AP Psych Chapter 1

Psychology

Scientific study of behavior and mental processes

Theory

A general explaination of a set of observations or facts.

Wilhelm Wundt

“Father of Psychology” and established the first psychological laboratory.

Objective Introspection

The process of objectively examining and measuring one’s own thoughts and mental activates.

Edward Titchener

Expanded of Wundt’s ideas and focused of structuralism.

Structuralism

Uses introspection (looking in) to explore the elemental structure of the human mind, and study people’s feelings (the structure of the mind)

William James

Founder of functionalism and the author of “Principles of Psychology”.

Functionalism

Early perspective in psychology associated with William James, in which the focus of study is how the mind allows people to adapt, live, work, and play.

Behaviorism

The science of behavior that focuses on observable behavior only.

Mary Whiton Calkins

Became the first female president of the American Psychological Association.

Francis Cecil Sumner

First African American to earn a PH. D. in psychology. Known to be the “father of African American psychology”.

Sigmund Freud

Austrian physician who specialized in disorders of the nervous system.

Ivan Pavlov

A physiologist who worked with dogs. He learned that they show a reflex such as salivation. Reflexive response known as conditioning.

John B. Watson

A psychologist who challenged functionalist with his own, behaviorism (science of behavior). Sought out the “Little Albert” experiment with Rosalie Rayner.

Mary Jones Carver

She held the “Little Peter” experiment making the child scared of white rabbits and using counterconditioning to remove this fear.

Psychodynamic Perspective

Modern version of psychoanalysis that is more focused on the development of a sense of self and the discovery of motivations behind a person’s behavior other than sexual motivations.

Behaviorist Perspective

The science of behavior that focuses on observable behavior only.

B. F. Skinner

Researched in classical conditioning and developed a theory called operant conditioning. In this theory behavioral responses that are followed by pleasurable consequences are strengthened or reinforced.

Humanistic Perspective

The “third force” in psychology that focuses on those aspects of personality that make people uniquely human, such as subjective feelings and freedom of choice.

Cognitive Perspective

Modern perspective in psychology that focuses on memory, intelligence, perception, problem solving, and learning.

Cognitive Neuroscience

The study of the physical workings of the brain and nervous system when engage in memory, thinking, and other cognitive processes.

Sociocultural Perspective

Combination of two areas of study:

Social Psychology, the study of groups social roles and rules of social actions and relationships.

Cultural Psychology, the study of cultual norms values and expectations.

Biopsychological Perspective

Perspective that attributes human and animals behavior to biological event occurring in the body, such as genetic influences, hormones, and the activity of the nervous system.

Biopsychosocial Perspective

Perspective in which behavior is seen as the result of the combined and interacting forces of biological, psychological, social, and cultural influences.

Evolutionary Perspective

Perspective that focuses on the biological bases of universal mental characteristics that all humans share.

Positive Perspective

Perspective in psychology that shifts focus away from the negative and instead focuses on well-being.

Scientific Method

System of gathering data so that bias and error in measurement are reduced.

Hypothesis

Tentative explanation of phenomenon bases on observations.

Conformation Bias

To notice things that only agree with peoples view of the world.

Observer Effect

Animals or people who know they are being watched will not behave naturally.

Participant Observation

Researchers using one-way mirrors or might actually become a participant in a group.

Observer Bias

When the person going the observing has a particular opinion about what he or she is going to see or expects to see.

Blind Observers

People who do not know what research question is and therefore have no preconceived notions about what they “should” see.

Case Study

Study of one individual in great detail.

Courtesy Bias

When people give answers they think is socially correct rather than their true opinion in order not to offend anyone.

Correlation

A measure of the relationship between two variables.