Chapter 1: What is Psychology?

behavior

observable and measurable actions of people and animals

basic research

research that is conducted for its own sake, that is, without seeking a solution to a specific problem

ethnic group

a group united by cultural heritage, race, language, or common history

cognitive activities

private, unobservable mental processes such as sensation, perception, thought, and problem solving

associationism

a learned connection between two ideas or events

principle

a rule or law

theory

a set of assumptions about why something is the way it is and happens the way it does

psychoanalytic perspective

the perspective that stresses the influences of unconscious forces on human behavior

biological perspective

the psychological perspective that emphasizes the influence of biology on behavior

Gestalt psychology

the school of psychology that emphasizes the tendency to organize perceptions into meaningful wholes

functionalism

the school of psychology, founded by William James, that emphasizes the purposes of behavior and mental processes

psychology

the scientific study of behavior and mental processes

evolutionary perspective

the theory focusing on the evolution of behavior and mental processes

psychodynamic thinking

the theory that most of what fills an individual's mind is unconscious and consists of conflicting impulses, urges, and wishes

social-learning theory

the theory that suggests that people have the ability to change their environments or to create new ones

cognitive perspective

the viewpoint that emphasizes the role of thought processes in determining behavior

psychological constructs

theoretical entitiies, or concepts, that enable one to discuss something that cannot be seen, touched, or measured directly

introspection

an examination of one's own thoughts and feelings

behaviorism

the school of psychology, founded by John Watson, that defines psychology as the scientific study of observable behavior

sociocultural perspective

in psychology, the perspective that focuses on the roles of ethnicity, gender, culture, and socioeconomic status in personality formation, behavior, and mental processes

learning perspective

the psychological point of view that emphasizes the effects of experience on behavior

humanistic perspective

the psychological view that assumes the existence of the self and emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and the freedom to make choices

psychoanalysis

the school of psychology, founded by Sigmund Freud, that emphasizes the importance of unconscious motives and conflicts as determinants of human behavior

structuralism

the school of psychology, founded by Wilhem Wundt, that maintains that conscious experience breaks down into objective sensations and subjective feelings