Shady Psych chapter 1

Psychology
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Terms in this set (35)
Psychology
The scientific study of mind and behavior
Mind
Our private inner experience of perceptions, thoughts, memories, and feelings.
Behavior
Observable actions of human beings and nonhuman animals
Nativism
The philosophical view that certain kinds of knowledge are innate or inborn.
Philosophical Empiricism
The philosophical view that all knowledge is acquired through experience
Phrenology
A now defunct theory that mental abilities and characteristics, ranging from memory to the capacity for happiness, are localized in specific regions of the brain.
Physiology
The study of biological processes, especially in the human body.
Stimulus
Sensory input from the environment
Reaction Time
The amount of time taken to respond to a specific stimulus.
Consciousness
A persons subjective experience of the world and the mind.
StructuralismThe analysis of the basic elements that constitute the mind.IntrospectionThe subjective observation of ones own experienceFunctionalismThe study of the purpose mental processes serve in enabling people to adapt to their environmentNatural SelectionCharles Darwin's theory that the features of an organism that help it survive and reproduce are more likely that other features to be passed on to subsequent generations.hysteriaA temporary loss of cognitive or motor functions, usually as a result of emotionally upsetting experiences.UnconsciousThe part of the mind that operates outside of conscious awareness but influences conscious thoughts, feelings, and actions.Psychoanalytic TheorySigmund Freud's approach to understanding human behavior that emphasizes the importance of unconscious mental processes in shaping feelings, thoughts, and behaviors.PsychoanalysisA therapeutic approach that focuses on bringing unconscious material into conscious awareness to better understand psychological disorders.Humanistic PsychologyAn approach to understanding human nature that emphasizes the positive potential of human beings.BehaviorismAn approach that advocates that psychologists restrict themselves to the scientific study of objectively observable behavior.ResponseAn action of physiological change elicited by a stimulus.ReinforcementThe consequences of a behavior that determine whether it will be more likely that the behavior will occur again.IllusionsErrors of perception, memory, or judgement in which subjective experience differs from objective reality.Gestalt PsychologyA psychological approach that emphasizes that we often perceive the whole rather than the sum. People see one moving light instead of two separate lights.Cognitive PsychologyThe scientific study of mental processes, including perception, thought, memory, and reasoning.Behavioral NeuroscienceAn approach to psychology that links psychological processes to activities in the nervous system and other bodily processesCognitive NeuroscienceA field that attempts to understand the links between cognitive processes and brain activity.Evolutionary PsychologyA psychological approach that explains mind and behavior in terms of the adaptive value of abilities that are preserved over time by natural selection.Social PsychologyA subfield of psychology studies the causes and consequences of interpersonal behavior.Cultural PsychologyThe study of how cultures reflect and shape the psychological processes of their members.William WundtEstablished first psychology labEdward TichenerIntroduced Structuralism to USWilliam JamesCreated Functionalism- known as father of psychologySigmund FreudFounder of psychoanalysis, theory of psychosexual development.BF Skinner & John WatsonDeveloped Behaviorism