Vocab

Psychology: the scientific study of the human mind and its functions, especially those affecting behavior in a given context.

Behavior: the activity of an organism interacting with its environment; how something acts

cognitive activity: mentally stimulating activities that improve your cognitive skills (i.e. focus, concentration, comprehension, perception, memory, reasoning, and processing speed)

Theory: systems of ideas that can explain certain aspects of human thoughts, behavior, and emotions

Basic research: study and research meant to expand our scientific knowledge base

Introspection: the examination of one’s own conscious thoughts and feelings

Structuralism: the study of how our minds make meaning through small, step-by-step cognitive processes

Functionalism: the study of how our minds adapt to external stimuli in order to help us survive and thrive in our environment

Behaviorism: the theory of learning based on the idea that all behaviors are learned through conditioning, and conditioning occurs through the interaction with the environment.

Gestalt psychology: a school of psychology that studies the human mind and behavior as a whole. “The whole is different than the sum of its parts.”

Psychoanalysis: a set of theories and therapeutic techniques to work with the unconscious mind, leading to the formation of a method of treatment for mental disorders

Biological perspective: A way of looking at a psychological issue by studying the physical for an animal or human behavior. A major perspective that typically studies the brain, immune system, nervous system, and genetics.

Psychoanalytical perspective: a major theory in psychology explaining why someone does something, mental disorders, and personality through unconscious internal conflicts.

Learning perspective: also known as behaviorism, focuses on humans being controlled by their environment fueling their choices and the consequences that follow.

Social learning theory: The philosophy that people can learn from each other through observation, imitation, and modeling.

Sociocultural perspective: a theory about examining the rules of social groups and subgroups by which someone is an individual member of.

Socrates: Socrates is best known for his affiliation with the socratic method of question and answer.

Bf skinner: B.F. Skinner is an american psychologist among other things, known for developing the theory of behaviorism

William james: William james was an American Psychologist who created functionalism, also wrote the first modern psychology book called The Principles of Psychology in 1890.

Welhelm wundt: Wilhelm Wundt was one of the fathers of psychology and was one of the first people to fund cultural and experimental psychology.

John b watson: John B. Watson was an American psychologist who funded classical behaviorism.

Sigmund freud: Sigmund Freud was an Austrian psychologist who founded psychoanalysis