Psychology Study Guide: Perspectives, Personality, Research Methods, and Biological Systems

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering major perspectives, key figures, personality theories, research methods, statistics, ethical principles, and biological systems in introductory psychology.

Psychology

The scientific study of behavior and mental processes that focuses on understanding how people think, feel, and act using research and evidence-based methods.

Wilhelm Wundt

Known as the "Father of Psychology," he established the first psychology laboratory in 1879 in Leipzig, Germany, and introduced structuralism.

Structuralism

A psychological perspective introduced by Wilhelm Wundt that focuses on studying the mind by breaking down mental processes into basic elements.

William James

The first American psychologist and author of Principles of Psychology who developed functionalism.

Functionalism

A perspective developed by William James that studied the purpose of behaviors and mental processes in helping humans adapt to their environment.

Sigmund Freud

The founder of psychoanalysis who emphasized the role of the unconscious mind, childhood experiences, and inner conflicts in shaping behavior.

Ivan Pavlov

A Russian physiologist who discovered classical conditioning through experiments with dogs by forming an association between a neutral stimulus and a response.

John B. Watson

The founder of behaviorism who conducted the famous "Little Albert" experiment and argued that psychology should focus exclusively on observable behaviors.

B.F. Skinner

A leading behaviorist who studied operant conditioning and how behavior is shaped by reinforcement and punishment using "Skinner box" experiments.

Carl Rogers

A humanistic psychologist who developed client-centered therapy, emphasizing empathy, unconditional positive regard, and active listening.

Albert Bandura

A psychologist who developed social learning theory, conducted the Bobo doll experiment, and introduced the concept of self-efficacy.

Social Learning Theory

A theory developed by Albert Bandura proposing that people learn through observation, imitation, and modeling.

Self-Efficacy

A concept introduced by Albert Bandura defined as an individual's belief in their own ability to succeed.

Clinical Psychology

An applied subfield of psychology that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders.

Counseling Psychology

An applied field of psychology that helps people manage everyday problems and life transitions.

Industrial-Organizational (I/O) Psychology

An applied field that utilizes psychological principles in workplace settings to improve hiring, productivity, and employee well-being.

Forensic Psychology

An applied branch of psychology that intersects with the legal system, including activities such as criminal profiling and providing expert testimony.

Cognitive Psychology

A research branch of psychology that explores processes such as thinking, memory, problem-solving, and decision-making.

Biological Psychology (Neuroscience)

A subfield of psychology that studies brain structures, neurotransmitters, and their influence on behavior.

Psychodynamic Theory

A personality perspective founded by Sigmund Freud asserting that personality is shaped by unconscious motives, childhood experiences, and inner conflicts.

Humanistic Perspective

A personality perspective associated with Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow claiming that people are inherently good, driven by self-growth, and seek self-actualization.

Big Five Model (OCEAN)

A trait perspective framework measuring personality across five dimensions: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.

Reciprocal Determinism

A social-cognitive concept introduced by Albert Bandura indicating that personality is formed through the continuous interaction of behavior, environment, and cognitive factors.

Independent Variable (IV)

The specific condition or factor that a researcher directly manipulates in an experiment.

Dependent Variable (DV)

The variable measured as the outcome or response in an experiment.

Control Group

The group in an experiment that does not receive the experimental treatment, serving as a baseline for comparison.

Double-Blind

An experimental control procedure where neither the participants nor the researchers know who is in the control or experimental group, preventing bias.

Correlation

A statistical measure of the relationship between two variables ranging from $-1.0$ to $+1.0$, which does not establish causation.

Descriptive Statistics

Statistical procedures used to summarize and organize data, including measures of central tendency (mean, median, mode) and variation (range, standard deviation).

Inferential Statistics

Statistical methods, such as significance testing ($p$-values) and confidence intervals, that allow researchers to generalize findings from a sample to a population.

Informed Consent

An ethical mandate requiring participants to be fully informed about the nature of a study and to voluntarily agree to participate.

Debriefing

An ethical process conducted after a study where researchers explain its purpose and procedures to participants, particularly if deception was involved.

Somatic Nervous System (SNS)

A division of the peripheral nervous system that controls voluntary movements of skeletal muscles and carries sensory information to the central nervous system.

Sympathetic Division

A branch of the autonomic nervous system responsible for the "Fight or Flight" response by increasing heart rate, slowing digestion, and triggering adrenaline release.

Parasympathetic Division

A branch of the autonomic nervous system responsible for the "Rest and Digest" response by slowing heart rate, restoring energy, and calming the body.

Dendrites

Branch-like structures of a neuron that receive incoming chemical signals from other cells.

Myelin Sheath

A fatty layer surrounding the axon of a neuron that accelerates electrical impulse transmission.

Action Potential

An electrical impulse that travels down a neuron's axon when the cell fires.

Reuptake

The process in synaptic transmission where unabsorbed neurotransmitters in the synaptic gap are reabsorbed by the presynaptic neuron.

Dopamine

A neurotransmitter that plays a key role in movement, reward processing, and feelings of pleasure.

Serotonin

A neurotransmitter involved in regulating mood, sleep cycles, and appetite.

Acetylcholine

A neurotransmitter critical for learning, memory formation, and muscle action.

GABA

An inhibitory neurotransmitter responsible for reducing neural excitability and producing calming effects.

Hippocampus

A limbic system structure crucial for memory formation and learning.

Amygdala

A brain structure involved in processing emotional reactions, particularly fear and aggression.

Frontal Lobe

A portion of the cerebral cortex involved in planning, high-level decision-making, personality expression, and motor control.

fMRI (Functional MRI)

A neuroimaging method that monitors real-time brain activity by detecting shifts in blood flow.

EEG (Electroencephalogram)

A neuroimaging technique that records electrical activity and brain waves across the scalp.