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Unit 1
Introduction to Psychology
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Psychology | The scientific study of the behavior of individuals and their mental processes. |
Scientific Method | The set of procedures used for gathering and interpreting objective information in a way that minimizes error and yields dependable information. |
Structuralism | The study of the structure of the mind and behavior: The view that human behavior is simply a combination of simple elements and events. |
Functionalism | The examination of the functions of mind and behavior in an organism's interactions with the environment. |
Biological Perspective | The causes of behavior focuses on the study of the genes, the brain, the nervous system, and the endocrine system. |
Psychodynamic Perspective | Past events and motivational forces explain behavior. Actions are the result of inherited instincts, biological drives, and attempts to resolve conflicts between personal and societal needs. |
Behavioristic Perspective | Concerned with observable behavior that can be objectively recorded and the relationships between observable behaviorand evironmental stimuli. |
Humanistic Perspective | Emphasizes and individual's phenomenal world, and inherent capacity for making rational choices, and one's development to maximum potential. |
Cognitive Perspective | Stresses human thought and attending, thinking, remembering, expecting, solving problems, fantiasizing, and consciousness. |
Evolutionary Perspective | Stresses the importance of behavioral and mental adaptiveness that has evolved over millions of years. |
Cultural Perspective | Focuses on the cross-cultural differences in the causes and consequences of behavior. |