Essential Psychology Concepts & Thinkers
Classified in Psychology and Sociology
Written on in English with a size of 5.67 KB
Psychology
- Definition: The scientific study of mind and behavior.
- Pioneer: Wilhelm Wundt
- Key Work: Principles of Physiological Psychology (book)
Consciousness
- Definition: A person's subjective experience of the world and the mind.
Structuralism
- Definition: The analysis of the basic elements that constitute the mind.
Behavior
- Definition: Observable actions of a human or animal.
Philosophers
- Approach: Do not draw conclusions or seek truth by examining observable events (*empiricism*) but rather by using *rationalism*—drawing conclusions by reasoning and logic.
Nativism
- Pioneer: Plato
- Definition: The philosophical view that certain kinds of knowledge are innate or inherent.
Philosophical Empiricism
- Pioneer: Aristotle
- Core Idea: All knowledge is acquired through experience; the mind is a blank slate at birth.
Phrenology
- Pioneer: Franz Joseph Gall
- Definition: A discredited theory proposing that specific mental abilities and characteristics, ranging from memory to the capacity for happiness, are localized in specific regions of the brain.
Physiology
- Definition: The study of biological processes, especially in the human body.
Functionalism
- Pioneer: William James
- Definition: The study of how mental processes enable people to adapt to their environments.
Natural Selection
- Pioneer: Charles Darwin
- Core Idea: Features that help an organism survive are more likely to be passed on to subsequent generations.
Sigmund Freud
- Key Idea: Believed that patients' psychological problems could often be traced back to unresolved childhood trauma.
Psychoanalysis
- Definition: A therapeutic approach focused on bringing unconscious material into conscious awareness to better understand psychological behavior.
Humanistic Psychology
- Pioneers: Abraham Maslow & Carl Rogers
- Definition: An approach to understanding human nature that emphasizes the positive potential of human beings, asserting that human beings are at the center of all reality.
Abraham Maslow
- Key Concept: Self-actualization—the realization or fulfillment of one's talents and potentialities, especially considered as a drive or need present in everyone.
- Hierarchy of Needs (simplified):
- Physiological (food, water)
- Safety
- Love & Belonging
- Esteem
- Self-Actualization
Carl Rogers
- Key Concept: Self-disclosure—the idea that answers to problems are often found within oneself.
Evolutionary Psychology
- Definition: Explains mind and behavior in terms of the adaptive value of abilities that are preserved over time by natural selection. Functions change over time to aid survival.
Cultural Psychology
- Definition: The study of how cultures reflect and shape the psychological processes of their members, including personalities, belief systems, and personal values.
Absolutism (in Cultural Psychology)
- Definition: The view that culture has no influence on psychological phenomena.
Relativism (in Cultural Psychology)
- Definition: The view that culture has a significant influence on psychological phenomena.
Cognitive Psychology
- Definition: The scientific study of mental processes, including perception, thought, memory, and reasoning.
Critical Thinking
- Definition: The objective analysis and evaluation of information to form a judgment; using one's mind effectively.
Replicate
- Definition: To repeat an experiment or study to confirm its results or to ensure reliability.
Empiricism
- Definition: The belief that accurate knowledge can be acquired through observation and experience.
Survey
- Definition: A data collection tool used to gather information about individuals, often through questionnaires or interviews.
Case Study
- Definition: An in-depth investigation of a single individual, group, or event, often starting with a small unit and then potentially informing broader research.
B.F. Skinner
- Key Idea: Associated with operant conditioning and the concept of reinforcing behavior; actions that are rewarded are more likely to be repeated.
Scientific Method
- Definition: A systematic procedure for finding truth by using empirical evidence (observations) and logical reasoning.
Naturalistic Observation
- Definition: Gathering scientific information by observing people or animals in their natural environment without intervention.