Psychology Core Concepts Exam Questions
And Answers
Psychology
The science of behavior and mental processes
Three ways of doing psychology
Experimental pschology, teachers of psychology and applied psychology
Experimental Psychology
The study of behavior and thinking using the experimental method.
Applied Psychology
The branch of psychology concerned with everyday, practical human problems
Psychiatry
A medical specialty dealing eith the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders
Pseudo Psychology
Erroneous assertations or practices set forth as being scientific psychology
Anecdotal Evidence
Evidence based on personal accounts of incidents
Emotional Bias
The tendency to make judgements based on attitudes and feelings rather than on the basis of a
rational analysis of evidence
Confirmation Bias
A tendency to search for information that confirms one's preconceptions
Psychology's 6 Main Perspectives
Biological, cognitive, behavioral, whole-person, developmental and sociocultural
Biological Perspective (Descartes)
the psychological perspective that emphasizes the influence of biology on behavior
Neuroscience
The field devoted to understanding how the brain creates thoughts, feelings, motives, consciousness,
memories, and other mental processes
Evolutionary Psychology
The study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection.
, Structuralism (Wundt)
The analysis of the basic elements that constitute the mind
Functionalism (James)
concerned with how an organism uses it perceptual abilities to adapt to its environment
Cognitive Perspective (Wundt and James)
Modern perspective that focuses on memory, intelligence, perception, problem solving, and learning.
Behaviorism (Watson and Skinner)
the science of behavior that focuses on observable behavior only
Whole-person Perspective
Group of psychological perspectives that take a global view of the person (psychodynamic, humanistic
and trait and tempermant)
Behavioral Perspective
A psychological viewpoint that finds the source of our actions in environmental stimuli, rather than in
inner mental processes
Psychodynamic Perspective
How behavior springs from unconscious drives and conflicts
Psychoanalysis (Freud)
the root of all psychological problems are unconscious conflicts
Humanistic Psychology
Emphasizes the human ability, growth, potential and free will
Trait and Temperament Psychology
Views behavior and personality as the products of enduring psychological charachteristics
Developmental Perspective
Based on nature vs nurture and on predictable changes that occur accross a lifespan
Sociocultural Perspective
Emphasizes the importance of social inferaction, social learning, and culture in explaining human
behavior
Scientific Method
A logical, systematic approach to the solution of a scientific problem
Empirical Investigation
An approach to research that relies on sensory experience and observation as research data.
And Answers
Psychology
The science of behavior and mental processes
Three ways of doing psychology
Experimental pschology, teachers of psychology and applied psychology
Experimental Psychology
The study of behavior and thinking using the experimental method.
Applied Psychology
The branch of psychology concerned with everyday, practical human problems
Psychiatry
A medical specialty dealing eith the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders
Pseudo Psychology
Erroneous assertations or practices set forth as being scientific psychology
Anecdotal Evidence
Evidence based on personal accounts of incidents
Emotional Bias
The tendency to make judgements based on attitudes and feelings rather than on the basis of a
rational analysis of evidence
Confirmation Bias
A tendency to search for information that confirms one's preconceptions
Psychology's 6 Main Perspectives
Biological, cognitive, behavioral, whole-person, developmental and sociocultural
Biological Perspective (Descartes)
the psychological perspective that emphasizes the influence of biology on behavior
Neuroscience
The field devoted to understanding how the brain creates thoughts, feelings, motives, consciousness,
memories, and other mental processes
Evolutionary Psychology
The study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection.
, Structuralism (Wundt)
The analysis of the basic elements that constitute the mind
Functionalism (James)
concerned with how an organism uses it perceptual abilities to adapt to its environment
Cognitive Perspective (Wundt and James)
Modern perspective that focuses on memory, intelligence, perception, problem solving, and learning.
Behaviorism (Watson and Skinner)
the science of behavior that focuses on observable behavior only
Whole-person Perspective
Group of psychological perspectives that take a global view of the person (psychodynamic, humanistic
and trait and tempermant)
Behavioral Perspective
A psychological viewpoint that finds the source of our actions in environmental stimuli, rather than in
inner mental processes
Psychodynamic Perspective
How behavior springs from unconscious drives and conflicts
Psychoanalysis (Freud)
the root of all psychological problems are unconscious conflicts
Humanistic Psychology
Emphasizes the human ability, growth, potential and free will
Trait and Temperament Psychology
Views behavior and personality as the products of enduring psychological charachteristics
Developmental Perspective
Based on nature vs nurture and on predictable changes that occur accross a lifespan
Sociocultural Perspective
Emphasizes the importance of social inferaction, social learning, and culture in explaining human
behavior
Scientific Method
A logical, systematic approach to the solution of a scientific problem
Empirical Investigation
An approach to research that relies on sensory experience and observation as research data.
