PSY 101 Lecture Chapter 1 Study Guide

  1. What is psychology? 

The scientific study of the mind, brain, behavior 

What is the scientific approach? 

Hypothesis testing; test and retest 

  1. What are psychology's roots?

Dates back to the 1870s; Psychologist answer questions traditionally posed by philosophers by borrowing methods of the natural 

Roots in philosophy? 

Descartes (innatism): 

  • innate beliefs are genetically programmed to arise in our minds

-Aristotle (Empiricism): 

  • all knowledge is gained through sensory experience 

-Other contributing factors? 

Ancient physicians, microscopes and science, the mind is physical not mystical, merging of philosophy and other science 

  1. Who is Whilhem Wundt?

The first psychologist; believed mental experience is a hierarchy 

  1. What was the first official psychology experiment?

Wundt’s experiment about reaction time 

  1. Can you break down behavior to essential elements?

Yes

  1. Who are Gestalt psychologists and what did they believe?

Rejected structuralism; Believed that breaking a “whole” into its building block results in the loss of important psychological information

  1. How do we acquire meaningful perceptions in a chaotic world?

By understanding our ability 

  1. What do psychologists do?

Practicing clinical psychologist, higher ed, being in schools, businesses, and government 

  1. What is the difference between structuralist and functionalist? 

Structuralist: the mind can be broken down into the smallest elements of mental experiences; Focuses on the structure of the mind

Functionalist: our behavior is purposeful and contributes to our survival. They question why we do things and why we think the way we think; Focuses on the purpose of the mind