Schools of Thought in Psychology

Schools of Thought in Psychology

• Psychoanalysis: Focuses on how past experiences shape current behavior and thought processes. A form of treatment, a theory.
• Behaviorism: Emphasizes observable behaviors, not mental processes.
• Humanism: Understanding the human person as a whole to understand the mind.
• Cognitive: Understanding the brain to understand the mind.

Psychoanalytic Theory (Freud)

• Id: Instinctual desires and pleasures.
• Ego: Rational and realistic part of the mind.
• Superego: Moral compass; sense of right and wrong.
• Conscious Mind: What we are aware of.
• Unconscious Mind: Outside our awareness.

Defense Mechanisms

• Repression: Forgetting a memory.
• Denial: Refusing to acknowledge reality.
• Displacement: Transferring feelings to a different target.
• Regression: Reverting to an earlier stage of development.
• Projection: Attributing one's own feelings to another person.
• Rationalization: Justifying unacceptable behavior with logical reasons.
• Reaction Formation: Expressing the opposite of true feelings.

Psychoanalytic Techniques

• Free Association: Allowing thoughts to flow freely to uncover unconscious conflicts.
• Sigmund Freud: Developed psychoanalysis.
• Carl Jung: Collaborated with Freud; studied the unconscious mind and dreams.
• Ivan Pavlov: Observed classical conditioning in dogs.

Classical Conditioning

• Classical Conditioning: Learning to respond to stimuli based on their environment (e.g., school bell to transition classes).
• Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS): Naturally triggers a response (e.g., food).
• Unconditioned Response (UCR): Natural response to a stimulus (e.g., salivation).
• Conditioned Stimulus (CS): Previously neutral stimulus elicits a learned response (e.g., bell/tone).
• Conditioned Response (CR): Learned response to the conditioned stimulus (e.g., salivation).

Operant Conditioning

• B.F. Skinner: Studied how reinforcement and punishment impact behavior.
• Operant Conditioning: Using rewards and punishments to modify behavior.
• Positive Reinforcement: Adding a desirable stimulus to increase a behavior (e.g., praise).
• Negative Reinforcement: Removing an unpleasant stimulus to increase a behavior (e.g., alarm clock beeps stop).
• Punishment: Decreasing a behavior by removing a pleasant stimulus or giving an unpleasant one (e.g., removing a phone).

Humanistic Psychology

• Humanism: Understanding the individual as a whole to understand the mind.
• Abraham Maslow: Studied self-actualization.
• Hierarchy of Needs: Physiological, safety, belonging, esteem, and self-actualization needs.
• Client-Centered Therapy: Creating a supportive environment for clients to explore problems.

Social Cognitive Theory

• Albert Bandura: Emphasized observational learning.
• Bobo Doll Experiment: Demonstrated observational learning with children imitating aggressive behaviors.

Cognitive Psychology

• Elizabeth Loftus: Studied false memories and eyewitness testimony.
• False Memories: Brain creates or alters memories based on perceptions.
• Prefrontal Lobe/Cortex: Logical decision-making and planning.
• Temporal Lobe: Understanding language and sounds (left side).
• Hippocampus: Forming long-term memories.
• Corpus Callosum: Connects two brain hemispheres.
• Amygdala: Emotion center, anger and fear.
• Phineas Gage: Case study demonstrating frontal lobe's role in personality.
• Neuroplasticity: Brain's ability to change and adapt.
• Hypothalamus: Hormone regulation and basic bodily functions.

Personality

• Big 5 Personality Traits: Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, Neuroticism, Openness, Extraversion.
• Edith Experiment: Stern's attempted enrichment of his daughter.

Development Stages

• Lifespan Stages: Infancy (birth-walking), Toddler (walking-3), Adolescence (13-17)

Multiple Intelligences

• Multiple Intelligences: Verbal-linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, visual-spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalist.

Nature vs. Nurture

• Nature: Genetic characteristics passed down.
• Nurture: Environmental factors.
• Twin Studies: Used to examine nature vs. nurture through comparing identical twins.

Social Psychology

• Deindividuation: Loss of identity and personal responsibility in groups.
• Fundamental Attribution Error: Attributing behavior to personality rather than situation.
• Bystander Effect: Less help provided when others are around.
• Zimbardo Prison Experiment: Study of situational influences on behavior in a simulated prison environment.

Cognitive Dissonance

• Cognitive Dissonance: Tension between behaviors and attitudes.

Other Concepts

• Walter Mischel's Marshmallow Experiment: Delayed gratification study.

Short Answer - Nature vs. Nurture

• Nature: Genetic influences (inherited traits).
• Nurture: Environmental influences (upbringing, experiences).
• Twin Studies: Used to explore the impact of nature and nurture.

Operant Conditioning for Teenagers

• Operant Conditioning: Reinforcing desired behaviors rather than only addressing unwanted behaviors using rewards and punishments with consistent communication.

This quiz explores various schools of thought in psychology, including Psychoanalysis, Behaviorism, Humanism, and Cognitive psychology. It also covers key concepts such as Freud's Psychoanalytic Theory and different defense mechanisms. Test your understanding of these foundational ideas and their implications in the field of psychology.