2026 | Study Guide,
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, behavioral psychology Definition: A perspective that focuses on observable behavior and how learning and
the environment shape it. Example/Application: A psychologist studies how rewards
increase a student's study habits.
behaviorism Definition: The view that psychology should scientifically study observable behavior,
especially behavior learned through conditioning. Example/Application: Explaining a
fear as something learned through past associations.
biological psychology Definition: The study of how the brain, nervous system, hormones, genetics, and
other biological processes influence behavior and mental processes.
Example/Application: Studying how brain activity relates to memory.
biopsychosocial approach Definition: An approach that explains behavior using biological, psychological, and
social-cultural factors together. Example/Application: Depression might be studied
through genetics, thought patterns, and social support.
cognitive psychology Definition: The study of mental processes such as thinking, memory, perception,
language, and problem solving. Example/Application: Studying how people
remember a list of words.
evolutionary psychology Definition: A perspective that explains behavior and mental processes in terms of
adaptations shaped by natural selection. Example/Application: Studying why
humans may quickly notice possible threats.
humanistic psychology Definition: A perspective emphasizing free will, personal growth, meaning, and
reaching one's potential. Example/Application: A therapist focuses on a person's
goals and self-development.
psychodynamic psychology Definition: A perspective emphasizing unconscious thoughts and conflicts, often
shaped by early childhood experiences. Example/Application: Explaining an adult
fear partly through unresolved childhood experiences.
psychology Definition: The scientific study of behavior and mental processes.
Example/Application: Psychologists use research to study topics such as learning,
emotion, memory, and social behavior.
social psychology Definition: The study of how other people and social situations influence thoughts,
feelings, and behavior. Example/Application: Studying why someone conforms to a
group's opinion.
social-cultural psychology Definition: A perspective that examines how social situations and cultural
expectations influence behavior and mental processes. Example/Application:
Comparing how different cultures define appropriate eye contact.
confirmation bias Definition: The tendency to seek, notice, and remember information that supports
existing beliefs while ignoring conflicting evidence. Example/Application: Someone
who thinks a class is unfair notices only the grades that seem to prove it.