Unit 1 Vocabulary

psychodynamic psychology

a branch of psychology that studies how unconscious drives and conflicts influence behavior, and uses that information to treat people with psychological disorders (page 18)

personality psychology

the study of an individual's characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting ( page 25)

applied research

scientific study that aims to solve practical problems (page 25)

cognitive neuroscience

the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language) (page 13)

critical thinking

thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions. (page 4)

nature-nurture issue

the longstanding controversy over the relative contributions that genes and experience make to the development of psychological traits and behaviors. Today's science sees traits and behaviors arising from the interaction of nature and nurture (page 14)

biological psychology

the scientific study of the links between biological and psychological processes (page 17)

Evolutionary psychology

the study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection (page 14)

Culture

the enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next (page 15)

behavior genetics

the study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior (page 14)

testing effect

enhanced memory after retrieving, rather than simply rereading, information (page 20) Henry Roediger and Jeffrey Karpicke

SQ3R

a study method incorporating five steps: Survey, Question, Read, Retrieve, Review (page 20)

educational psychology

the study of how psychological processes affect and can enhance teaching and learning ( page 25)

industrial-organizational (I/O) psychology

the application of psychological concepts and methods to optimizing human behavior in workplaces (page 25)

human factors psychology

an I/O psychology subfield that explores how people and machines interact and how machines and physical environments can be made safe and easy to use (page 24)

counseling psychology

a branch of psychology that assists people with problems in living (often related to school, work, or marriage) and in achieving greater well-being (page 25)

clinical psychology

a branch of psychology that studies, assesses, and treats people with psychological disorders (page 25)

psychiatry

a branch of medicine dealing with psychological disorders; practiced by physicians who sometimes provide medical (for example, drug) treatments as well as psychological therapy (page 25)

Empiricism

the view that knowledge originates in experience and that science should, therefore, rely on observation and experimentation (page 7)

Functionalism

early school of thought promoted by James and influenced by Darwin; explored how mental and behavioral processes function- how they enable the organism to adapt, survive, and flourish (page 8) William James

Structuralism

early school of thought promoted by Wundt and Titchener; used introspection to reveal the structure of the human mind (page 7) Wilhelm Wundt

experimental psychology

the study of behavior and thinking using the experimental method (not from textbook)

Behaviorism

the view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes. Most research psychologists today agree with (1) but not with (2). (page 10) John B. Watson and B. F. Skinner

humanistic psychology

historically significant perspective that emphasized the growth potential of healthy people and the individual's potential for personal growth (page 11) Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow

Cognitive Psychology

the scientific study of all the mental activities associated with perception, learning, thinking, remembering, solving problems and communicating (page 13)

Introspection

A method of self-observation in which participants report their thoughts and feelings (pages 7-8) Edward Titchener

Psychology

the scientific study of behavior and mental processes (page 13)

natural selection

A process in which individuals that have certain inherited traits tend to survive and reproduce at higher rates than other individuals because of those traits. (page 14) Charles Darwin

biopsychosocial approach

an integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological, and social-cultural levels of analysis (page 17)

positive psychology

the scientific study of human flourishing, with the goals of discovering and promoting strengths and virtues that help individuals and communities to thrive (page 16) Martin Seligman

Social-cognitive psychology

the study of how situations and cultures affect our behavior and thinking (page 18)

Psychometrics

the scientific study of the measurement of human abilities, attitudes, and traits (page 24)

basic research

pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base (page 24)

developmental psychology

a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span (page 24)

social psychology

the scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another (page 25)

community psychology

a branch of psychology that studies how people interact with their social environments and how social institutions affect individuals and groups (page 25)