Back to AI Flashcard MakerPsychology /Psychology Chapters 1-14 Part 1
Psychology Chapters 1-14 Part 1
This deck covers key concepts, definitions, and theories from the first 14 chapters of a psychology textbook, focusing on the scientific study of mind and behavior.
psychology
The scientific study of mind and behavior.
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Key Terms
Term
Definition
psychology
The scientific study of mind and behavior.
data
Any information collected through formal observation or measurement.
hindsight bias
The tendency to think that we could have predicted something that has already occurred that we probably would not have been able to predict.
scientific method
The set of assumptions, rules, and procedures that scientists use to conduct empirical research.
levels of explanation
The perspectives that are used to understand behavior.
individual differences
The variations among people on physical or psychological dimensions.
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
psychology | The scientific study of mind and behavior. |
data | Any information collected through formal observation or measurement. |
hindsight bias | The tendency to think that we could have predicted something that has already occurred that we probably would not have been able to predict. |
scientific method | The set of assumptions, rules, and procedures that scientists use to conduct empirical research. |
levels of explanation | The perspectives that are used to understand behavior. |
individual differences | The variations among people on physical or psychological dimensions. |
structuralism | Uses the method of introspection to identify the basic elements or 'structures' of psychological experience. |
functionalism | Attempts to understand why animals and humans have developed the particular psychological aspects that they currently possess. |
psychodyamic | Focuses on the role of our unconscious thoughts, feelings, and memories and our early childhood experiences in determining behavior. |
behaviorism | Based on the premise that it is not possible to objectively study the mind, and therefore that psychologists should limit their attention to the study of behavior itself. |
cognitive | The study of mental processes, including perception, thinking, memory, and judgments. |
social-cultural | The study of how the social situations and the cultures in which people find themselves influence thinking and behavior. |
heritability | The proportion of the observed differences on characteristics among people (e.g., in terms of their height, intelligence, or optimism) that is due to genetics. |
Are genes or environment most influential in determining the behavior of individuals and in accounting for differences among people? | nature vs nurture |
This question concerns the extent to which people have control over their own actions. Are we the products of our environment, guided by forces out of our control, or are we able to choose the behaviors we engage in? | free will vs determinism |
To what extent are humans good information processors? | accuracy vs inaccuracy |
To what extent are we conscious of our own actions and the causes of them, and to what extent are our behaviors caused by influences that we are not aware of? | conscious vs unconscious |
To what extent are we all similar, and to what extent are we different? | differences vs similarities |
plato and aristotle | Earliest psychologists that we know about. One believed that knowledge was innate, and the other believed that each human is born as an empty slate. |
introspection | A method of learning about psychological processes in which research participants are asked to describe exactly what they experience as they work on mental tasks. |
evolutionary psychology | A branch of psychology that applies the Darwinian theory of natural selection to human and animal behavior. |
fitness | The extent to which having a given genetic characteristic helps an individual organism survive and reproduce at a higher rate than do other members of the species who do not have the characteristic. |
psychodynamic psychology | An approach to understanding human behavior that focuses on the role of unconscious thoughts, feelings, and memories. |
social norms | The ways of thinking, feeling, or behaving that are shared by group members and are perceived by them as appropriate. |
culture | A common set of social norms, including religious and family values and other moral beliefs, shared by the people who live in a geographical region. |
biopsychology and neuroscience | This field examines the physiological bases of behavior in animals and humans by studying the functioning of different brain areas and the effects of hormones and neurotransmitters on behavior. |
clinical and counseling psychology | These are the largest fields of psychology. The focus is on the assessment, diagnosis, causes, and treatment of mental disorders. |
developmental psychology | These psychologists conduct research on the cognitive, emotional, and social changes that occur across the lifespan. |
forensic psychology | Apply psychological principles to understand the behavior of judges, attorneys, courtroom juries, and others in the criminal justice system. |
health psychology | Concerned with understanding how biology, behavior, and the social situation influence health and illness. |
industrial- organizational and environmental psychology | Applies psychology to the workplace with the goal of improving the performance and well-being of employees. |
personality psychology | These psychologists study people and the differences among them. The goal is to develop theories that explain the psychological processes of individuals, and to focus on individual differences. |
school and educational psychology | This field studies how people learn in school, the effectiveness of school programs, and the psychology of teaching. |
social and cross-cultural psychology | This field examines people's interactions with other people. Topics of study include conformity, group behavior, leadership, attitudes, and person perception. |
sports psychology | This field studies the psychological aspects of sports behavior. The goal is to understand the psychological factors that influence performance in sports, including the role of exercise and team interactions. |
basic research | Research that answers fundamental questions about behavior. |
applied research | Research that investigates issues that have implications for everyday life and provides solutions to everyday problems. |
empirical | Based on systematic collection and analysis of data. |
objective | Free from the personal bias or emotions of the scientist. |
laws | Principles that are so general as to apply to all situations in a given domain of inquiry. |