Psychology 200 - Chapter 1
Is Psychology a Science?
Yes. Because (1) much of psychology is based on carefully controlled experimentation using randomization procedures, and (2) psychological investigations have had beneficial effects on society
Social psychology
a subfield of psychology that studies how the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of individuals can be influenced by the presence of others.
Burrhus Frederick (B. F.) Skinner (1904-1990)
developed Behaviorism. Developed the "Skinner box," or conditioning chamber, to explain learning, and founded operant conditioning; published The Behavior of Organisms, Beyond Freedom and Dignity, Walden II
Behaviorists
dominated psychology from the 1930s to the 1950s.
Kenneth B. Clark (1914-2005)
first African American APA President
Mary Calkins (1863-1930)
first female APA President
Most undergraduate psychology students...
move on to graduate school and conduct research. Postdoctoral fellowships in different areas of psychology, Faculty positions—teaching and research, or Research position in industry
Karl Lashley (1890-1958)
Lesioned rats' brains in unsuccessful attempt to localize learning; his work led to the new research area of physiological psychology
Functionalism
MENTAL PROCESSES AS ADAPTATIONS. The study of how mental processes enable people to adapt to their environments
Behaviorists ignored
Mental processes and Evolutionary history. Behaviorism was later replaced by other approaches.
What are the possible ways that young children learn about the world?
Nativism or Philosophical empiricism
Who was Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920)?
Opened the first psychological laboratory
Unconscious
Part of the mind that operates outside of awareness but influences conscious thoughts, feelings, and actions
Consciousness
Person's subjective experience of the world and the mind
What is philosophical empiricism?
Philosophical view that all knowledge is acquired through experience (Aristotle believed this)
What is Nativism?
Philosophical view that certain kinds of knowledge are innate or inborn (Plato believed this)
Abraham Maslow (1908-1970)
Pioneered a new movement in humanistic psychology
Carl Rogers (1902-1987)
Pioneered a new movement in humanistic psychology
Noam Chomsky (b. 1928)
Pointed out that even young children generate sentences they have never heard before, and therefore could not possibly be learning language by reinforcement
How can you improve study skills?
Rehears, Interpret, Test yourself, and Hit the main points
Cognitive psychology
Scientific study of mental processes, including perception, thought, memory, and reasoning
What is Stimulus?
Sensory input from the environment
American Psychological Association (APA)
Seven men founded the APA in 1892. Each worked at a large university, where they taught psychology courses, performed research, and wrote textbooks. Today, academic psychologists make up 20% of membership; 70% work in clinical and heath-related settings.
Solomon Asch (1907-1996)
Studied "mental chemistry;" studies on obedience in lab experiments
Margaret Floy Washburn (1871-1939)
Studied behavior in different animal species; wrote influential book, The Animal Mind; developed a theory of consciousness
Stanley Milgram (1953-1984)
Studied how people respond to authority
Who was Hermann von Helmholtz (1821-1894)?
Studied human reaction time; estimated the length of nerve impulse
Jean-Martin Charcot (1825-1893)
Studied hysteric patients through hypnosis
Pierre Janet (1859-1947)
Studied hysteric patients through hypnosis
Gordon Allport (1897-1967)
Studied stereotyping, prejudice, and racism as perceptual errors
Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936)
Studied the physiology of digestion and founded classical conditioning (stimulus-response)
What is Physiology?
Study of biological processes, especially in the human body
Cultural psychology
Study of how cultures reflect and shape the psychological processes of their members. Studied by psychologists and anthropologists
Introspection
Subjective observation of one's own experience
What is "tabula rasa"?
The ideal that the mind is a blank slate on which experiences are written
Personal Experience
The person's subjective interpretation
Kurt Lewin (1890-1947)
The person's subjective interpretation of stimuli
Natural selection
Theory that the features of an organism that help it survive and reproduce are more likely than other features to be passed on to subsequent generations
Psychoanalysis
Therapeutic approach that focuses on bringing unconscious material into conscious awareness to better understand psychological disorders
Behaviorism
(1) Advocated that psychologists restrict themselves to the scientific study of objectively observable behavior and (2) Represented a dramatic departure from previous schools of thought
8. Which famous psychologist created a stir when he/she claimed that free will is an illusion? A. Margaret Floy Washburn B. John B. Watson C. Sigmund Freud D. B. F. Skinner E. Ivan Pavlov
D. B. F. Skinner
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)
Developed Psychoanalytic Theory. He believed hysteria caused from painful unconscious experiences
9. __________ is the scientific study of mental processes, including perception, thought, memory, and reasoning. A. Neuropsychology B. Forensic psychology C. Physiological psychology D. Social psychology E. Cognitive psychology
E. Cognitive psychology
Illusions
Errors of perception, memory, or judgment in which subjective experience differs from objective reality
Evolutionary Psychology
Explains mind and behavior in terms of the adaptive value of abilities that are preserved over time by natural selection. Inspired by functionalist approaches of William James and G. Stanley Hall
Cognitive Neuroscience
Field that attempts to understand the links between cognitive processes and brain activity
Who was William James (1842-1910)?
First to take scientific approach to study psychology; wrote The Principles of Psychology
Max Wertheimer (1880-1943)
Founded induced-motion phenomena
Gestalt psychology
A psychological approach that emphasizes that we often perceive the whole rather than the sum of the parts
Hysteria
A temporary loss of cognitive or motor functions, usually as a result of emotionally upsetting experiences
10. Dr. Veet studied human perception through the use of visual illusions. It is most likely that Dr. Veet subscribed to which approach of psychology? A. Gestalt psychology B. humanistic psychology C. cognitive neuroscience D. behaviorism E. psychoanalysis
A. Gestalt psychology
7. Which area of psychology focuses on helping people to realize their full potential? A. Humanistic psychology B. functionalism C. evolutionary psychology D. behavioral neuroscience E. positive psychology
A. Humanistic psychology
13. The majority of PhDs in psychology are awarded in __________ psychology. A. clinical B. social C. developmental D. counseling E. experimental
A. clinical
3. Wilhelm Wundt's brand of psychology focused on the study of ________, while John Watson's brand of psychology focused on the study of ________. (Answer) A. consciousness; behavior B. children; animals C. psychological disorders; positive potential of human beings D. brain chemistry; maze learning E. adaptive behaviors; maladaptive behaviors
A. consciousness; behavior
4. Emotions are complex in nature. Some philosophers have argued that emotions have evolved to help species adapt to their environment. This view of emotions is best illustrated by what approach? A. functionalism B. empiricism c. structuralism D. foundationalism E. positivism
A. functionalism
Response
Action or physiological change elicited by a stimulus
What is Reaction time?
Amount of time taken to respond to a specific stimulus
Structuralism
Analysis of the basic elements that constitute the mind
Behavioral Neuroscience
Approach to psychology that links psychological processes to activities in the nervous system and to other bodily processes
Psychoanalytic theory
Approach to understanding human behavior that emphasizes the importance of unconscious mental processes in shaping feelings, thoughts, and behaviors
Humanistic psychology
Approach to understanding human nature that emphasizes the positive potential of human beings
Who was Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679)?
Argued against Descartes; said the mind is what the brain does
11. How does cognitive neuroscience differ from cognitive psychology? A. The two are interchangeable. B. Cognitive neuroscience attempts to link thinking to brain activity, while cognitive psychology focuses more on thinking. C. Cognitive psychology studies normal thought processes, while cognitive neuroscience studies abnormal thought processes. D. Cognitive neuroscience focuses exclusively on nonhuman animals, while cognitive psychology focuses on human animals. E. Cognitive neuroscience studies the negative impact of drugs on brain functioning, while cognitive psychology studies the positive impact of drugs on brain functioning.
B. Cognitive neuroscience attempts to link thinking to brain activity, while cognitive psychology focuses more on thinking.
12. __________ was the first woman elected as APA president, and she unfortunately faced the significant sex discrimination that was common at the time. A. Ana Freud B. Mary Calkins C. Margaret Mead D. Margaret Washburn E. Shirley Mason
B. Mary Calkins
5. A rat is being trained to learn its way through a complex maze. When the rat successfully makes its way through the maze, it receives water and food. What psychological principle does this example illustrate? A. stimulus B. reinforcement C. introspection D. cognition E. consciousness
B. reinforcement
American Psychological Society (APS)
Began in 1988 for academic and research psychologists; changed name to Association for Psychological Science in 2006
1. What is psychology? A. It is the scientific study of people who have abnormal conditions such as schizophrenia. B. It is the scientific study of the unconscious. C. It is the scientific study of the mind and behavior. D. It is the scientific study of the mind. E. It is the scientific study of behavior.
C. It is the scientific study of the mind and behavior.
6. In Freud's psychoanalytic theory, what is the most important influence on our feelings, thoughts, and behaviors? A. our early sexual experiences B. traits we inherit from our parents C. our unconscious D. our dreams E. our toilet training
C. our unconscious
2. The idea that all knowledge is attained through experience was referred to as ____________ by the Greek philosopher Aristotle. A. structuralism B. functionalism C. philosophical empiricism D. foundationalism E. nativism
C. philosophical empiricism
Psychology career paths
Clinical psychology, counseling psychology, school psychology, and industrial/organizational psychology are just a few.
Reinforcement
Consequences of a behavior that determine whether it will be more likely that the behavior will occur again
Who was René Descartes (1596-1650)?
French philosopher who argued for dualism of mind and body. Descartes believed that the physical body was a container for the nonphysical thing called the mind.
What did Paul Broca (1824-1880) discover?
Had the crucial insight that damage to a specific part of the brain impaired a specific mental function, clearly demonstrating that the brain and mind are closely linked
What does it meant to say that Human beings are social animals?
Human behavior is influenced by the presence and absence of other people.
Noninvasive Brain Scanning Techniques
In the late 1980s, technological breakthroughs led to the development of noninvasive brain scanning techniques that made it possible for psychologists to watch what happens inside a human brain as a person performs a task such as reading, imagining, listening, and remembering.
Benedict Spinoza (1632-1677)
Influenced Skinner, the developer of behaviorism.
John B. Watson (1878-1958)
Influenced by Pavlov; goal was to predict and control behavior through the study of observable behavior
Who was Charles Darwin (1809-1882)
Inspired James; wrote On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection