#separator:tab #html:false #tags column:4 Psychology The scientific study of behavior and mental processes psychology-intro-terms Wilhelm Wundt Founded the first psychology lab in 1879 in Leipzig psychology-intro-terms William James American pioneer who wrote Principles of Psychology psychology-intro-terms Sigmund Freud Founder of psychoanalysis; emphasized the unconscious psychology-intro-terms B.F. Skinner Behaviorist known for operant conditioning psychology-intro-terms Ivan Pavlov Discovered classical conditioning with dogs psychology-intro-terms Jean Piaget Described stages of cognitive development in children psychology-intro-terms Lev Vygotsky Stressed the role of social interaction in learning psychology-intro-terms Carl Rogers Humanistic psychologist who emphasized acceptance and growth psychology-intro-terms Abraham Maslow Proposed a hierarchy of human needs psychology-intro-terms Behaviorism Approach that studies observable behavior psychology-intro-terms Cognitive psychology Study of thinking, memory and problem solving psychology-intro-terms Humanistic psychology Approach focused on personal growth and potential psychology-intro-terms Neuroscience Study of the brain and nervous system psychology-intro-terms Neuron A nerve cell that sends signals psychology-intro-terms Synapse The gap where neurons communicate psychology-intro-terms Neurotransmitter Chemical messenger between neurons, like dopamine psychology-intro-terms Brain stem Controls basic life functions like breathing psychology-intro-terms Cerebellum Helps with balance and coordination psychology-intro-terms Cerebral cortex Outer layer of the brain involved in thinking psychology-intro-terms Frontal lobe Involved in planning and decision-making psychology-intro-terms Hippocampus Brain region important for forming new memories psychology-intro-terms Amygdala Brain region involved in emotion, especially fear psychology-intro-terms Nature vs nurture Debate about how much genes versus experience shape behavior psychology-intro-terms Hypothesis A testable prediction psychology-intro-terms Experiment A study that changes one variable to see its effect psychology-intro-terms Independent variable The factor the researcher changes psychology-intro-terms Dependent variable The outcome that is measured psychology-intro-terms Control group Group that does not receive the treatment, for comparison psychology-intro-terms Correlation A relationship between two variables psychology-intro-terms Placebo A harmless treatment with no active ingredient psychology-intro-terms Random sample A sample chosen by chance psychology-intro-terms Sensation Detecting stimuli with the senses psychology-intro-terms Perception Interpreting sensory information psychology-intro-terms Attention Focusing mental resources on something psychology-intro-terms Consciousness Awareness of yourself and your surroundings psychology-intro-terms REM sleep Sleep stage with rapid eye movement and vivid dreams psychology-intro-terms Circadian rhythm The body's roughly 24-hour clock psychology-intro-terms Classical conditioning Learning by linking two stimuli psychology-intro-terms Operant conditioning Learning from the consequences of behavior psychology-intro-terms Reinforcement Something that increases a behavior psychology-intro-terms Punishment Something that decreases a behavior psychology-intro-terms Observational learning Learning by watching others, studied by Albert Bandura psychology-intro-terms Memory The process of storing and retrieving information psychology-intro-terms Encoding Putting information into memory psychology-intro-terms Storage Keeping information over time psychology-intro-terms Retrieval Getting information out of memory psychology-intro-terms Short-term memory Holds a small amount of information briefly psychology-intro-terms Working memory Mental workspace for handling information psychology-intro-terms Long-term memory Lasting storage of knowledge and experiences psychology-intro-terms Forgetting curve Hermann Ebbinghaus's finding that memory fades quickly without review psychology-intro-terms Spaced practice Studying over time rather than all at once psychology-intro-terms Mnemonic A memory aid psychology-intro-terms Cognition Mental activities like thinking and knowing psychology-intro-terms Heuristic A mental shortcut for making decisions psychology-intro-terms Bias A systematic error in thinking psychology-intro-terms Intelligence Ability to learn, reason and adapt psychology-intro-terms Developmental psychology Study of how people change across life psychology-intro-terms Attachment Emotional bond between a child and caregiver psychology-intro-terms Erikson's stages Eight stages of psychosocial development across life psychology-intro-terms Adolescence Period of development between childhood and adulthood psychology-intro-terms Emotion A feeling with physical, mental and behavioral parts psychology-intro-terms Motivation The drive to act toward goals psychology-intro-terms Maslow's hierarchy Needs from basic (food, safety) to love, esteem and self-actualization psychology-intro-terms Personality Lasting patterns of thinking, feeling and acting psychology-intro-terms Big Five Openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism psychology-intro-terms Stress Response to demands or threats psychology-intro-terms Coping Ways of managing stress psychology-intro-terms Psychological disorder A pattern of thoughts or behaviors that causes distress or difficulty psychology-intro-terms Therapy Treatment to help with mental health concerns psychology-intro-terms Social psychology Study of how people influence each other psychology-intro-terms Conformity Changing behavior to match a group psychology-intro-terms Bystander effect People are less likely to help when others are present psychology-intro-terms Cognitive dissonance Discomfort from conflicting beliefs or actions psychology-intro-terms Stereotype Overgeneralized belief about a group psychology-intro-terms Prejudice Negative attitude toward a group psychology-intro-terms Altruism Helping others without expecting rewards psychology-intro-terms Growth mindset Belief that abilities can grow with effort psychology-intro-terms