Bachelor of Arts in Psychology: Exploring Theories and Concepts 1 Flashcards

Which psychologist is best known for developing the theory of operant conditioning?

Answer: B.F. Skinner

B.F. Skinner developed operant conditioning, which describes how behavior is shaped by its consequences, including reinforcement and punishment.

What is the term for the process by which the unconscious mind pushes unwanted thoughts or memories out of conscious awareness?

Answer: Repression

Repression is a Freudian defense mechanism in which distressing thoughts or feelings are kept out of conscious awareness to reduce anxiety.

Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development proposes how many stages across the lifespan?

Answer: 8

Erikson proposed 8 stages of psychosocial development, each characterized by a central conflict that must be resolved for healthy psychological growth.

Which research method allows psychologists to establish cause-and-effect relationships between variables?

Answer: Experiment

Experiments allow researchers to manipulate an independent variable and measure its effect on a dependent variable, enabling cause-and-effect conclusions.

According to Albert Bandura's social learning theory, children learn aggressive behavior primarily through:

Answer: Observational learning and modeling

Bandura's Bobo doll experiments demonstrated that children learn and imitate aggressive behaviors by observing models, a process called observational learning or modeling.

Which branch of psychology focuses on understanding how mental processes such as memory, perception, and problem-solving work?

Answer: Cognitive psychology

Cognitive psychology studies internal mental processes, including how people perceive, think, remember, and solve problems, in contrast to behaviorism's focus on observable actions.