HPS 111 Deakin

The beginning of empirical psychology. The theory that through introspection, conscious experience of the mind can be broken down into simple components.

An approach which tries to understand a thought or behaviour in terms of it's adaptive qualities.

Opposed to structuralism. Thought that breaking things down into component pieces was impossible, that the whole was important.

Gestalt term which refers to the "whole" of a subjective conscious experience.

An attempt to bring unconscious desires to the surface, to explain behavior. Mental problems are caused by conflict between the different levels of the mind (from unconscious to conscious). Now seen as unscientific.

Stimulus/response. The theory that all behavior can be explained by whether it has been conditioned or not. Only interested in observable behaviors. This was the dominant school of thought in psychology for decades.

The theory that the way people think affects their behavior. Can also be changed. Includes memory, thought, attention etc. Best described using a computer analogy.

Studying the underlying brain to understand cognitive processes.

Understanding the social forces which affect behavior. For example, were the Nazis "evil" or did the social situation (authority etc) compel them to some extent?

The interplay between people (biology, habits, beliefs) which changes behavior. Related to social psychology.

Aims to understand the human condition or the aspects of being a human (hope, dreams, love, self etc.). Pioneered techniques for questioning people about this stuff.

A systematic way of thinking which requires evidence to form conclusions.

Not believing things without evidence, but also staying open to new ideas which are supported by evidence.

Observing and transcribing behaviour and then analyzing it.

A descriptive research study where the subjects are observed in their own environment without intervention.