Understanding Psychology Chapter 1 Vocabulary
psychiatry
a branch of medicine that deals with mental, emotional, or behavioral problems
behaviorist
a psychologist who analyzes how organisms learn or modify their behavior based on their response to events in the environment
humanist
a psychologist who believes that each person has freedom in directing his or her future and achieving personal growth
clinical psychologist
a psychologist who diagnoses and treats people with emotional disturbances
educational psychologist
a psychologist who is concerned with helping students learn
community psychologist
a psychologist who may work in a mental health or social welfare agency
applied science
discovering ways to use scientific findings to accomplish practical goals
physiological
having to do with an organism's physical processes
cognitive
having to do with an organism's thinking and understanding
basic science
the pursuit of knowledge about natural phenomena for its own sake
psychology
the scientific study of behavior tested through scientific research
scientific method
a general approach to gathering information and answering questions so that errors and biases are minimized
introspection
a method of self-observation in which participants report their thoughts and feelings
structuralist
a psychologist who studied the basic elements that make up conscious mental experiences
functionalist
a psychologist who studied the function, rather than the structure, of consciousness
psychobiologist
a psychologist who studies how physical and chemical changes in our bodies influence our behavior
psychoanalyst
a psychologist who studies how unconscious motives and conflicts determine human behavior
cognitivist
a psychologist who studies how we process, store, retrieve, and use information and how cognitive processes influence our behavior
experimental psychologist
a psychologist who studies sensation, perception, learning, motivation, and emotion in carefully controlled laboratory conditions
developmental psychologist
a psychologist who studies the emotional, cognitive, biological, personal, and social changes that occur as an individual matures
industrial/organizational psychologist
a psychologist who uses psychological concepts to make the workplace a more satisfying environment for employees and managers
counseling psychologist
a psychologist who usually helps people deal with problems of living
psychologist
a scientist who studies the mind and behavior of humans and animals
theory
a set of assumptions used to explain phenomena and offered for scientific study
hypothesis
an assumption about behavior that is tested through scientific research