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1.3: Key Terms

  • Page ID
    188161

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    American Psychological Association (APA)
    professional organization representing psychologists in the United States
    behaviorism
    focus on observing and controlling behavior
    biopsychology
    study of how biology influences behavior
    biopsychosocial model
    perspective that asserts that biology, psychology, and social factors interact to determine an individual’s health
    clinical psychology
    area of psychology that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders and other problematic patterns of behavior
    cognitive psychology
    study of cognitions, or thoughts, and their relationship to experiences and actions
    counseling psychology
    area of psychology that focuses on improving emotional, social, vocational, and other aspects of the lives of psychologically healthy individuals
    developmental psychology
    scientific study of development across a lifespan
    dissertation
    long research paper about research that was conducted as a part of the candidate’s doctoral training
    ecological
    an approach that focuses on the transactions between individuals and social systems, the system's relationships with other systems, and the balance of social structures and processes that allow individuals to engage with different systems
    empirical method
    method for acquiring knowledge based on observation, including experimentation, rather than a method based only on forms of logical argument or previous authorities
    ethnocultural
    the culture shared and transmitted amongst an ethnic group with common ancestry and history.  Ethnocultural socialization impacts everyone regardless of whether an individual claims or is aware of an active ethnic identity. 
    forensic psychology
    area of psychology that applies the science and practice of psychology to issues within and related to the justice system
    functionalism
    focused on how mental activities helped an organism adapt to its environment
    humanism
    perspective within psychology that emphasizes the potential for good that is innate to all humans
    intersectionality
    theoretical approach that examines how systems of oppression and privilege interact. 
    introspection
    process by which someone examines their own conscious experience in an attempt to break it into its component parts
    minoritized
    a term used in place of minority (noun) to highlight the social oppression that minoritizes individuals. The term minoritized uses active voice to reveal the system of social oppression that is often rendered unseen through the use of passive voice within the term minority.
    ology
    suffix that denotes “scientific study of”
    personality psychology
    study of patterns of thoughts and behaviors that make each individual unique
    personality trait
    consistent pattern of thought and behavior
    PhD
    (doctor of philosophy) doctoral degree conferred in many disciplinary perspectives housed in a traditional college of liberal arts and sciences
    postdoctoral training program
    allows programs and broaden their research skills under the supervision of other professionals in the field
    psychoanalytic theory
    focus on the role of the unconscious in affecting conscious behavior
    psychology
    scientific study of the mind and behavior
    PsyD
    (doctor of psychology) doctoral degree that places less emphasis on research-oriented skills and focuses more on application of psychological principles in the clinical context
    sport and exercise psychology
    area of psychology that focuses on the interactions between mental and emotional factors and physical performance in sports, exercise, and other activities
    structuralism
    understanding the conscious experience through introspection
    Note

    Brandeis University has an easy to use list of social justice definitions. 


    This page titled 1.3: Key Terms is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Jennifer Ounjian.

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