Psychology’s History & Approaches – Flashcards
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Socrates & Plato
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two philosophers from ancient Greece (teacher & student); believed knowledge to be innate and that the mind & body are distinct
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Artistotle
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Greek philosopher who emphasized observation as a source of knowledge; believed mind & body to be inseparable.
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Rene Decartes
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French philosopher who agreed with Socrates and Plato concerning the origins of knowledge and the separation between mind & body; speculated about how mind & body communicate
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Francis Bacon
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one of the founders of modern science; promoted use of scientific method & wrote about problems with (what was later known as) confirmation bias
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John Locke
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British political philosopher & author of "An Essay Concerning Human Understanding"; coined the phrase "blank slate" to describe the state of human knowledge at birth
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empiricism
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the view that (a) knowledge comes from experience via the senses, and (b) science flourishes through observation and experiment.
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Wilhelm Wundt
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German physiologist who founded psychology as a formal science; opened first psychology research laboratory in 1879
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E.B. Titchener
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Psychologist who developed structuralism and introspection; student of Wilhelm Wundt.
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structuralism
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an early school of psychology that used introspection to explore the elemental structure of the human mind
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William James
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founder of functionalism; studied how humans use their abilities to function in their environments; known for being an early teacher of psychology
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Mary Whiton Calkins
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first female president of the APA (1905); a student of William James; denied the PhD she earned from Harvard because of her sex (later, posthumously, it was granted to her)
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Margaret Floy Washburn
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First female to be awarded a PhD in psychology; 2nd president of the APA (1921)
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functionalism
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William James's school of thought that stressed the adaptive and survival value of behaviors
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G. Stanley Hall
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Founded the American Psychological Association (now largest organization of psychologists in the USA) and became first president
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American Psychological Association (APA)
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World's largest association of psychologists with around 152,000 members including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants and students
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psychology
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the scientific study of behavior and mental processes
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cognitive neuroscience
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the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language)
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nature-nurture issue
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the longstanding controversy over the relative contributions that genes and experience make to the development of psychological traits and behaviors
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biological perspective
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the approach that views behavior from the perspective of the brain, the nervous system, genetics, and other biological functions
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evolutionary perspective
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the application of principles of evolution, including natural selection, to explain psychological processes and phenomena.
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psychodynamic perspective
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A branch of psychology that studies how internal conflicts and unconscious drives influence behavior, and uses that information to treat people with psychological disorders. (Influenced by Sigmund Freud's model of psychoanalysis)
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behavioral perspective
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perspective of psychology that sees psychology as an objective science without reference to mental states; sees behavior as the result of conditioning & reinforcement; dominant perspective from 1920s-1960s (a.k.a. the "learning" perspective)
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cognitive perspective
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A psychological approach that emphasizes mental processes in perception, memory, language, problem solving, and other areas of behavior
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humanistic perspective
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The approach that suggests that all individuals naturally strive to grow, develop, and be in control of their lives and behavior; influenced heavily by ideas of Rogers and Maslow
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social-cultural perspective
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approach that emphasizes how behavior and thinking vary across situations and cultures
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basic research
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pure research that aims to confirm an existing theory or to learn more about a concept or phenomenon
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applied research
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scientific study that aims to solve practical problems
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psychiatrist
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a medical doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders; can prescribe medication
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clinical psychologist
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holds an advanced degree in psychology but is not a medical doctor; specializes in identifying and treating persons with mental illness, but does not prescribe medication
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natural selection
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A process in which individuals that have certain inherited traits tend to survive and reproduce at higher rates than other individuals because of those traits.
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John Watson
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American psychologist who founded behaviorism, emphasizing the study of observable behavior and rejecting the study of mental processes
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Charles Darwin
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Wrote "The Origin of Species" proposed idea of natural selection as primary means of species diversity. His influence appears in psychology's evolutionary perspective.
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experimental psychology
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the study of behavior and thinking using the experimental method
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biopsychosocial approach
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An integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological, and social-cultural levels of analysis
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levels of analysis
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the differing complementary views, from biological to psychological to social-cultural, for analyzing any given phenomenon
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psychometrics
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the scientific study of the measurement of human abilities, attitudes, and traits; also sometimes called "quantitative psychology"
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developmental psychology
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A branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span
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educational psychology
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the study of how psychological processes affect and can enhance teaching and learning
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personality psychology
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the study of an individual's characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling and acting
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social psychology
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The scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another
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industrial-organizational psychology
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application of psychological concepts and methods to optimizing human behavior in workplaces.
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human factors psychology
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A branch of psychology that explores how people and machines interact and how machines and physical environments can be made safe and easy to use
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counseling psychology
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A branch of psychology that assists people with problems in living (often related to school, work, or marriage) and in achieving greater well-being
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positive psychology
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the scientific study of optimal human functioning; aims to discover and promote strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive
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community psychology
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A branch of psychology that studies how people interact with their social environments and how social institutions affect individuals and groups
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testing effect
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enhanced memory after retrieving, rather than simply reading, information. Also sometimes referred to as a retrieval practice effect or test-enhanced learning.
