Key Terms
- American Psychological Association (APA)
-
professional organization representing psychologists in the United States
- behaviorism
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focus on observing and controlling behavior
- biopsychology
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study of how biology influences behavior
- biopsychosocial model
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perspective that asserts that biology, psychology, and social factors interact to determine an individual’s health
- clinical psychology
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area of psychology that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders and other problematic patterns of behavior
- cognitive psychology
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study of cognitions, or thoughts, and their relationship to experiences and actions
- counseling psychology
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area of psychology that focuses on improving emotional, social, vocational, and other aspects of the lives of psychologically healthy individuals
- developmental psychology
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scientific study of development across a lifespan
- dissertation
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long research paper about research that was conducted as a part of the candidate’s doctoral training
- empirical method
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method for acquiring knowledge based on observation, including experimentation, rather than a method based only on forms of logical argument or previous authorities
- forensic psychology
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area of psychology that applies the science and practice of psychology to issues within and related to the justice system
- functionalism
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focused on how mental activities helped an organism adapt to its environment
- humanism
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perspective within psychology that emphasizes the potential for good that is innate to all humans
- introspection
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process by which someone examines their own conscious experience in an attempt to break it into its component parts
- ology
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suffix that denotes “scientific study of”
- personality psychology
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study of patterns of thoughts and behaviors that make each individual unique
- personality trait
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consistent pattern of thought and behavior
- PhD
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(doctor of philosophy) doctoral degree conferred in many disciplinary perspectives housed in a traditional college of liberal arts and sciences
- postdoctoral training program
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allows young scientists to further develop their research programs and broaden their research skills under the supervision of other professionals in the field
- psychoanalytic theory
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focus on the role of the unconscious in affecting conscious behavior
- psychology
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scientific study of the mind and behavior
- PsyD
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(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
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area of psychology that focuses on the interactions between mental and emotional factors and physical performance in sports, exercise, and other activities
- structuralism
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understanding the conscious experience through introspection