Psyc 209 Chapter 1 Notes

developmental psychology

the study of how thought and behavior change and remain stable across the life span

Psychophysics

first scientific form of psychology

personality psychologists study

what makes people unique, ways that people's behavior stays the same over time, ways that peoples behavior stays the same in different situations

social psychologist

studies the impact of others on behavior and mental processes

cognitive psychologists

study the way people think, remember, and mentally organize information

gestalt psychologists believe

when it comes to perception, the whole is different from the sum of its parts

evolution

change over time in the frequency with which specific genes occur within a breeding species

shamans

medicine men and women who treat the possessed by coaxing and driving out the demons with elaborate rituals, such as exorcisms and prayers

psychology

scientific study of thought and behavior

critical thinking

process by which one analyzes, evaluates and forms ideas

clinical psychologists

treat serious mental illnesses