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