PSYCHOLOGY: chapter 1.

PhD

(doctor of philosophy) doctoral degree conferred in many disciplinary perspectives housed in a traditional college of liberal arts and sciences

PsyD

(doctor of psychology) doctoral degree that places less emphasis on research-oriented skills and focuses more on application of psychological principles in the clinical context

Now that you've been briefly introduced to some of the major areas within psychology, which are you most interested in learning more about? Why?

Social psychology is one of the subdivisions of psychology that I'm very interested in. I'm most interested in it because it focuses on how people interact with others.

postdoctoral training program

allows young scientists to further develop their research programs and broaden their research skills under the supervision of other professionals in the field

forensic psychology

area of psychology that applies the science and practice of psychology to issues within and related to the justice system

counseling psychology

area of psychology that focuses on improving emotional, social, vocational, and other aspects of the lives of psychologically healthy individuals

clinical psychology

area of psychology that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders and other problematic patterns of behavior

sport and exercise psychology

area of psychology that focuses on the interactions between mental and emotional factors and physical performance in sports, exercise, and other activities

personality trait

consistent pattern of thought and behavior

behaviorism

focus on observing and controlling behavior

psychoanalytic theory

focus on the role of the unconscious in affecting conscious behavior

functionalism

focused on how mental activities helped an organism adapt to its environment

dissertation

long research paper about research that was conducted as a part of the candidate's doctoral training

empirical method

method for acquiring knowledge based on observation, including experimentation, rather than a method based only on forms of logical argument or previous authorities

biopsychosocial model

perspective that asserts that biology, psychology, and social factors interact to determine an individual's health

humanism

perspective within psychology that emphasizes the potential for good that is innate to all humans

introspection

process by which someone examines their own conscious experience in an attempt to break it into its component parts

American Psychological Association

professional organization representing psychologists in the United States

developmental

psychology scientific study of development across a lifespan

psychology

scientific study of the mind and behavior

cognitive psychology

study of cognitions, or thoughts, and their relationship to experiences and actions

biopsychology

study of how biology influences behavior

personality psychology

study of patterns of thoughts and behaviors that make each individual unique

ology

suffix that denotes "scientific study of"

structuralism

understanding the conscious experience through introspection

psyche

Greek word for soul

Why are you taking this course? What do you hope to learn about during this course?

The reason why I'm taking psychology this semester is because this course can be helpful to understanding the way we all interact with one another. I hope I learn to become familiar with the scientific method.