Intro to Psych MT1 Study Guid

• William James: Considered to be the father of American psychology. "The greatest revolution of our generation is the discovery that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of heir minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.
• Who is considered the father of American Psychology?

  William James
• The quote “the greatest revolution of our generations, the discovery that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds can change the outer aspects of their lives,” what stated by whom?

  William James. The statement suggests that humans have the power to transform their external circumstances by altering their internal perspectives and attitudes. Puts emphasis on the impact that one's mindset and mental outlook can have on shaping their experiences and surroundings. Overall, personal growth and self-awareness can influence outcomes in our life.
• What are the latin roots of the word psychology?

  Psyche refers to the soul and Logo means to study
• What is the definition of psychology?

  Psychology is the “scientific study of the mind and behavior.”
• Define mind-private:

  Inner experience of perceptions, thoughts, memories, and feelings and ever-flowing stream of consciousness
• Define Behavior-Public:

  Observable actions of humans beings and nonhuman animals
• What is Philosophical Dualism?

  Philosophical Dualism is a concept that is derived from Rene Descartes. It defines the body and mind (soul) as fundamentally different things. Where the body is made up of material substance and the mind is made of an immaterial or spiritual substance.
• Ghost in the Machine


  A term derived from philosophical dualism  to describe how every person is a “physical container of a nonphysical thing”
• Philosophical Materialism


  A term derived from Thoams Hobbes. Defined the view that all mental phenomena are reducible to physical phenomena. Indicating that the mind and body are not different, because the mind is what the brain does. Therefore, all mental phenomena are the result of some physical activity in the physical brain.
• Philosophical Realism

  A term established by John Locke. The view that perceptions of the physical world are produced entirely by formation from the sensory organs. According to philosophical realism, light bounces off page, hits the eyes, and the brain uses all of that information plus other information to produce the perceptions of the book.
• Philosophical Empiricism

  A term established by Aristotle. Defines all knowledge to be acquired through experience. Under this definition, a newborn baby is considered to be a “Tabula Rasa” or a “Black Slate”.
• Philosophical Nativism

  A term derived from Plato. Defined as the view that some knowledge is innate rather than acquired.
• Nature vs. Nurture

  A debate that centers on the contributions of genetics and environmental factors to human philosophers. For instance, philosophers such as Plato and Descartes believed that certain factors are inborn or occur naturally regardless of environmental influence.
• The quote “psychology has a long past, but a short history” was stated by whom?

  Ebbinghaus
• The quote “it seems to me that perhaps the time has come for psychology to begin to be a science…I am going on to study what is already known and perhaps may be able to do some work at it. Helmhotz and a man called Wundt at Heidelberg are working on it, and I hope I live through this winter to go to them in the summer.” was said by whom.

  William James. Quote reflects on the sense of urgency and excitement for the advancement of psychology as a science.
• What is Structuralism?

  An approach to psychology that attempts to isolate and analyze the mind’s basic attempts. Structuralism breaks down consciousness into elements; for example, sensation and feelings.
• What is introspection?

  A method of structuralism. Introspection serves as an analysis of subjective experience by trained observation. For example, presenting a color and asking the observer to describe the “raw experience.” The cons of this method are that there is no way to determine accuracy, and the method is not valid or reliable.
• The quote “introspection was like seizing a spinning top to catch its motion. Subjective experience was less like a molecule made of atoms and more like a river-a ‘stream of consciousness’ and that trying to isolate its basic elements was a losing proposition.” was stated by whom?

  William James. This concept of “stream of consciousness” was stated in his work “The Principles of Psychology.” Here, James argues against the structuralist approach, advocating for a more holistic understanding of consciousness as a continuous flow rather than a collection of discrete elements.
• What is functionalism?

  Functionalism is the study of how mental processes enable people to adapt to their environments. Functionalism focuses on understanding the functions behind mental processes. Functionalism was inspired by Charles Darwin and natural selection.
• The quote”the features of an organism that help it survive and reproduce are more likely than other features to be passed onto subsequent generations,” was stated by whom?

  Charles Darwin on natural selection. 
• Why does depression and anxiety continue to exist according to Charles Darwin theory of natural selection?

  Depression and anxiety might have had adaptive function in ancestral environments. Further, traits like depression and anxiety can be influenced by environmental factors such as stress, trauma or social experiences. There are also traits that predispose individuals to depression or anxiety might have positive effects in other areas of life. For instance, heightened sensitivity to social cues might facilitate empathy and social bonding.
• The quote “the ultimate function of all psychological processes must be to help people survive and reproduce and Psychology’s mission should be to find out exactly how different psychological processes execute that function,” was stated by whom?

  William James and the mission of psychology. By the 1920s, Functionalism was the dominant approach to psychology in North America.
• What is psychoanalysis?

  As described by the phrase “the mind does not know itself,” suggests that the conscious mind may not fully comprehend its own workings, motivations or underlying conflicts. Psychoanalysis posts that many aspects of human behavior and experience are driven by unconsciousness processes of which individuals may not be aware. The role of the clinician in psychoanalysis is to help patients explore and understand these unconscious dynamics in order to achieve psychological healing and personal growth.
• What role do Experiment psychologists play?

  Focus on studying the mind through controlled experiments and empirical research. They seek to understand mental processes, behaviors and their underlying mechanisms through objective observation and measurement. Their aim is to uncover general principles of human cognition and behavior.
• What is the role of Clinical psychologists in psychoanalysis?

  Clinicians are primarily concerned with healing the mind.They delve into the unconscious mind and aim to resolve conflicts, traumas and psychological issues through talk therapy and interpretation of unconscious processes.
• What is hysteria?

  A loss of function that has no physical origin
• What Is Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalytic theory?

  Focuses on the unconscious as the part of the mind that operates outside of conscious awareness but influences conscious thoughts, feelings and actions. According to this theory, hysteria results from repressed memories in the unconscious related primarily to childhood trauma. The theory emphasizes the importance of unconscious mental processes in shaping feelings, thoughts and behaviors.
• Psychoanalysis as it pertains to making the unconscious, conscious:

  By making unconscious elements conscious, individuals explore how human behavior is driven by unconscious thoughts, feelings and desires. Through conscious awareness of hidden aspects of their psyche, such as repressed memories, fear and desires. By making these unconscious elements conscious, individuals can gain insight into the underlying causes of their system and conflicts. As pertaining to dream analysis. Dreams contain valuable clues about a person’s inner conflicts and desires.
• Psychoanalysis as it pertains to dreams

  According to Freud,dreams are the road to the unconscious and contain valuable clues about a person’s inner conflicts and desires. In psychoanalysis, dreams are analyzed to uncover hidden meanings and symbols, which may shed light on unresolved issues or repressed emotions. Dream analysis can help individuals gain insight into their unconscious motivations and fears, leading to greater self-understanding and psychological growth.
• Psychoanalysis as it pertains to free association.

  In free association, individuals are encouraged to freely express their thoughts, feelings and associations without censorship or judgment. By allowing the mind to wander without constraint, unconscious thoughts and feelings can surface more easily. The therapists may observe patterns in the individuals association and use them to explore underlying conflicts or themes. Free association facilitates the uncovering of unconscious material and promotes insight and self-awareness.
• Why is psychoanalysis considered controversial?

  Considered controversial because it was developed in isolation from experimental psychologists. William James felt Freud’s theories of psychoanalysis were nonsense.
• Who is John Broadus Watson?

  An american psychologist, Watson studied the behavior of laboratory rats and proposed that humans could be studied in the same way. He believes that psychology should be the scientific study of the relationship between stimuli and responses.
• What did John Broadus Watson believe were the requirements to couple Psychology with the sciences?

  According to Watson, for psychology to be a science, that focus should be on what people do rather than what they claim to think and feel. 
• What is behaviorism?

  An approach to psychology that restricts scientific inquiry and observable behavior?
• Why was Watson impressed by Ivan Pavlov?

  Watson was impressed by Pavlov because Pavlov demonstrated Stimulus-response associations between a tone and salivation in dogs.
• Who said “the goal of psychological study is the ascertaining of such data and laws that, given the stimulus

  Watson on Psychology being a scientific study of the relationship between stimuli and responses.
• John B. Watson stated: "give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and I’ll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select — doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant-chief and, yes, even beggar-man and thief, regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race of his ancestors"
• Who was B.F. skinner?

  B.F. Skinner was an American psychologist and behaviorist. Believed that in the real world, animals act on their environment. Developed the skinner box. Experiments supported the principle of reinforcement, where any behavior that is rewarded will be repeated and any behavior that isn’t won’t.
• What was the Skinner Box Experiment?

  Experiment conducted by B.F. Skinner When a rat’s behavior produced food, it would repeat the behavior.