalysis: the Id wants immediate gratification, the Superego focuses on morality, and the Ego seeks a compromise.

Humanistic Psychology

A field that treats individuals as whole people with free will who take actions to secure acceptance, love, and self-fulfillment.

Carl Rogers

He argued that behaviorism and psychoanalysis were too pessimistic and shifted psychology to focus on individuals' needs for self-fulfillment.

Evolutionary Approach

A field that understands human behavior through natural selection, suggesting behavior reflects a desire for "fitness" to procreate and pass on genes.

Charles Darwin

The theorist who laid out the theory of evolution and natural selection, which heavily influenced the Evolutionary Approach in psychology.

Biological Approach

A field that asks how the brain, nervous system, and genes work together to create individuals, leading to practical applications like anti-depressant medication.

Cognitive Approach

A psychological perspective that focuses on internal processes: how we take in, process, store, and remember information.

Jean Piaget

A key figure in the cognitive approach who studied the growth of humans' mental skills from babyhood to adulthood.

Sociocultural Approach

A field of psychology that examines how cultural factors in the environment shape thinking and behavior.

Biopsychosocial Approach

A holistic approach that combines biological, psychological (cognitive), and socio-cultural factors to treat patients effectively.