Schools of Psychology

A

Absolute Threshold

The point of sensitivity below which no sensation can be detected and above which sensation can be experienced is known as absolute threshold.

Act psychology

Brentano's system of psychology, which focused on mental activities (e.g., seeing) rather than on mental contents (e.g., that which is seen) is known as act psychology.

Analytical psychology

Jung's theory of personality is known as analytical psychology.

Anecdotal method

The use of observational reports about animal behaviour is known as anecdotal method.

Apperception

The process by which mental elements are organized is known as apperception.

Archetypes

Inherited tendencies within the collective unconscious that dispose a person to behave similarly to ancestors who confronted similar situations.

Associated reflexes

Reflexes that can be elicited not only by unconditioned stimuli but also by stimuli that have become associated with the unconditioned stimuli is known as associated reflexes.

Association

The notion that knowledge results from linking or associating simple ideas to form complex ideas is known as association.

Associative memory

An association between stimulus and response; taken to indicate evidence of consciousness in animals is known as associative memory.

B

Basic anxiety

Horney's conception of pervasive loneliness and helplessness, feelings that are the foundation of neuroses is known as basic anxiety.

Behaviour modification

The use of positive reinforcement to control or modify the behaviour of individual or groups is known as behaviour modification.

Behaviorism

Watson's science of behaviour, which dealt solely with observable behavioral acts that could be described in objective terms.

C

Catharsis

The process of reducing or eliminating a complex by recalling it to conscious awareness and allowing it to be expressed is known as catharsis.

Clinical method

Posthumous examination of brain structures to detect damaged areas assumed to be responsible for behavioral conditions that existed before the person died is known as clinical method.

Cognitive psychology

A system of psychology that focuses on the process of knowing, on how the mind actively organizes experiences is known as cognitive psychology.

Collective unconscious

The deepest level of the psyche; it contains inherited experiences of human and prehuman species is known as collective unconscious.

Conditioned reflexes

Reflexes that are conditional or dependent on the formation of an association or connection between stimulus and response are known as conditioned reflexes.

D

Defense mechanism

Behaviors that represent unconscious denials or distortions of reality but which are adopted to protect the ego against anxiety is known as defense mechanism.

Derived and innate ideas

Derived ideas are produced by the direct application of an external stimulus; innate ideas arise from the mind or consciousness, independent of sensory experiences or external stimuli are known as derived and innate ideas.

Determinism

The doctrine that acts are determined by past events is known as determinism.

Differential threshold

The point of sensitivity at which the least amount of change in the stimulus gives rise to the change in sensation is known as differential threshold.

Dream analysis

A psychotherapeutic technique involving interpreting dreams to uncover unconscious conflicts is known as dream analysis.

Dynamic psychology

Woodworth's system of psychology, which was concerned with the influence of causal factors and motivations on feelings and behaviours is known as dynamic psychology.

E

Ego

The rational aspects of personality responsible for controlling the instincts is known as ego.

Electrical stimulation

A technique for exploring the cerebral cortex with weak electric current to observe motor responses is known as electrical stimulation.

Empiricism

The pursuit of knowledge through the observation of nature and the attribution of all knowledge to experience is known as empiricism.

Equipotentiality

The idea that one part of the cerebral cortex is essentially equal to another in it's contribution to learning is known as equipotentiality.

Extirpation

A technique for determining the function of a given part of an animal's brain by removing or destroying it and observing the resulting behaviour changes is known as extirpation.

F

Field theory

Lewin's system using the concept of fields of force to explain behaviour in terms of one's field of social influences is known as field theory.

Fields of force

Regions or spaces traversed by lines of force, such as of a magnet or electric current is known as fields of force.

Free association

A psychotherapeutic technique in which the patient says whatever comes to mind is known as free association.

Freudian slip

An act of forgetting or a lapse in speech that reflects unconscious motives or anxieties is known as freudian slip.

Functionalism

A system of psychology concerned with the mind as it is used in an organism's adaptation to its environment is known as functionalism.

G

Gestalt psychology

A system of psychology that focuses largely on learning and perception, suggesting that combining sensory elements produces new patterns with properties that did not exist in the individual elements is known as gestalt psychology.

H

Habit strength

The strength of the stimulus response connection, which is a function of the number of reinforcements is known as habit strength.

Historiography

The principles, methods and philosophical issues of historical research is known as historiography.

Humanistic psychology

A system of psychology that emphasizes the study of conscious experience and the wholeness of human nature is known as humanistic psychology.

Hypothetico-deductive method

Hull's method for establishing postulates from which experimentally testable conclusions can be deduced is known as hypothetico-deductive method.

I

Id

The source of psychic energy and the aspect of personality allied with the instincts is known as id.

Imageless thought

Kulpe's idea that meaning in the thought can occur without any sensory or imaginal component is known as imageless thought.

Individual psychology

Adler's theory of personality; it incorporates social as well as biological factors is known as individual psychology.

Inferiority complex

A condition that develops when a person is unable to compensate for normal inferiority feelings is known as inferiority complex.

Insight

Immediate apprehension or cognition is known as insight.

J

Just noticeable difference

The smallest difference that can be detected between two physical stimuli is known as just noticeable difference.

L

Law of acquisition

The strength of an operant behaviour is increased when it is followed by the presentation of a reinforcing stimulus is known as law of acquisition.

Law of effect

Acts that produce satisfaction in a given situation become associated with that situation; when the situation recurs, the act is likely to occur is known as Law of effect.

Law of exercise

The more an act or response is used in a given situation, the more strongly the act becomes associated with that situation is known as law of exercise.

Law of mass action

The efficiency of learning is a function of the total mass of cortical tissue is known as law of mass action.

Law of parsimony (Lloyd Morgan's canon)

The notion that animal behaviour must not be attributed to a higher mental processes when it can be explained in terms of a lower mental process is known as law of parsimony.

N

Naturalistic theory

The view that progress and change in scientific history are attributable to the Zeitgeist, which make a culture receptive to some ideas but not to other is known as naturalistic theory.

Nonsense syllables

Syllables presented in the meaningless series to study memory processes is known as nonsense syllables.

O

Oedipus complex

At ages 4 to 5, the unconscious desire of the boy for his mother and the desire to replace or destroy his father is known as oedipus complex.

Operant conditioning

A learning situation that involves behaviours emitted by an organism rather than elicited by a detectable stimulus is known as operant conditioning.

Operationism

The doctrine that a physical concept can be defined in precise terms related to the set of operations or procedures by which it is determined is known as operationism.

P

Perceptual constancy

A quality of wholeness or completeness in perceptual experience that does not vary even when the sensory elements change is known as perceptual constancy.

Personal unconscious

The reservoir of material that once was conscious but has been forgotten or suppressed is known as personal unconscious.

Personalistic theory

The view that progress and change in scientific history are attributable to the ideas of unique individuals is known as personalistic theory.

Phenomenology

Stumpf's introspective method that experience as it occurred and did not try to reduce experience to elementary components is known as phenomenology. Also, an approach to knowledge based on an unbiased description of immediate experience as it occurs, not analyzed or reduced to elements.

Phi phenomenon

The illusion that two stationary flashing lights are moving from one place to another is known as phi phenomenon.

R

Recapitulation theory

Hall's idea that the psychological development of children repeats the history of the human race is known as recapitulation theory.

Reductionism

The doctrine that explains phenomena on one level (such as complex ideas) in terms of phenomena on another level (such as simple ideas) is known as reductionism.

Reflex action theory

The idea that an external object (a stimulus) can bring about an involuntary response is known as reflex action theory.

Reflex arc

The connection between the sensory stimuli and motor responses is known as reflex arc.

Reinforcement

Something that increases the likelihood of response is known as reinforcement.

S

Self-actualization

The full development of one's abilities and the realization of one's potential is known as self-actualization.

Self-efficacy

One's sense of sense-esteem and competence in dealing with life's problems is known as self-efficacy.

Simple and complex ideas

Simple ideas are elemental ideas that arise from sensation and reflection; complex ideas are derived ideas that are compounded of simple ideas and thus can be analyzed or reduced to their simple components is known as simple and complex ideas.

Social interest

Adler's conception of an innate potential to cooperate with other people to achieve personal and societal goals is known as social interest.

Stimulus error

Confusing the mental process under study with the stimulus or object being observed is known as stimulus error.

T

Transference

The process by which a patient respond to the therapist as if the therapist were a significant person (such as parent) in the patients life is known as transference.

Trial-and error learning

Learning based on the repetition of response tendencies that lead to success is known as trial-and error learning.

Tridimensional theory of feelings

Wundt's explanation for feelings states based on three dimension: pleasure/displeasure, tension/relaxation, and excitement/depression is known as tridimensional theory of feelings.

Tropism

An involuntary forced movement is known as tropism.

Two-point threshold

The threshold at which two points of stimulation can be distinguished as such is known as two-point threshold.

V

Variability hypothesis

The notion that men show a wider range and variation of physical and mental development than women; the abilities of women are seen as more average is known as variability hypothesis.

Vicarious reinforcement

Bandura's notion that learning can occur by observing the behaviour of other people, and the consequences of their behaviour, rather than by always experiencing reinforcement personality is known as vicarious reinforcement.

Voluntarism

The idea that the mind has the capacity to organize mental contents into higher-level thought processes is known as voluntarism

Z

Zeigarnik effect

The tendency to recall uncompleted tasks more easily than completed tasks is known as Zeigarnik effect.

Zeitgeist

The intellectual and cultural climate or spirit of the times is known as Zeitgeist.