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CSS Psychology Foundations of Psychology Syllabus
The Foundations of Psychology syllabus for CSS Psychology in full: 3 chapters and 15 topics, every one listed below, plus 51 Foundations of Psychology flashcards with answers.
Foundations of Psychology syllabus: all 3 chapters
Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics.
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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
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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
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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
CSS Psychology Foundations of Psychology flashcards — 51 questions with answers
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'.
What is the modern definition of psychology?
Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.
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.
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.
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.
What four goals make psychology a science?
To describe, explain, predict, and control (influence) behavior and mental processes.
What characteristics qualify psychology as a science?
It uses empirical evidence, objectivity, systematic observation, the scientific method, replicability, and produces testable, falsifiable theories.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
What did B.F. Skinner contribute to behaviorism?
He developed operant conditioning, showing that behavior is shaped by its consequences (reinforcement and punishment).
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.
What is Psychoanalysis and who founded it?
Founded by Sigmund Freud, psychoanalysis emphasizes unconscious motives, early childhood experiences, and inner conflicts in shaping behavior.
According to Freud, what are the three components of personality?
The id (pleasure principle), the ego (reality principle), and the superego (morality principle).
What does the Biological (Neuroscience) perspective emphasize?
It explains behavior in terms of the brain, nervous system, genetics, hormones, and other physiological processes.
What does the Cognitive perspective focus on?
It studies internal mental processes such as perception, memory, thinking, problem-solving, language, and decision-making.
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.
What does the Behavioral perspective emphasize?
It emphasizes learning through environmental conditioning (classical and operant) and observable responses.
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What does the Sociocultural perspective emphasize?
It examines how culture, society, ethnicity, and social context shape behavior and mental processes.
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.
Name three recent trends or branches in modern psychology.
Positive psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and health psychology (others include forensic, sports, and environmental psychology).
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.
What is the biopsychosocial model?
A modern integrative model that explains behavior as the combined product of biological, psychological, and social/cultural factors.
What are the two main divisions of the human nervous system?
The Central Nervous System (CNS) and the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS).
What two structures make up the Central Nervous System?
The brain and the spinal cord.
What is the basic structural and functional unit of the nervous system?
The neuron (nerve cell).
What are the three main parts of a neuron?
The dendrites (receive signals), the cell body/soma (contains the nucleus), and the axon (transmits signals away).
What is the function of dendrites?
To receive incoming messages (signals) from other neurons and carry them toward the cell body.
What is the function of the axon?
To carry the nerve impulse away from the cell body toward other neurons, muscles, or glands.
What is the myelin sheath and its function?
A fatty insulating layer covering the axon that speeds up the transmission of the neural impulse.
Name the three functional types of neurons.
Sensory (afferent) neurons, motor (efferent) neurons, and interneurons (association neurons).
What is a synapse?
The tiny gap (junction) between two neurons across which a nerve impulse is transmitted via neurotransmitters.
What are neurotransmitters?
Chemical messengers released at the synapse that carry signals from one neuron to another across the synaptic gap.
What is the all-or-none principle (law) of neural firing?
A neuron either fires a full-strength action potential or does not fire at all; the strength of the stimulus does not change the size of the impulse.
What is an action potential?
A brief electrical impulse that travels down the axon when a neuron fires, caused by the movement of charged ions across the cell membrane.
What are the three major parts of the brain?
The hindbrain, the midbrain, and the forebrain.
What are the four lobes of the cerebral cortex and one function of each?
Frontal (reasoning/movement), parietal (touch/spatial sense), temporal (hearing), and occipital (vision).
What is the function of the cerebellum?
It coordinates voluntary movement, balance, posture, and muscle coordination.
What is the function of the hypothalamus?
It regulates basic drives such as hunger, thirst, body temperature, and sleep, and controls the endocrine system via the pituitary gland.
What is the role of the spinal cord?
It connects the brain to the rest of the body, carries sensory and motor signals, and controls reflex actions.
What are the two main divisions of the Peripheral Nervous System?
The somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system.
What does the somatic nervous system control?
It controls voluntary movements of skeletal muscles and transmits sensory information to the CNS.
What are the two branches of the autonomic nervous system and their roles?
The sympathetic branch (arouses the body for 'fight or flight') and the parasympathetic branch (calms the body and conserves energy).
What is the endocrine system?
A network of glands that secrete hormones directly into the bloodstream to regulate body functions.
Why is the pituitary gland called the 'master gland'?
Because its hormones control and regulate the activity of many other endocrine glands in the body.
What hormone does the adrenal gland release during stress, and what is its effect?
Adrenaline (epinephrine), which prepares the body for emergency 'fight or flight' by raising heart rate and energy.
What is the function of the thyroid gland?
It secretes thyroxine, which regulates the body's metabolism, growth, and energy levels.
What is the experimental method, and what are its two key variables?
A research method that establishes cause-and-effect by manipulating an independent variable and measuring its effect on a dependent variable while controlling other factors.
Distinguish naturalistic observation from the survey method.
Naturalistic observation records behavior as it occurs in its natural setting without interference, whereas the survey method gathers self-reported data from many people using questionnaires or interviews.
CSS Psychology Foundations of Psychology FAQ
What is in the CSS Psychology Foundations of Psychology syllabus?
CSS Psychology Foundations of Psychology is split into 3 chapters: Nature and Scope of Psychology, Biological Basis of Behaviour and Research Methods in Psychology. Together they contain 15 topics.
How many chapters are in CSS Psychology Foundations of Psychology?
3 chapters, containing 15 topics. The largest chapter is Nature and Scope of Psychology, with 5 topics.
Are there flashcards for CSS Psychology Foundations of Psychology?
Yes — a 51-card Foundations of Psychology deck, printed in full in the flashcards section of this page and available in the Examius app with spaced repetition. The free plan covers one exam of your choice, including its flashcards; Examius Pro, a one-time purchase, unlocks every other exam and deck.