Introduction to Psychology - Lesson 1

Practice flashcards covering the definition, history, goals, branches, schools, and methods of psychology as presented in Lesson 1 of BPSY 50.

Psychology

The scientific study and practical application of observable behavior and mental processes of organisms.

Science

The systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation, experimentation, and the testing of theories against obtained evidence.

Behavior

The actions and reactions of the individual when exposed or placed on a certain situation or environment.

Overt Behavior

Actions that are observable and can be manifested outwardly.

Covert Behavior

Actions that are not directly visible.

Simple Behavior

Behavior that utilizes fewer neurons involved in the process.

Complex Behavior

Behavior that utilizes many neurons in the process.

Rational Behavior

An action manifested which is in the realm of sanity and adequate reason.

Irrational Behavior

Actions which are done without any apparent reason and explanation.

Voluntary Behavior

Actions done with man’s full will.

Involuntary Behavior

Actions done automatically.

Conscious Behavior

Actions that are within one’s awareness.

Unconscious Behavior

Actions we are not aware of doing.

Non-conscious Behavior

Bodily activities that can be measured by apparatus.

Describe

The goal of psychology that provides a detailed characterization of a certain phenomenon.

Understand/Explain

The development of reasons pertaining to the different relationships among observed behaviors to arrive at a reasonable explanation.

Predict

To anticipate any future actions of an individual based on their past performance.

Control

To change a certain trait, idea, and beliefs of the individual.

Biopsychology

The application of principles of biology to study mental processes and behavior.

Physiological Psychology

The study of neural mechanisms of perception and behavior through direct manipulation of the brain.

Psychiatry

The study, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders in humans.

Psychotherapy

The application of specialized psychological methods to treatments.

Psychotropics

A sub-field of medicine dealing with pharmacological agents such as anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications.

Psychosurgery

A branch of medicine involving surgery and chemical alterations with the purpose of modifying psychological disturbances.

Social Psychology

A discipline that merged sociology and anthropology with the premise about a common concern of psychology.

Psycholinguistics

The study of psychological and neurobiological factors that enable humans to use language.

Animism

The ancient belief in gods and spirits attributed to be the direct cause of events and activities of man.

Democritus

A Greek thinker who proposed that the human mind is composed of atoms that penetrate in and out of the brain.

Plato

Maintained that the soul is distinct to man and God-given; identified three parts of the Human Psyche: Reason (head), Spirited (heart), and Appetites (diaphragm).

Aristotle

Regarded as the Father of Psychology and author of De Anima; identified the functions of the soul as vegetative, appetitive, and rational.

Hippocrates

The Father of Medicine and the first to theorize that mental disorders come from natural causes.

Galen

Theorized the relation of temperament to physiological factors (Humors): Sanguine (Yellow), Phlegmatic (Green), Melancholic (Black), and Choleric (Red).

St. Augustine of Hippo

A Medieval thinker who used Christian thinking and introduced the method of introspection.

St. Thomas of Aquinas

Merged Aristotle's idea of the mind as living matter with the idea of immortality.

Rudolf Gockel

Credited with the initial use of the term "psychology."

Francis Bacon

Proposed that psychology should separate from philosophy and be treated as a natural science.

Rene Descartes

Developed the idea of dualism and the concept of reflex action, indicating the mind (spiritual entity) and body (physical entity) interact.

John Locke

Proposed the concept of tabula rasa, meaning the mind is like a blank tablet.

Franz Anton Mesmer

Utilized the method of "animal magnetism" in curing hysteria.

Immanuel Kant

Proposed that the mind is not blank but is capable of acquiring knowledge through sensory experiences.

Wilhelm Wundt

The Father of Modern/Scientific Psychology who established the first psychological laboratory in Leipzig, Germany.

Sigmund Freud

The Father of Psychoanalysis who developed the psychoanalytic process of free association.

Carl Jung

Developed analytic psychology and the concept of the collective unconscious.

Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon

Developers of the intelligence quotient test known as the Binet-Simon Scale.

Ivan Pavlov

Developed the theory of classical conditioning involving terms like US, UR, CS, and CR.

Edward Thorndike

Established the Law of Effect, Law of Exercise, and Law of Practice.

Structuralism

A school of psychology by Wundt and Titchener that analyzes mental structures and perceptions into constituent components.

Functionalism

A school that seeks to understand what people do and why they do it, focusing on thought processes over contents.

Behaviorism

A school focusing solely on observable behaviors and disregarding internal mental states.

Gestalt Psychology

A school founded by Max Wertheimer stating that psychological phenomena are best understood as organized, structured wholes.

Humanistic Psychology

A school by Abraham Maslow suggesting behavior is determined by perception and individuals are motivated to fulfill potential.

Longitudinal Studies

A method where a particular population is observed over a certain period of time to see how conditions affect individuals over long time scales.