Applied Research - answer-scientific study that aims to solve practical problems.
Basic Research - answer-pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base.
Behavioral Psychology - answer-the scientific study of observable behavior, and its explanation by
principles of learning.
Behaviorism - answer-the view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies
behavior without reference to mental processes. Most research psychologists today agree with (1)
but not with (2).
Biological Psychology - answer-a branch of psychology that studies the links between biological
(including neuroscience and behavior genetics) and psychological processes.
Biopsychosocial Approach - answer-an integrated approach that incorporates biological,
psychological, and social-cultural levels of analysis.
Clinical Psychology - answer-a branch of psychology that studies, assesses, and treats people with
psychological disorders.
Cognitive Neuroscience - answer-the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition
(including perception, thinking, memory, and language).
Cognitive Psychology - answer-the scientific study of all the mental activities associated with
thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating.
Community Psychology - answer-a branch of psychology that studies how people interact with their
social environments and how social institutions affect individuals and groups.
Counseling Psychology - answer-a branch of psychology that assists people with problems in living
(often related to school, work, or marriage) and in achieving greater well-being.
Developmental Psychology - answer-the scientific study of physical, cognitive, and social change
throughout the life span.
Educational Psychology - answer-the study of how psychological processes affect and can enhance
teaching and learning.
Empiricism - answer-the view that knowledge originates in experience and that science should,
therefore, rely on observation and experimentation.
Evolutionary Psychology - answer-the study of the roots of behavior and mental processes using the
principles of natural selection.
Experimental Psychology - answer-the study of behavior and thinking using the experimental
method.
Functionalism - answer-a school of psychology that focused on how our mental and behavioral
processes function--how they enable us to adapt, survive, and flourish.