AP Psych terms

critical thinking

not blindly accepting arguments and conclusions

empiricism

knowledge comes from experience

introspection

self-reflection

psychology

the science of behavior and mental processes

clinical psychologist

assessing and treating people with mental disorders

counseling psych

helping with academic, vocational, and relationship issues

psychiatrist

medical doctors trained in psychotherapy

behaviorism

the belief that what couldn't be observed couldn't be studied; our behavior is influenced by learned associations, through conditioning.

humanistic psychology

focused on POTENTIAL for personal GROWTH

industrial psych

helps morale and productivity in the workplace

applied research

aimed at tackling practical problems

cognitive psychology

concerns how we perceive, process, and remember information

nature-nurture issue

the inheritance vs. experience debate about human traits.

personality psych

investigating our persistent traits

social psych

exploring how we view and affect one another

natural selection

traits that best enable survival & reproduction are selected

culture

shared ideas and behaviors that one generation passes on to the next

basic research

adding to psychology's knowledge base

developmental psych

studying how we change as we age

positive psychology

emphasizing research on human flourishing

Biopsychosocial

Combines three viewpoints to study behavior or mental processes. an integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological, and social-cultural levels of analysis

educational psych

studying influences on teaching and learning

Psychometrics

studying how we measure abilities, attitudes, and traits

testing effect

benefits of repeated self-testing & rehearsal of studied material

SQ3R

Survey, Question, Read, Retrieve, Review: a study method that encourages active processing of information

Wilhem Wundt

Father of Modern Psychology - structuralist
He founded the first psychological lab in Leipzig Germany in 1897

Stanley Hall

Helped found the American Psychological Association (APA) He created the first Psychology lab in the US and founded the first psychology research journal

Edward Titchner

Wundt's student; brought structuralism to America. He aimed to discover the structural elements of the mind. He used introspection

William James

founder of functionalism; studied how humans use perception to function in our environment; wrote the first psychology textbook called Principles of Psychology; was critical of structuralism

Charles Darwin

English natural scientist who formulated a theory of evolution by natural selection (1809-1882). The evolutionary approach looks for aspects of human thought and behavior that help us and our genes survive over time.

Mary Whiton Calkins

First female president of the APA; First female to complete all PhD requirements at Harvard, but was denied degree because she was a woman; mentored by William James

Margaret Washburn

first woman to earn a Ph.D. in psychology; studied animal behavior; second female president of the APA

John Watson

One of the founders of the behavioral approach; conducted the Little Albert experiment; Believed psychology should only focus on what could be objectively measured

BF Skinner

leading behaviorist that developed the theory of operant conditioning by training pigeons and rats. He rejected introspection & studied how consequences shape behavior.

Sigmund Freud

founder of psychoanalysis; Believed psychological illness was different than physical illness and could be cured with "talking therapy."; talked about the id, ego, and super ego and the rile of the unconscious mind

Carl Rogers

Humanistic; focused on how current environmental influences can nurture or limit our growth potential, and to the importance of having our needs for love and acceptance satisfied

Abraham Maslow

humanistic psychology; hierarchy of needs-needs at a lower level dominate an individual's motivation as long as they are unsatisfied; self-actualization, transcendence

Ivan Pavlov

discovered classical conditioning; trained dogs to salivate at the ringing of a bell

Jean Piaget

Four stage theory of cognitive development: 1. sensorimotor, 2. preoperational, 3. concrete operational, and 4. formal operational. He said that the two basic processes work in tandem to achieve cognitive growth-assimilation and accomodation

Dorothea Dix

Rights activist on behalf of mentally ill patients - created first wave of US mental asylums

Physiology

The branch of biology that studies the way a living organism's body functions.

Philosophy

The study of the fundamental nature of knowledge and reality.

Structuralism

Sought to understand the human mind by breaking it down into its most basic components (structures); the whole can be understood by examining its parts; used introspection

Functionalism

Was concerned with how the mind allows us to adapt and survive; the mind's purpose

Sociocultural Approach

Emphasizes the impact of people's culture, religion, ethnicity, gender, income level, and overall environment on a person's thinking and behavior.

Biological Approach

Focuses on how genetics, the nervous system, hormones, and brain structures influence a person's thinking and behavior.

Evolutionary Approach

Emphasizes how evolution influences thinking and behavior.

School Psychologist

Tests students for learning and emotional struggles

Cognitive Neuroscience

Studies the biological processes that enable cognition (thinking, perceiving, memory, etc.).