Chapter 1: The Science Of Psychology

What is Psychology? What is Psychology? What do psychologists do? How have psychologists affected our lives?

What is Psychology?

What is Psychology? Psychology: the scientific study of behavior and mental processes Scientific study: utilizes the scientific method Behavior: observable events Mental processes: thoughts, feelings, and perceptions Psychology’s goal is to describe, predict, explain, and control (or change) behavior

iRespond Question F Multiple Choice D382FDF2-2786-634D-8A43-B07A2DE9AD4E Dr. Amani is interested in investigating why women are more able to correctly interpret emotional expressions than are men. He is most interested in the scientific goal of _____. A.) explanation B.) prediction Answer is A: explanation C.) description D.) control E.)

The Biological Approach Focuses on the brain, nervous system, and other biological functions Genetics, heredity, and evolution Instincts Hormones and neurotransmitters

The Behavioral Approach John B. Watson, B. F. Skinner Scientific study of observable behavioral responses and their environmental determinants Patterns of reward and punishment

The Psychodynamic Approach Sigmund Freud Emphasizes unconscious thoughts Conflict between biological drives and the demands of society Early childhood experiences are especially important

The Humanistic Approach Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow All individuals have an inborn drive to grow, develop, and be fulfilled Emphasis on free will Unconditional positive regard Conditions of worth

The Cognitive Approach Focuses on how people think, understand, and know about the world Brain is viewed as a problem-solving supercomputer Our behavior is affected by how we process information

The Evolutionary Approach Uses evolutionary principles (adaptation, reproduction, and natural selection) to explain human behaviors Aggression Fear Mating patterns

The Sociocultural Approach Examines the influences of society and culture on behavior Compares behavior across countries Compares group differences within a country

Seven Contemporary Approaches Industrial-Organizational Community Personality Forensic Social Health Sensation and Perception Clinical and Counseling Motivation and Emotion Learning Cognitive Behavioral Neuroscience Developmental Sport

Seven Contemporary Approaches You are studying alcoholism. What kinds of questions would researchers from each perspective be interested in asking? Biological Behavioral Psychodynamic Humanistic Cognitive Evolutionary Sociocultural

The Scientific Method Five steps: Observing some phenomenon Formulating hypotheses and predictions Testing through empirical research Drawing conclusions Evaluating conclusions

The Scientific Method Variable: anything that can change Theory: a broad explanation or prediction about the topic of interest Must be falsifiable Hypothesis: a prediction that is stated in a way that allows it to be tested Operational definition: the translation of a hypothesis into specific, testable procedures Ex: helping behavior

Types of Research: Descriptive Naturalistic observation: behavior is observed in its natural environment, with no interference Advantages: natural, spontaneous behavior Disadvantages: researcher has no control

Types of Research: Descriptive Surveys: a representative sample of people are asked questions about various topics Advantages: quick and inexpensive Disadvantages: Sample may not be representative Bias may skew results People may not respond honestly

Types of Research: Descriptive Case study: behavior of one person or a group of people is studied in-depth Advantages: Provides detailed, descriptive information Useful for forming hypotheses Disadvantages: May not apply to other people / groups Time consuming and expensive Researcher bias

D6EBD51C-BA2C-3F48-AD1D-E74F484BD48E iRespond Question F Multiple Choice Dr.Okawa is interested in studying the effect that neurological trauma can have on short-term memory. First, he collects detailed information from a small number of individuals who have experienced brain damage. Then, using information provided by medical records, interviews, and observations, Dr. Okawa attempts to create an in-depth portrait of each individual. What type of research method was used in this study? D6EBD51C-BA2C-3F48-AD1D-E74F484BD48E A.) Case study B.) Naturalistic observation C.) Experimental method E.) D.) Survey

Types of Research: Correlation The relationship between two variables is examined to determine if they are associated Correlation coefficient (+1 to -1) tells us the strength and the direction of the relationship Positive: varies together Negative: varies opposite Larger relationship closer to 1

Types of Research: Correlation

Types of Research: Correlation Correlation does not equal causation!

Types of Research: Experimental Treatment: manipulation used by an experimenter Experimental group: group that receives treatment manipulation Control group: group that does not receive treatment manipulation Independent variable: the variable being manipulated Dependent variable: the variable being measured Random assignment

Research Ethics Experiments must follow APA guidelines Protection of participants from physical and mental harm Right of participants to privacy Assurance that participation in research is completely voluntary IRB (independent research board) approves all experiments Informed consent Debriefing Deception?