Explore Psychology Fundamentals Quiz

Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. It examines how people think, feel, and act, both individually and in groups. This includes emotions, perception, learning, memory, motivation, and personality. Psychology is broader than brain anatomy or social interaction alone and integrates biological, cognitive, and social factors to understand human experience.

Cognition refers to mental processes involved in acquiring knowledge and understanding. This includes thinking, reasoning, problem-solving, memory, attention, and decision-making. Cognitive psychology focuses on how information is processed, stored, and retrieved by the mind rather than emotional or purely behavioral responses.

Psychoanalysis, developed by Sigmund Freud, emphasizes the role of unconscious thoughts, desires, and conflicts in shaping behavior. This perspective suggests that unresolved childhood experiences and hidden motives influence personality and mental health. It differs from behaviorism, which focuses only on observable behavior.

The behavioral perspective focuses on observable behavior rather than internal mental states. It emphasizes how behaviors are learned through conditioning, reinforcement, and punishment. Psychologists like B.F. Skinner believed behavior could be scientifically studied by examining responses to environmental stimuli.

Reinforcement is any consequence that increases the likelihood of a behavior occurring again. Positive reinforcement adds a desirable stimulus, while negative reinforcement removes an unpleasant one. Reinforcement strengthens behavior, whereas punishment aims to reduce it.

A case study involves an in-depth examination of one individual or a small group. This method is useful for studying rare conditions or complex psychological phenomena. While it provides detailed information, results may not be generalizable to larger populations.

Ivan Pavlov discovered classical conditioning through experiments with dogs. He showed that learning can occur by associating a neutral stimulus with a naturally occurring stimulus. Pavlov’s work demonstrated how behaviors can be learned through repeated associations, forming the foundation for behaviorist theories in psychology.

Neurons are the basic structural and functional units of the nervous system. They transmit information through electrical and chemical signals. Neurons consist of dendrites, a cell body, and an axon, allowing communication throughout the brain and body. All nervous system activity depends on neuron function.

A hypothesis is a testable prediction about the relationship between variables. It guides research by providing a clear statement that can be supported or rejected through experimentation. Hypotheses are based on theory, observation, or prior research and are essential to the scientific method.

The brainstem controls vital automatic functions such as breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure. It connects the brain to the spinal cord and is essential for survival. Damage to the brainstem can be life-threatening because it regulates basic physiological processes.