Chapter 1 Psychology Midterm Study Guide – Flashcards
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Psychology
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The scientific study of human behavior and mental processes
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Behavior
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any action that people can observe or measure
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Cognitive activities
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mental processes; include dreams, perceptions, thoughts, and memories
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Psychological constructs
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used to talk about something we cannot see, touch, or measure directly
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theory
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a statement that attempts to explain why things are the way they are and why they happen the way they do
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morality
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the concept of right or good conduct
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principle
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a basic truth or law
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psychiatrist
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a medical doctor who specializes in the treatment of psychological problems and who can prescribe medication for clients
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geriatrics
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the branch of medicine that focuses on the diseases and problems of the elderly
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basic research
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research that has no immediate application and is done for its own sake
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clinical psychology
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largest group of psychologists- help people with psychological problems, such as anxiety or depression, or severe psychological disorders, such as schizophrenia
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counseling psychology
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these psychologists treat people who have adjustment problems rather than serious psychological disorders
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school psychology
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these psychologists identify and help students who have problems that interfere with learning
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educational psychology
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similar to school psychologists; focus on course planning and instructional methods for an entire school system rather than on designing a program of study for an individual student
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developmental psychology
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study the changes that occur throughout a person's life span; these can be physical, emotional, cognitive, and social
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personality psychology
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identify human characteristics, or traits
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social psychology
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concerned with people's behaviors in social situations
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experimental psychology
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conduct research into basic processes such as the functions of the nervous system, sensation and perception,learning and memory, and thinking and motivation (perform basic research)
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industrial psychology
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focus on people and work (closely related with organizational psychologists)
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organizational psychology
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study the behavior of people in organizations, such as business firms (closely related with industrial psychologists)
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human factors psychology
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find the best ways to design products for people to use
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community psychology
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study and help create social systems that promote and foster individual wellbeing
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forensic psychology
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work within the criminal justice system, may explain how certain kinds of psychological problems give rise to criminal behavior
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healthy psychology
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examine ways in which behavior and mental processes are related to physical health
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Rehabilitation psychology
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work with patients who are struggling with the effects of a disability- people with a condition that limits physical, sensory, cognitive, or emotional functioning
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Cross- Cultural Psychology
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study behavior and mental processes under different cultural conditions
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Goals of Psychology
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* Scientists seek to Observe, Describe, Explain, Predict, and Control (control- help people accomplish their own gold through their knowledge about motives behind human behaviors) the events they study (ODEPC)
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Introspection
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looking within- Plato came up with this
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Associationism
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Aristotle outlined these laws- experiences often remind us of similar experiences in the past, how the face of a loved one makes us feel secure, and how thought leads to ideas as we dream and as we daydream
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Teachings of the middle ages
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Greeks thought confusion and agitation were signs of demons
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structuralism
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concerned with discovering the basic elements of consciousness- broke down consciousness into objective sensations and subjective feelings
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functionalism
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concerned with how mental processes help organisms adapt to their environment
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Stream of consciousness
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Williams James claimed that experience is a continuous "stream of consciousness"- thought regarded as a flowing series of images and ideas running through the mind
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Wilhelm Wundt
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Founded structuralism
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William James
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Founded the school of functionalism
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psychoanalysis
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emphasizes the importance of unconscious motives and internal conflicts in determining and understanding human behavior
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Sigmund Freud
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studied psychoanalysis
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psychodynamic thinking
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Freud's theory that summed most of what exists in an individual's mind is unconscious and consists of conflicting impulses, urges, and wishes
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behaviorism
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Watson defined psychology as the scientific study of observable behavior- regardless of who we think we really are inside, we can be totally conditioned by external events
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John Watson
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founded behaviorism
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B.F. Skinner
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Added to the behaviorist tradition by introducing the concept of reinforcement- people learn the same way animals do through reinforcement
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Gestalt psychology
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our perceptions of objects are more than the sums of their parts- Max Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka, and Wolfgang Kohler
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Biological perspective
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Biological processes influence behavior and mental processes- influenced by associationism and neuroscience
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Evolutionary perspective
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Adaptive organisms survive and transmit their genes to future generations- influenced by Charles Darwin and evolution
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Cognitive perspective
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perceptions and thoughts influence behavior
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Humanistic perspective
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people make free and conscious choices based on their unique experiences
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Psychoanalytic perspective
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unconscious motives influence behavior
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Learning perspective
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personal experiences and reinforcement guide individual development
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sociocultural
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sociocultural, biological, and psychological facts create individual differences (more culture oriented)
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biopsychosocial
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mental processes are influences by the interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors
