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I.

What is Psychology?
A. Psychologys Roots
1. Questions a) Who are we? b) What produces our thoughts? c) Our feelings? d) Actions? e) Understand and Manage people around us? 2. Psychological Science is Born a) To be human is to be curious about the world around us. b) First Experiment
(1) University of Leipzig (2) Press Key When Sound is Made

c) Growth of Psychology most were men d) Margaret Flow Washburn


(1) First woman to receive PHD

e) Psychology is not easily defined.


(1) The science of mental life.

f) Introspection
(1) focusing on inner sensations, images, and feelings

g) 1920s to 1960s
(1) Redefined Psychology
(a) The scientific study of behavior (b) Behaviorists

(2) Humanistic psychology

(a) historically significant perspective that emphasized the growth potential of healthy people and the individuals potential for personal growth. (b) rebelled against both behaviorism and Freudian psychology. i) (c) the view hat psychology should be an objective science that studies behavior without reference to mental processes.

emphasized the importance of current environmental influences on our growth potential and the importance of having our needs for love and acceptance satisfied.

(3) Cognitive revolution


(a) Cognitive neuroscience i) The study of brain activity linked with mental activity

(4) Psychology
(a) science of behavior and mental processes

(5) Behavior
(a) Anything an organism does

(6) Mental Processes


(a) subjective experiences

B. Contemporary Psychology
1. Psychologys Biggest Question a) What is psychologys historic big issue?
(1) nature-nurture issue
(a) the controversy over the relative contributions of biology and experience to the development of our traits and behaviors

(2) Nature works on what nature endows

2. Psychologys Three Main Levels of Analysis a) What are psychologys levels of analysis and related perspectives?
(1) Levels of analysis
(a) the differing complementary views, from biological to psychological to social0cultural for analyzing any given phenomenon

(2) Biopsychosocial approach


(a) an integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological and socialcultural levels of analysis

(3) Different levels of analysis


(a) neuroscience i) How the body and brain enable emotions, memories and sensory experiences

(b) evolutionary i) (c) How the natural selection of traits promoted the survival of genes

psychodynamic i) How behavior springs from unconscious drives and conflicts

(d) behavioral i) (e) How we learn observable responses

cognitive i) How we encode, process, store, and retrieve information

(f)

social-cultural i) How behavior and thinking vary across situations and cultures

3. Psychologys Subfields a) What are some of psychologys subfields?


(1) Basic research
(a) pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base.

(2) Applied Research


(a) scientific study that aims to solve practical problems

(3) Counseling psychologists


(a) a branch of psychology that assists people with problems in living and in achieving greater well-being

(4) Clinical Psychology


(a) a branch of psychology that studies, assesses and treats people with psychological disorders

(5) Psychiatry
(a) a branch of medicine dealing with psychological disorders; practice by physicians who sometimes provide medical treatments as well as psychological therapy.

II. Why Do Psychology?


A. What About Intuition and Common Sense?

1. Did We Know It All Along? Hindsight Bias a) Hindsight Bias


(1) the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that we would have foreseen it.

2. Overconfidence a) We think were the bomb.

B. The Scientific Attitude


1. To believe with certainty, we must begin by doubting Polish Proverb

C. Critical Thinking
1. thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions.

III. How Do Psychologists Ask and Answer Questions?


A. The Scientific Method
1. Theory a) an explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes observations and predicts behaviors or events 2. Hypothesis a) A testable prediction, often implied by a theory 3. Operational definition a) a statement of the procedures (operations) used to define research variables 4. Replication

a) repeating the essence of a research study, usually with different participants in different situations, to see whether the basic finding extends to other participants and circumstances. 5. Case Study a) an observation technique in which one person is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles

B. Description
1. The Case Study a) Examines one individual in depth in the hope of revealing things true of us all.
(1) Sometimes misleading

2. The Survey a) Survey


(1) a technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a particular group, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of the group

b) Population
(1) all the cases in a group being studied, from which samples may be drawn

c) Random Sample
(1) a sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion

d) Naturalistic Observation
(1) observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation

3. Wording Effects a) Word choice fucks with peoples brain and choices

C. Correlation

1. the extent to which two factors vary together, and thus of how well either factor predicts the other. The correlation coefficient is the mathematical expression of the relationship, ranging from -1 to +1

D. Illusory Correlation
1. the perception of a relationship where none exists

E. Perceiving Order in Random Events


1. Sometimes weird stuff happens, its still random

F. Experimentation
1. Isolate Cause and Effects 2. Experiment a) a research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factors to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process. By random assignment of participants, the experimenter aims to control other relevant factors 3. Random Assignment a) assigning participants to experimental and control groups by chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between those assigned to the different groups 4. Experimental Group a) in an experiment, the group that is exposed to the treatment, that is, to one version of the independent variable 5. Control Group

a) in an experiment, the group that is not exposed to the treatment; contrasts with the experimental group and serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment 6. Double-Blind Procedure a) an experimental procedure in which both the research participants and the research staff are ignorant about whether the research participants have received the treatment or a placebo. Commonly used in drugevaluation studies. 7. Placebo a) experimental results caused by expectations alone; any effect on behavior caused by the administration of an inert substance or condition which the recipient assumes is an active agent

G. Independent and Dependent Variables


1. Independent Variable a) the experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied 2. Dependent Variable a) the outcome factor; the variable that may change in response to manipulations of the independent variable.

H. Comparing Research Methods


1. Descriptive a) to observe and record behavior 2. Correlational a) to detect naturally occurring relationships; to assess how well one variable predicts another 3. Experimental

a) to explore cause and effect

IV. Frequently Asked Questions About Psychology


A. Can laboratory experiments illuminate everyday life?
1. Psychologists look more for general principles than with specific behavior

B. Does behavior depend on ones culture and gender?


1. Culture a) the enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next 2. Lots of differences, but still one big human family

C. Why do psychologists study animas, and is it ethical to experiment on animals?


1. Theyre interesting 2. Probably not

D. Is it ethical to experiment on people?


1. There is an ethical guide, so dont worry

E. Is Psychology free of value judgements?


1. not value free. 2. Knowledge is tricky business

V. Tips for Studying Psychology


A. Survey B. Question

C. Read D. Rehearse E. Review F. Distribute your study time G. Learn to think critically H. Listen Actively I. Overlearn J. Be a smart test-taker

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