AP Psych Unit 1 Vocab⭐️

https://knowt.io/note/cb3634a3-5c08-49ea-836d-1e1bd92755a7/Unit-1-Scientific-Foundations-of-Psychol

Module One: 

  • Psychology: the study of behavior and mental processes 

  • Empiricist: a person who supports the theory that all knowledge is based on experience derived from the senses.

  • Rationalist: someone who emphasizes observable facts and excludes metaphysical speculation about origins or ultimate causes.

  • Philosophy: the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, especially when considered as an academic discipline.

  • Nature Vs. Nurture: describes the question of how much a person's characteristics are formed by either “nature” or “nurture

  • Classical 400-280 B.C:

  • Views and Contributions: 

    • ^^Socrates^^: said that the mind and body are separable and continue after the body dies and that we are born with knowledge 
    • ^^Plato: ^^same thing as Socrates 
    • ^^Aristotle: ^^principles are from logic, he derived them from careful observation and said knowledge is not preexisting and that we gain knowledge as we experience and grow 

  • Modern Philosophy: 

  • Views of: 

    • ^^John Locke:^^ added to modern empiricism; argued that the mind at birth is a blank slate 
    • ^^Rene Descartes^^: agreed with Socrates and Plato, dissected animals, and concluded that the fluid in the brain’s cavities contained “animal spirits”, which lead to him saying that these spirits flowed through the nerves and provoked a movement 

  • Empiricism: the idea that knowledge comes from experience, and that observation and experimentation enable scientific knowledge

  • ^^Wilhelm Wundt^^: established the first psychology laboratory in Germany, 

  • G. Stanley Hall: Wundt student who went on and established the first psychology lab in the United States

    • Structuralism/Introspection/S&P: an early school of thought promoted by Wundt and Titchener; that used introspection (looking inward) to reveal the structure of the human mind
    • Introspection: the process of looking inward in an attempt to directly observe one’s own psychological processes

  • ^^William James: ^^philosopher-psychologist that thought it would be better to consider the evolved functions of our thoughts and feelings 

  • Functionalism: promoted by James and influenced by Darwin; explored how mental and behavioral processes function- how they enable the organism to adapt, flourish and survive

  • ^^Mary Whiton Calkins^^: student under James and later became the first woman to be president of the American Psychological Association 

  • ^^Margaret Floy Washburn: ^^the first woman to officially get a Ph.D. in psychology; synthesized the animal behavior research 

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Module Two:

  • Behaviorism: the view that psychology should be an objective science that studies behavior without reference to mental processes. Most people agree with the first but not the second 
    • ^^Skinner/Watson^^: redefined psychology as the study of observable behavior
  • Psychoanalytic: emphasizes the ways our unconscious mind and childhood experiences affect our behavior
    • Freud: a weird dude who did help push us to what we know now and influenced humanity’s self-understanding
  • Humanist - ^^Rogers: ^^a historically significant perspective that emphasized human growth potential; Rogers rather than focusing on conditioned response or childhood memories focused on the potential for personal growth 
  • Contemporary Approaches/Perspectives:
    • Cognitive: the study of mental processes, such as occurs when we perceive, learn, think, remember, communicate, and solve problems 
    • Evolutionary: the study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using the principles of natural selection
    • Nature vs. Nurture Issue: the controversy over the relative contributions that genes and experience make to the development of psychological traits and behaviors 
    • Cross Culture (aka Social Culture): the study of how situations and cultures affect our behavior and thinking 
    • Biological (Neuropsychological): the scientific study of the links between biological and psychological processes
    • Eclectic: 
    • Behavioral genetics: the study of the relative power and limitations of genetic and environmental influences on behavior
    • Biopsychosocial: an integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological, and social-cultural viewpoints 

Module Three: 

  • Subfeilds and Specialization: 
  • Basic Research Subfeilds: 
    • Cognitive: 
    • Developmental: studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout our life 
    • Educational: study of how psychological processes affect and can enhance teaching and learning
    • Experimental: investigate a variety of basic behavioral processes in humans and other animals 
    • Psychometric/Quantitative: studies the math-related methods used to acquire psychological knowledge
    • Social: study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another 
  • Applied Research Subfeilds: 
    • Forensic: applies psychological principles to legal issues 
    • Health: concerned with psychological contributions to promoting health and preventing diseases 
    • Industrial-organizational: the application of psychological concepts and methods to optimizing human behavior in workplaces 
    • Neuropsychology: investigates the relationship between neurological processes and behavior 
    • Rehabilitation: work with people who have lost optimal functioning after an accident, illness, or event 
    • School: involved in the assessment of and intervention for children in educational settings 
    • Sports: study the psychological factors that influence and are influenced by the participation in sports and other physical activities
  • The Helping Professions:
    • Clinical: studies, assesses, and treats people with psychological disorders
    • Community: studies how people interact with their social environments and how social institutions affect individuals and groups 
    • Counseling: assists people with problems in living and in achieving their greater well-being