Psychological Perspectives
What is the Psychodynamic Perspective focused on?
The unconscious mind, childhood experiences, and internal conflicts.
Function of the Frontal Lobe
Decision-making, planning, judgment, personality, and impulse control.
Define Classical Conditioning
Learning through association (Pavlov)
What is a disorder?
A pattern of thoughts/behaviors/emotions that cause distress or impairment.
What is a hypothesis?
A testable prediction.
Main idea of the Behavioral Perspective
Behavior is learned through conditioning (rewards, punishments, associations).
What is neuroplasticity?
The brain’s ability to change, adapt, and reorganize.
Operant Conditioning involves…
Learning through consequences: reinforcement & punishment (Skinner).
Symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Excessive worry, restlessness, fatigue, concentration problems.
Independent vs. Dependent variable
Independent: What the researcher manipulates
Dependent: What is measured
Cognitive Perspective focuses on…
Thinking, memory, problem-solving, and interpretation of situations.
Role of the amygdala
Emotional processing, especially fear and aggression.
Positive vs. Negative Reinforcement difference
Positive: Add something to increase behavior
Negative: Remove something to increase behavior
Difference between compulsion and obsession
Obsession: Intrusive, unwanted thought
Compulsion: Repetitive behavior performed to reduce anxiety
Naturalistic observation definition
Observing behavior in a natural environment without interference.
Humanistic Perspective key belief
Humans strive for growth, potential, free will, and self-actualization.
Function of neurotransmitters
Chemical messengers that send signals between neurons.
What is extinction?
When a conditioned response decreases because reinforcement or association stops.
Treatment associated with Freud
Psychoanalysis (free association, dream interpretation).
Why use random assignment?
To reduce bias and increase validity by giving all participants equal chance of being in any group.
Biological Perspective explains behavior through…
Brain structures, genetics, neurotransmitters, hormones, and the nervous system.
What is the corpus callosum responsible for?
Connecting the left and right hemispheres, allowing communication between them.
Example of shaping
Reinforcing small steps toward a final behavior (training a dog step-by-step)
Purpose of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Change unwanted thoughts and behaviors; challenge distorted thinking.
Main purpose of ethical guidelines in psychology
Protect participants from harm, ensure informed consent, privacy, and voluntary participation.