Psychology Chapter 1 Flashcards

Questions and Answers

What is The Principles of Psychology?

A theory of behaviorism

A scientific study of cognitive processes

A psychological approach emphasizing perception

A book written by William James (correct)

What is the definition of Psychology?

The scientific study of mind and behavior

What does the term 'Mind' refer to?

Private inner experiences

What is Behavior?

The observable actions of human beings Signup and view all the answers

What does Nativism argue?

Certain kinds of knowledge are innate Signup and view all the answers

What is Philosophical Empiricism?

All knowledge is acquired through experience Signup and view all the answers

What is Dualism?

The mind and body are fundamentally different things Signup and view all the answers

Who argued that the mind is what the body does?

Thomas Hobbes Signup and view all the answers

What is Phrenology?

Specific mental abilities are located in specific regions of the brain Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of the Hippocampus?

Involved in memory Signup and view all the answers

What does the Amygdala do?

Part of the brain involved in fear Signup and view all the answers

What is the study of Physiology?

The study of biological processes, especially in the human body Signup and view all the answers

Who developed a method for measuring the speed of nerve impulses?

Herman von Helmholtz Signup and view all the answers

What is a Stimulus?

Sensory input from the environment Signup and view all the answers

What is Reaction time?

The amount of time taken to respond to a specific stimulus Signup and view all the answers

Who taught the first university level course in physiological psychology?

Wilhelm Wundt Signup and view all the answers

What is Consciousness?

A person's subjective experience of the world and mind Signup and view all the answers

What is Introspection?

The subjective observation of one's own experience Signup and view all the answers

What is Structuralism?

The analysis of the basic elements that constitute the mind Signup and view all the answers

What is Functionalism?

The study of the purpose of mental processes in enabling adaptation Signup and view all the answers

What does Gestalt Psychology emphasize?

We often perceive the whole rather than the sum of the parts Signup and view all the answers

Who studied hysteria?

Jean Marie Charcot and Pierre Janet Signup and view all the answers

What is the Unconscious?

The part of the mind that operates outside conscious awareness Signup and view all the answers

What is Psychoanalytic Theory?

An approach emphasizing the importance of unconscious mental processes Signup and view all the answers

What does Humanistic Psychology emphasize?

The positive potential of humans Signup and view all the answers

What is Behaviorism?

Scientific study of objectively observable behavior Signup and view all the answers

Who proposed that psychologists focus entirely on the study of behavior?

John Watson Signup and view all the answers

Who is Burrhus Frederick Skinner?

A key figure in behaviorism, studied how animals act on their environments Signup and view all the answers

What is a Skinner Box?

A device used to study behavior, involving a mouse, lever, and food Signup and view all the answers

What is Reinforcement?

The consequences of behavior determine whether it will occur again Signup and view all the answers

What is Beyond Freedom and Dignity?

Written by Skinner regarding free will and reinforcement Signup and view all the answers

What is Cognitive Psychology?

The scientific study of mental processes Signup and view all the answers

What is Behavioral Neuroscience?

Links psychological processes to activities in the nervous system Signup and view all the answers

What is Cognitive Neuroscience?

The field linking cognitive processes and brain activity Signup and view all the answers

What is Evolutionary Psychology?

Explains behavior in terms of adaptive value over time Signup and view all the answers

What is Social Psychology?

The study of the causes and consequences of interpersonal behavior Signup and view all the answers

Who studied stereotyping, prejudice, and racism?

Gordon Allport Signup and view all the answers

What is Cultural Psychology?

The study of how culture shapes psychological processes Signup and view all the answers

Who traveled to observe far-flung regions of the world?

Margaret Mead and Gregory Bateson Signup and view all the answers

What is Absolutism in psychology?

Culture makes little or no difference for most psychological phenomena Signup and view all the answers

What is Relativism?

Psychological phenomena vary across cultures Signup and view all the answers

Who was the first woman president of the American Psychological Association?

Mary Calkins Signup and view all the answers

Who was the first minority president of the APA?

Kenneth Clark Signup and view all the answers

Who were prominent figures in the psychoanalytic movement?

Carl Gustav Jung & Alfred Adler Signup and view all the answers

Who were pioneers of humanistic psychology?

Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers Signup and view all the answers

Who argued that nonhuman animals have conscious mental experiences?

Margaret Floy Washburn Signup and view all the answers

Who carried out research on the physiology of digestion?

Ivan Pavlov Signup and view all the answers

What is a Response?

An action or physiological change elicited by a stimulus Signup and view all the answers

What is The Behavior of Organisms?

A book written by Skinner about reinforcement Signup and view all the answers

What is Walden II?

A book by Skinner about the illusion of free will Signup and view all the answers

Who believed it was more important to study memory for everyday life?

Sir Frederic Bartlett Signup and view all the answers

Who studied perceptual and cognitive errors of children?

Jean Piaget Signup and view all the answers

Who argued that a person's behavior could best be predicted by subjective experience?

Kurt Lewin Signup and view all the answers

What does Verbal Behavior reference?

A behaviorist analysis of language Signup and view all the answers

Who critiqued Skinner's views on language?

Noam Chomsky Signup and view all the answers

Who trained rats to run through mazes?

Karl Lashley Signup and view all the answers

What is Sociobiology?

E.O. Wilson's book relating evolutionary thinking to psychology Signup and view all the answers

What is the American Psychological Association?

An organization with 150,000 members Signup and view all the answers

What is the Association for Psychological Science?

An organization with 12,000 members focusing on scientists' needs Signup and view all the answers

Who was the first African American to receive a PhD in psychology?

Francis Cecil Sumner Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Key Concepts in Psychology

Principles of Psychology: Influential book by William James; laid foundational ideas in psychology.
Psychology: Scientific study focusing on mind and behavior.
Mind: Refers to private inner experiences; subjective to the individual.
Behavior: Observable actions of humans; serves as a key area of study in psychology.

Historical Perspectives

Nativism (Plato): Suggests that some knowledge is innate and not acquired.
Philosophical Empiricism: Claims that all knowledge arises from experience.
Dualism (Rene Descartes): The mind and body are distinct; mind as immaterial vs. body as material.
Thomas Hobbes: Proposed that mental processes are derived from physical actions.

Early Theories and Methods

Phrenology: Theory linking specific mental abilities to specific brain areas.
Hippocampus: Brain region involved in memory processing.
Amygdala: Associated with fear responses.
Physiology: The study of biological processes influencing behavior.

Notable Contributions

Herman von Helmholtz: Innovated methods to measure nerve impulse speed.
Wilhelm Wundt: Introduced physiological psychology and focused on consciousness analysis.
Introspection: Technique allowing individuals to observe their own mental processes.

Major Psychological Schools

Structuralism: Examines the basic elements of consciousness through detailed analysis.
Functionalism: Studies the purpose of mental processes in adapting to environments; dominant in the 1920s.
Gestalt Psychology: Emphasizes perception of whole experiences over individual parts.

The Unconscious Mind

Unconscious: Influences thoughts and actions without conscious awareness.
Psychoanalytic Theory (Sigmund Freud): Highlights the role of unconscious processes in shaping behavior.
Humanistic Psychology: Focuses on the positive potential in humans.

Behavioral Approaches

Behaviorism: Strictly studies observable behavior and dismisses mental processes.
John Watson: Advocated for behavior-focused psychology, applying animal experimentation for insights.
B.F. Skinner: Explored behaviorism through experiments such as the Skinner Box, highlighting reinforcement principles.

Cognitive and Neuroscientific Perspectives

Cognitive Psychology: Investigates mental processes like perception and reasoning.
Behavioral Neuroscience: Connects psychological processes to nervous system activities.
Cognitive Neuroscience: Studies the relationship between cognitive functions and brain activity.

Evolutionary Psychology: Explains behavior and mental processes through natural selection and adaptation.
Social Psychology: Analyzes interpersonal behavior and its underlying causes.

Cultural Influences

Cultural Psychology: Investigates how culture shapes psychological experiences.
Absolutism vs. Relativism: Absolutism claims little cultural variation in psychology, while relativism posits that psychological phenomena differ across cultures.

Notable Figures

Mary Calkins: First female president of the APA.
Kenneth Clark: First minority president of the APA.
Abraham Maslow & Carl Rogers: Key figures in humanistic psychology; emphasized self-actualization.
Carl Gustav Jung & Alfred Adler: Important contributors to psychoanalytic theories.

Research and Critiques

Ivan Pavlov: Established classical conditioning research through dog experiments.
Noam Chomsky: Criticized behaviorism, arguing for mental rules in language acquisition.
Kurt Lewin: Suggested understanding subjective experiences is vital for predicting behavior.
Sir Frederic Bartlett: Focused on memory's practical aspects and how people often remember inaccurately.

Professional Organizations

American Psychological Association (APA): Large association with approximately 150,000 members.
Association for Psychological Science: Smaller organization with around 12,000 members, aimed at addressing the needs of scientists.

Landmark Publications

Beyond Freedom and Dignity (Skinner): Argues free will is an illusion influenced by reinforcement.
The Behavior of Organisms (Skinner): Discusses behavior and reinforcement intricacies.
Walden II (Skinner): Explores concepts of free will within a societal context.

Historical Milestones

Francis Cecil Sumner: First African American to earn a PhD in psychology (1920).

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Test your knowledge with these flashcards covering key terms and definitions from Chapter 1 of Psychology. Dive into foundational concepts such as mind, behavior, and influential works like 'The Principles of Psychology' by William James. Ideal for students and enthusiasts alike!