Behavioral Psychology Quiz

Introduction to Psychology

• Psychology studies how people think, feel, and behave scientifically.
• Psychologists apply this knowledge to help others understand, explain, and change their behavior.

A Career in Psychology

• Psychologists conduct research, teach, and practice across various topics about human behavior.
• Some psychologists primarily work as researchers in universities and other organizations.
• Others are practitioners working in hospitals, schools, clinics, and private offices.
• Many psychologists work in both research and practice.

Careers in Psychology

• Various types of psychologists exist, such as developmental, clinical, counseling, and educational.
• Specific careers specialize in distinct areas like child development or mental health

Wilhelm Wundt

• Wilhelm Wundt was a pioneer in psychology, often considered the first psychologist.
• Wundt viewed psychology as a scientific study of conscious experience.
• He sought to identify the building blocks of consciousness.
• Introspection was the key method used by Wundt to study the components of conscious experience.
• Experimental conditions with specific stimuli were used for controlled observable experiences.

Is Introspection Scientific?

• Introspection relies on self-reporting which may not always be accurate.
• There can be variations in how different individuals interpret their own experiences.
• Result data can be unobservable by external observers.

The Four Goals of Psychology

• Describing behavior: Understanding what is happening.
• Explaining behavior: Examining why a behavior occurs.
• Predicting behavior: Anticipating future behaviors.
• Changing behavior: Altering or modifying behaviors.

Describing, Explaining, Predicting, and Controlling (Four Goals)

• Describing behavior involves objectively observing the actions.
• Psychologists look at why people act in certain ways (explaining).
• Predicting behavior includes understanding past patterns to predict the future.
• Understanding behaviors include techniques to change patterns/behaviors

Perspectives in Psychology

• Psychology involves multiple ways of understanding behavior (different perspectives or views)
• These perspectives are the various ways that psychology tackles problems (different approaches).
• Each approach views human behavior from a different angle.

Why Are There Different Approaches to Psychology?

• Approaches provide a more comprehensive understanding of diverse behaviors.
• Examples such as the psychoanalytic and behavioral perspectives, each looking at human behavior.

Psychoanalytic/Dynamic Perspective

• This perspective emphasizes the role of the unconscious mind in shaping human behavior and mental illness.

Psychodynamic/Psychoanalytic Perspective

• Behavior is influenced by past experiences stored in the unconscious mind.
• Early childhood experiences are key in shaping personality traits.

Conscious vs. Unconscious Mind

• The conscious mind includes information we are aware of.
• The unconscious mind houses information we aren’t aware of, yet it impacts behavior.

The Structure of Personality

• Freud proposed that the psyche includes three parts (id, ego, superego).

The Id, Ego, and Superego

• Id (Pleasure): Seeks immediate gratification of needs.
• Ego (Reality): Deals with the realities of the world & society.
• Superego (Morality): Represents internalized moral standards.

The Basic Dilemma of Inner Conflict

• Conflicts arise when different parts of the personality have opposing demands.
• Conflicts typically lead to internal struggles and stress.

Personality and Defense Mechanisms

• Defense mechanisms protect the ego from experiencing overwhelming stress.

Defense Mechanisms

• Defense mechanisms are unconscious strategies.
• They are used to cope with difficult thoughts or emotions.
• Examples include denial, repression, projection, regression, and sublimation.

How the Unconscious Mind Affects Behavior

• Unconscious thoughts influence behavior (positive or negative).
• Examples include negative thoughts, feelings of anger, self-defeating behaviors, and relationship problems.

Learning Through Consequences

• Learning is an active, environmental process.
• We can develop behaviors through conditioning, which includes positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, and punishment.

Overview of Behavioral Learning Theory

• Behaviorism is a psychological perspective that focuses on observable behaviors.
• It does not pay attention to mental experiences.

What is Operant Conditioning?

• In operant conditioning, behaviors are modified through the use of rewards and punishments.
• Rewards encourage desired behaviors & punishments decrease undesired behaviors.

What is Classical Conditioning?

• Classical conditioning involves associating a neutral stimulus with a naturally occurring stimulus.
• The neutral stimulus then elicits a response similar to the response of the naturally occurring stimulus.

Pavlov's Dog

• Dogs salivated in response to a stimulus (food) which eventually triggered the association of a neutral stimulus (bell) also giving rise to salivation.
• This was a foundational discovery in classical conditioning.

Classical Conditioning in Practice

• Classical conditioning is useful in understanding learning processes that form phobias (fear response).

What is Personality?

• Personality encompasses thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
• This set of characteristics stays relatively consistent over time.

Nature vs. Nurture

• Nature (genes) refers to hereditary factors that shape personality traits.
• Nurture (environment) refers to the environmental influences that also shape behaviors.

Epigenetics

• Epigenetics studies how environmental factors can change gene expression.
• This means your environment/experiences can affect how your genes act.

What is Trauma?

• Trauma refers to deeply distressing events.
• It can significantly impact a person's health and psychological well-being.

Categorizing Trauma

• Acute trauma stems from single events.
• Chronic trauma results from repeated or prolonged exposure to adverse experiences.
• Complex trauma occurs from exposure to multi-faceted traumatic events.

The Impact of Trauma on Personality

• Experiences associated with trauma can cause substantial and lasting shifts in a person's personality.
• These changes may manifest in various ways.

How Trauma Changes Personality

• Traumatic events can lead to conditions like PTSD.
• These conditions can affect personality traits like emotional regulation , and heightened anxiety.

Healing and Personality Reintegration

• Trauma-related issues can be managed with psychological interventions.
• Methods include CBT, DBT, and EMDR for healing, symptom management & re-establishing safety.

Test your knowledge on the key concepts of behavioral psychology, including conditioning techniques and the factors that shape behavior. This quiz covers essential theories such as operant and classical conditioning. Challenge yourself and see how well you understand this important psychological perspective.