Glossary
Biological (perspective)
A psychological perspective that examines the physiological and genetic bases of behavior, focusing on the brain, nervous system, hormones, and genetics.
Example:
A researcher studying depression from a biological perspective might investigate the role of neurotransmitter imbalances or genetic predispositions.
Biological Psychology (subfield)
A subfield of psychology that studies the relationship between biological processes and behavior, often focusing on the brain and nervous system.
Example:
A Biological Psychologist might research how specific brain regions are activated when someone experiences fear.
Biopsychosocial (perspective)
A holistic psychological perspective that integrates biological, psychological (cognitive, emotional, behavioral), and sociocultural factors to understand health and behavior.
Example:
Understanding why someone develops an eating disorder requires a biopsychosocial perspective, considering genetic predispositions, self-esteem issues, and societal pressures regarding body image.
Clinical Psychology
A subfield of psychology focused on the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders.
Example:
A Clinical Psychologist might work with a patient experiencing severe anxiety, using therapy and potentially medication management strategies.
Cognitive (perspective)
A psychological perspective that focuses on mental processes such as perception, memory, problem-solving, and language, and how they influence behavior.
Example:
When a student struggles with a complex math problem, a psychologist from the cognitive perspective might analyze their thought processes, memory strategies, and problem-solving approaches.
Cognitive Psychology (subfield)
A subfield of psychology that studies mental processes such as attention, memory, perception, language, problem-solving, and decision-making.
Example:
A Cognitive Psychologist might design experiments to understand how people remember faces or learn new languages.
Counseling Psychology
A subfield of psychology that helps individuals cope with everyday life challenges, improve personal and interpersonal functioning, and achieve greater well-being.
Example:
Someone struggling with career choices or relationship issues might seek guidance from a Counseling Psychologist.
Developmental Psychology
A subfield of psychology that studies how individuals grow and change physically, cognitively, and socially across the entire lifespan.
Example:
A Developmental Psychologist might research how language acquisition progresses from infancy through early childhood.
Early Behaviorism
A psychological perspective that emphasized the study of observable behavior and rejected the study of internal mental states.
Example:
A proponent of Early Behaviorism would argue that studying a student's test scores and study habits is more scientific than trying to understand their internal motivation or anxiety.
Educational Psychology
A subfield of psychology that studies how people learn and how to improve teaching methods and educational outcomes.
Example:
An Educational Psychologist might develop new strategies to help students with learning disabilities succeed in the classroom.
Evolutionary (perspective)
A psychological perspective that explains behavior and mental processes in terms of their adaptive value, shaped by natural selection over generations.
Example:
From an evolutionary perspective, the universal human tendency to form social groups might be explained by the survival advantages that cooperation offered our ancestors.
Experimental Psychology
A subfield of psychology that uses scientific methods to research fundamental psychological processes, often in laboratory settings.
Example:
An Experimental Psychologist might conduct a controlled study to determine the effects of sleep deprivation on reaction time.
Functionalism
An early school of psychology that focused on the purpose or function of mental processes and behaviors in adapting to the environment.
Example:
Instead of just identifying the components of memory, a functionalist would explore why we have memory and how it helps us survive, like remembering where food is stored or avoiding danger, demonstrating the functionalism of the mind.
Gestalt Psychology
A school of thought emphasizing that the mind organizes sensory information into meaningful wholes, and that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Example:
When you look at a series of still images rapidly, your brain perceives continuous motion, which is an example of Gestalt Psychology at work, as you see a movie, not just individual frames.
Humanistic
A psychological perspective that emphasizes human potential, free will, self-actualization, and the importance of personal growth.
Example:
A humanistic therapist would focus on helping a client identify their strengths and achieve their full potential, rather than dwelling on past traumas.
Industrial-Organizational Psychology
A subfield of psychology that applies psychological principles and research methods to the workplace to improve productivity and quality of work life.
Example:
An Industrial-Organizational Psychologist might design a new employee training program or develop strategies to boost team morale in a company.
Introspection
A research method used by structuralists where individuals report their own conscious thoughts and feelings in response to stimuli.
Example:
If asked to describe the taste of chocolate, using introspection would involve carefully noting every sensation, like sweetness, bitterness, and texture, as you experience it.
John Watson
An American psychologist who founded behaviorism, famously conducting the Little Albert experiment to demonstrate classical conditioning in humans.
Example:
John Watson believed that fears could be learned through association, as shown in his controversial experiment with Little Albert.
Little Albert experiment
A famous psychology experiment conducted by John Watson and Rosalie Rayner that demonstrated how emotional responses, specifically fear, could be classically conditioned in a human infant.
Example:
The Little Albert experiment showed that a baby could be made to fear a white rat after it was repeatedly paired with a loud, startling noise.
Personality Psychology
A subfield of psychology that studies characteristic patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that make each individual unique.
Example:
A Personality Psychologist might research why some people are consistently extroverted while others are introverted.
Positive Psychology
A subfield of psychology that focuses on human strengths, well-being, and flourishing, rather than solely on mental illness.
Example:
A Positive Psychologist might study the factors that contribute to happiness, resilience, and optimism in individuals.
Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic
A psychological perspective focusing on the influence of unconscious drives, conflicts, and early childhood experiences on behavior and personality.
Example:
A therapist using the psychoanalytic/psychodynamic approach might explore a client's recurring dreams or childhood memories to uncover hidden conflicts contributing to their current anxiety.
Psychometric Psychology
A subfield of psychology focused on the theory and technique of psychological measurement, including the design, administration, and interpretation of tests.
Example:
A Psychometric Psychologist would be involved in creating and validating a new standardized intelligence test to ensure its accuracy and fairness.
Self-actualization
The highest level of psychological development, according to Abraham Maslow, where an individual achieves their full potential and realizes their unique abilities.
Example:
A person who dedicates their life to creative expression and personal fulfillment, constantly striving to be the best version of themselves, is pursuing self-actualization.
Sigmund Freud
An Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for treating psychopathology through dialogue between a patient and a psychoanalyst.
Example:
Sigmund Freud proposed that our adult personality is largely shaped by unresolved conflicts from our early psychosexual stages of development.
Social Psychology
A subfield of psychology that studies how individuals' thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others.
Example:
A Social Psychologist might investigate why people conform to group pressure or how stereotypes influence our perceptions of others.
Sociocultural (perspective)
A psychological perspective that examines how social and cultural environments, including norms, values, and beliefs, influence behavior and mental processes.
Example:
A sociocultural perspective would explain why certain emotional expressions, like public displays of affection, are acceptable in some cultures but not others.
Structuralism
An early school of psychology that focused on breaking down mental processes into their most basic components or elements.
Example:
A structuralist might ask a person to describe their exact sensations when looking at an apple, trying to identify the pure elements of color, shape, and texture, rather than perceiving it as a whole apple.
Wilhelm Wundt
Considered the 'father of psychology,' he established the first psychology laboratory in Leipzig, Germany, and is associated with structuralism.
Example:
When studying the history of psychology, it's crucial to remember Wilhelm Wundt as the pioneer who moved psychology from philosophy to a scientific discipline.
William James
A prominent American psychologist and philosopher, known for establishing functionalism and writing the first psychology textbook, 'The Principles of Psychology.'
Example:
William James would have been fascinated by how our ability to learn new skills, like riding a bike, serves a practical purpose in our daily lives.