Psychology Cheatsheet
Branches of Psychology
- Behavioral Psychology: study of observable behavior and its relationship to the environment.
- Cognitive Psychology: study of mental processes, such as attention, language use, perception, problem solving, memory, and thinking.
- Developmental Psychology: study of how people change and grow over time.
- Social Psychology: study of how people’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others.
- Clinical Psychology: diagnosis and treatment of mental illness.
- Educational Psychology: study of how people learn, including topics such as student outcomes, the instructional process, individual differences in learning, gifted learners, and learning disabilities.
Theories of Psychology
- Psychoanalytic Theory: unconscious thoughts and experiences shape behavior.
- Behaviorism: behavior is shaped by environment and experience, rather than innate factors or unconscious thoughts.
- Humanism: emphasizes the potential for good that is innate to all humans.
- Cognitive Theory: focuses on the role of mental processes in how people process information, develop language, solve problems, and think.
- Evolutionary Psychology: examines how human behaviors and tendencies have evolved over time.
- Biopsychology: looks at how biological processes influence behavior and mental processes.
Research Methods in Psychology
- Experimental Research: involves manipulating one variable to determine its effect on another variable.
- Correlational Research: examines the relationship between two or more variables without manipulating them.
- Case Studies: detailed analysis of a single person, group, or event.
- Survey Research: gathering information through questionnaires and surveys.
Common Psychological Disorders
- Depression: persistent sadness or loss of interest in activities.
- Anxiety Disorders: excessive worry, fear, or nervousness.
- Schizophrenia: a mental disorder characterized by abnormal social behavior and failure to recognize what is real.
- Bipolar Disorder: a mental illness characterized by periods of depression and periods of elevated mood.
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): a mental disorder characterized by uncontrollable, recurring thoughts and/or behaviors.
- Sigmund Freud: founder of psychoanalytic theory.
- B.F. Skinner: founder of behaviorism.
- Jean Piaget: developmental psychologist known for his theory of cognitive development in children.
- Carl Rogers: founder of humanistic psychology.
- Albert Bandura: social learning theorist known for his work on observational learning.
- Abraham Maslow: humanistic psychologist known for his theory of the hierarchy of needs.
Resources