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behavior  Everything we do that can be directly observed. p. 6
behavioral approach  Emphasizes the scientific study of behavior and asserts that behavior is shaped by the environment. p. 9
behavioral neuroscience approach  Views understanding the brain and nervous system as central to understanding behavior, thought, and emotion. p. 12
cognitive approach  Focuses on the mental processes involved in knowing: how we direct our attention, perceive, remember, think, and solve problems. p. 12
critical thinking  The process of thinking reflectively and productively, as well as evaluating evidence. p. 364
evolutionary psychology approach  Emphasizes the importance of functional purpose and adaptation in explaining why behaviors are formed, are modified, and survive. p. 13
functionalism  An early school of psychology that emphasized the interaction between the mind and the outside environment. p. 8
humanistic movement  An emphasis on a person's capacity for personal growth, freedom to choose a destiny, and positive qualities. p. 17
mental processes  The thoughts, feelings, and motives that each of us experiences privately but that cannot be observed directly. p. 6
natural selection  The principle that the organisms that are best adapted to their environment are the most likely to survive, reproduce, and pass on their genes to their offspring. p. 7
positive psychology movement  A strong emphasis on the experiences that people value subjectively (such as happiness), positive individual. p. 16
psychodynamic approach  Emphasizes the unconscious aspects of the mind, conflict between biological instincts and society's demands, and early family experiences. p. 11
psychology  The scientific study of behavior and mental processes. p. 5
science  In psychology, the use of systematic methods to observe, describe, predict, and explain behavior. p. 6
social cognitive theory  States that behavior, environment, and person/cognitive factors are important in understanding personality. p. 487
sociocultural approach  Emphasizes social and cultural influences on behavior. p. 15
structuralism  An early school of psychology that attempted to discover basic elements (structures) of the human mind. p. 8







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