Psych Unit 1 modules 1-3 cards

structuralism: early school of

thought promoted by Wundt and

Titchener; used introspection to reveal

the structure of the human mind.

functionalism: early school of

thought promoted by James and

influenced by Darwin; explored

how mental and behavioral

processes function—how they

enable the organism to adapt,

survive, and flourish.

experimental: psychology the

study of behavior and thinking

using the experimental method.

humanistic: psychology a

historically significant perspective

that emphasized the growth

potential of healthy people.

cognitive neuroscience: the

interdisciplinary study of the brain

activity linked with cognition

(including perception, thinking,

memory, and language).

nature–nurture issue: the

longstanding controversy over

the relative contributions that

genes and experience make to the

development of psychological traits

and behaviors. Today’s science sees

traits and behaviors arising from the

interaction of nature and nurture.

natural selection: the principle

that, among the range of inherited

trait variations, those contributing to

reproduction and survival will most

likely be passed on to succeeding

Generations.

biopsychosocial approach:

an integrated approach

that incorporates biological,

psychological, and social-cultural

levels of analysis.

Behavioral: How we learn observable responses

Biological: How the body and brain enable emotions,

memories, and sensory experiences;

how genes combine with the environment to

influence individual differences

Cognitive: How we encode, process, store, and retrieve information

Evolutionary: How the natural selection of traits has promoted the survival of genes

Humanistic: How we meet our needs for love and acceptance and achieve self-fulfillment

Psychodynamic: How behavior springs from unconscious drives and conflicts

Social- cultural - How behavior and thinking vary across situations and cultures

behavioral psychology: the

scientific study of observable

behavior, and its explanation by

principles of learning.

biological psychology: the

scientific study of the links between

biological (genetic, neural, hormonal)

and psychological processes.

(Some biological psychologists call

themselves behavioral neuroscientists,

neuropsychologists, behavior geneticists,

physiological psychologists, or

biopsychologists.)

cognitive psychology: the

scientific study of all the mental

activities associated with thinking,

knowing, remembering, and

Communicating.

evolutionary psychology: the

study of the evolution of behavior

and mind, using principles of

natural selection.

psychodynamic psychology: a

branch of psychology that studies

how unconscious drives and conflicts influence behavior, and

uses that information to treat people

with psychological disorders.

Social-cultural psychology: the

study of how situations and cultures

affect our behavior and thinking.

psychometrics: the scientific

study of the measurement of human

abilities, attitudes, and traits.

basic research: pure science

that aims to increase the scientific

knowledge base.

Developmental psychology: a

branch of psychology that studies

physical, cognitive, and social

change throughout the life span.

educational psychology: the

study of how psychological

processes affect and can enhance

teaching and learning.

applied research: scientific study

that aims to solve practical problems.

industrial-organizational (I/O)

psychology: the application

of psychological concepts and

methods to optimizing human

behavior in workplaces.

human factors psychology

an I/O psychology: subfield that

explores how people and machines

interact and how machines and

physical environments can be made

safe and easy to use.

counseling psychology: a

branch of psychology that assists

people with problems in living

(often related to school, work, or

marriage) and in achieving greater

Well-being.

clinical psychology: a branch

of psychology that studies,

assesses, and treats people with

psychological disorders.

positive psychology: the scientific

study of human functioning, with the

goals of discovering and promoting

strengths and virtues that help

individuals and communities to thrive.

community psychology: a branch

of psychology that studies how people

interact with their social environments

and how social institutions affect

individuals and groups.