Behavior | Everything we do that can be directly observed.
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behavioral approach | A psychological perspective emphasizing the scientific study of observable behavioral responses and their environmental determinants.
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biological approach | A psychological perspective that examines behavior and mental processes through a focus on the body, especially the brain and nervous system.
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cognitive approach | A psychological perspective that focuses on the mental processes involved in knowing: how we direct our attention, perceive, remember, think, and solve problems.
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critical thinking | The process of thinking reflectively and productively, as well as evaluating evidence.
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evolutionary approach | A psychological perspective that uses evolutionary ideas such as adaptation, reproduction, and "survival of the fittest" as the basis for explaining specific human behaviors.
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Functionalism | An early school of psychology that was concerned with the functions and purposes of the mind and behavior in individuals' adaptation to the environment.
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humanistic approach | A psychological perspective that emphasizes a person’s positive qualities, capacity for positive growth, and the freedom to choose any destiny.
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mental processes | The thoughts, feelings, and motives that each of us experiences privately but that cannot be observed directly.
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natural selection | An evolutionary process that favors organisms' traits or characteristics that are best adapted to reproduce and survive.
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Neuroscience | The scientific study of the structure, function, development, genetics, and biochemistry of the nervous system.
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positive psychology movement | The push for a stronger emphasis on research involving the experiences that people value, the traits associated with optimal capacities for love and work, and positive group and civic values.
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psychodynamic approach | A psychological perspective emphasizing unconscious thought, the conflict between biological instincts and society's demands, and early family experiences.
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psychology | The scientific study of behavior and mental processes.
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Psychopathology | The study of mental illness.
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science | In psychology, the use of systematic methods to observe, describe, predict, and explain behavior.
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sociocultural approach | A psychological perspective that examines the ways in which the social and cultural environments influence behavior.
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Structuralism | An early school of psychology that attempted to identify the structures of the human mind.
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