Intro to Psych Notebook

Psychology

The study of behaviour and mental processes.

Introspection

Personal observation of mental events such as thoughts, feelings, and sensations.

Structuralism

An early psychological approach that aimed to analyze the structure of mental life into basic elements.

Functionalism

A psychological perspective that focused on how behaviour and mental abilities help people adapt to their environments.

Behaviourism

The study of observable behaviours and the relationship between stimuli and responses.

Psychoanalytic Psychology

A perspective that emphasizes the influence of the unconscious mind on behaviour.

Humanistic Psychology

A viewpoint that emphasizes free will and the inherent goodness of humans, focusing on personal growth.

Biological Perspective

Explains behaviour through biological factors like brain processes and genetics.

Cognitive Development

The development of thinking and reasoning abilities in children, as theorized by Jean Piaget.

Operant Conditioning

A learning process whereby behaviour is influenced by the consequences that follow it.

Cognitive Learning

A type of learning that involves understanding, thinking, and using higher mental processes.

Memory

The active system for receiving, storing, organizing, altering, and recovering information.

Sensory Memory

The initial stage of memory that holds an exact copy of incoming information for a very brief period.

Long-Term Memory

A storage system that can hold a vast amount of information over extended periods.

Neurotransmitters

Chemicals released at axon terminals that transmit information from one neuron to another.

Classical Conditioning

A learning process that links a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a conditioned response.

Social Readjustment Rating Scale

Rates the impact of various life events on the likelihood of illness based on stress.

Coping Strategies

Behavioural and cognitive techniques used to manage stress and its effects.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

A motivational theory that categorizes human needs into a hierarchy, leading to self-actualization.

Psychopathology

The scientific study of mental, emotional, and behavioural disorders.

Cognitive Bias

A systematic pattern of deviation from norm or rationality in judgment.

Emotional Intelligence

The ability to perceive, control, and evaluate emotions in oneself and others.