CSS Psychology Foundations of Psychology Syllabus

Foundations of Psychology syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Foundations of Psychology in CSS Psychology, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Nature and Scope of Psychology

   5 topics

   • Definition and Scope of Psychology
   • Psychology as a Science
   • Schools of Psychology
   • Perspectives and Models
   • Recent Trends in Psychology
2. 2

   Biological Basis of Behaviour

   5 topics

   • Nervous System: Organisation and Function
   • Neuron and Its Function
   • Central Nervous System
   • Peripheral Nervous System
   • Endocrine System and Glands
3. 3

   Research Methods in Psychology

   5 topics

   • Experimental Method
   • Observation and Survey Methods
   • Case Study and Correlational Method
   • Variables, Sampling and Control
   • Ethics in Psychological Research

Foundations of Psychology flashcards for CSS Psychology

25 of 51 cards from the Foundations of Psychology deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is the literal/etymological meaning of the word 'psychology'?

   It derives from the Greek words 'psyche' (soul/mind) and 'logos' (study/science), meaning the 'study of the soul or mind'.

2. What is the modern definition of psychology?

   Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

3. Trace the four historical shifts in how psychology was defined.

   Study of the soul, then study of the mind, then study of consciousness, and finally the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

4. What does the 'scope' of psychology include?

   It covers pure (theoretical) fields like general, abnormal, social, developmental, and experimental psychology, and applied fields like clinical, counseling, educational, industrial, and forensic psychology.

5. Who is regarded as the father of modern (scientific) psychology, and what did he establish?

   Wilhelm Wundt, who founded the first psychology laboratory in Leipzig, Germany, in 1879.

6. What four goals make psychology a science?

   To describe, explain, predict, and control (influence) behavior and mental processes.

7. What characteristics qualify psychology as a science?

   It uses empirical evidence, objectivity, systematic observation, the scientific method, replicability, and produces testable, falsifiable theories.

8. Define empiricism in the context of psychology as a science.

   Empiricism is the view that knowledge should be gained through systematic observation and experimentation rather than reasoning or intuition alone.

9. What is Structuralism and who founded it?

   Founded by Wilhelm Wundt and Edward Titchener, structuralism sought to break consciousness into its basic elements using introspection.

10. What is introspection as a method?

    A technique used by structuralists in which trained subjects report their own conscious experiences and sensations in response to stimuli.

11. What is Functionalism and who is its key proponent?

    Founded by William James, functionalism studied the function or purpose of consciousness and behavior in helping organisms adapt to their environment.

12. What is the central idea of Behaviorism and who founded it?

    Founded by John B. Watson, behaviorism holds that psychology should study only observable behavior, not the unobservable mind.

13. What did B.F. Skinner contribute to behaviorism?

    He developed operant conditioning, showing that behavior is shaped by its consequences (reinforcement and punishment).

14. What is Gestalt psychology's core principle?

    Founded by Wertheimer, Koffka, and Kohler, it holds that 'the whole is greater than the sum of its parts' and that we perceive organized wholes rather than isolated elements.

15. What is Psychoanalysis and who founded it?

    Founded by Sigmund Freud, psychoanalysis emphasizes unconscious motives, early childhood experiences, and inner conflicts in shaping behavior.

16. According to Freud, what are the three components of personality?

    The id (pleasure principle), the ego (reality principle), and the superego (morality principle).

17. What does the Biological (Neuroscience) perspective emphasize?

    It explains behavior in terms of the brain, nervous system, genetics, hormones, and other physiological processes.

18. What does the Cognitive perspective focus on?

    It studies internal mental processes such as perception, memory, thinking, problem-solving, language, and decision-making.

19. What is the focus of the Humanistic perspective and who are its main figures?

    Emphasizing free will, personal growth, and self-actualization, its main figures are Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers.

20. What does the Behavioral perspective emphasize?

    It emphasizes learning through environmental conditioning (classical and operant) and observable responses.

21. What does the Sociocultural perspective emphasize?

    It examines how culture, society, ethnicity, and social context shape behavior and mental processes.

22. What does the Evolutionary perspective propose?

    It explains behavior as the product of natural selection, with adaptive traits that aided survival and reproduction being passed on.

23. Name three recent trends or branches in modern psychology.

    Positive psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and health psychology (others include forensic, sports, and environmental psychology).

24. What is positive psychology and who is associated with it?

    Associated with Martin Seligman, it studies human strengths, well-being, happiness, and optimal functioning rather than only mental illness.

25. What is the biopsychosocial model?

    A modern integrative model that explains behavior as the combined product of biological, psychological, and social/cultural factors.

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