Basic Psychology Terms

theory

a complex explanation of phenomena based on findings from scientific research

scientific method

a general approach to gathering information and answering questions that minimizes errors and bias

behaviorist

a psychologist who analyzes how organisms learn or modify their behavior based on their response to events in the environment.

structuralist

a psychologist who studied the basic elements of conscious mental experiences

functionalist

a psychologist who studied the function (rather than the stucture) of consciouness and how mental processes help people and animals adapt to their environment

psychoanalyst

a psychologist who studies how unconscious motives and conflicts determine human behavior

psychobiologist

a psychologist who studies the effects that physical and chemical changes have on behavior

hypothesis

an assumption about behavior tested through scientific research

Forensic psychology

applies psychological principles to the legal system

Sir Francis Galton

based his theory of inheritable traits on biographies

humanistic psychologists

describe human nature as active or creative,

Wilhelm Wundt

established the first psychology laboratory

cognitive

having to do with the process of thinking and understanding

clinical psychologist

helps people deal with emotional disturbances

Ivan Pavlov

identified conditioned reflexes

Sigmund Freud

is associated with psychoanalysis

Wilhelm Wundt

is the acknowledged founder of psychology as a separate field of study

environmental

psychologist studies the effects of overcrowding on humans

educational psychologist

researches topics related to intelligence, memory, problem solving, and motivation with the goal of helping students learn more effectively

functionalists

studied the function of consciousness

developmental psychologist

studies physical, emotional, cognitive, and social changes that occur over a lifetime

experimental psychologist

studies topics such as sensation, perception, and learning in controlled laboratory environments,

dualism

the idea that the mind and body are separate and distinct

basic science

the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake

psychology

the study of behavior tested through scientific research

community psychologist

works primarily in a mental health or social welfare agency