History and Theoretical Approaches of Psychology 1.1

Vocabulary flashcards identifying core concepts, key figures, and historical as well as contemporary approaches in psychology based on the lecture transcript.

Psychology

The scientific study of human behavior & mental processes.

Behavior

Directly observable and measurable actions.

Mental processes

Private activities like thinking, perceiving, and feeling.

Structuralism

An early approach promoted by Wundt and Titchener that sought to analyze consciousness into its basic elements and investigate how those elements are related to answer 'what is the mind?'

Introspection

The careful, systematic self-observation of one's conscious experience, including sensations, perceptions, and first reactions.

Functionalism

An early approach led by William James that investigated the function or purpose of consciousness, asking 'what is the mind for?'

Consciousness

Defined by the APA as an organism's awareness of something either internal or external to itself.

Psychoanalysis

A psychological theory developed starting in the early 1890s by Sigmund Freud based on uncovering causes of behavior that were unconscious or hidden from a person's conscious awareness.

Behaviorism

An approach dominant from the 1930s to 1960s that rejected unobservable subjective mental states to focus on directly observable stimuli and responses and learning through rewards and punishments.

Gestalt Psychology

An early 20th-century approach founded by Max Wertheimer that studies perception, emphasizing that 'the whole is more than just the sum of the parts'.

Humanism

A psychological approach dominant from the 1950s to 1970s, promoted by Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow, that emphasized self-actualization, free will, human potential, and conscious experiences.

Evolutionary Approach

A contemporary approach that focuses on inherited, adaptive aspects of behavior and mental processes that enhance survival and reproduction.

Biological Approach

A contemporary approach that focuses on how biology, including brain parts, hormones, neurotransmitters, and genes, influences behavior and mental processes.

Cognitive Approach

A contemporary approach that focuses on thinking, problem-solving, and memory.

Biopsychosocial Approach

An approach stating that biological, psychological, and sociological factors interact to influence behavior, mental processes, and health outcomes.

Sociocultural Approach

An approach emphasizing how the social environment and cultural background influence a person.