Why take notes? *Write it  Notes and classwork will NOT ALWAYS be graded, but will be sometimes  ~So expect it so you are not surprised!  Tests will be open-note= the better your notes, the better you can do on your tests  Note-taking is a good skill to have!

Today: What is Psych? Baby don’t hurt me

Based on what you know…  How would you define psychology?

Typical Guesses *Study only to help those with Mental illness *People who need help: “How does that make you feel?”

Okay okay.  So what IS psychology REALLY  And what do REAL psychologists do?

Psychology – according to the book…  Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes  We can trace psychology way back to philosophy

What do they want to know?  How ordinary people learn, remember, solve problems, perceive, feel, and get along with others  Therefore they are going to study commonplace, everyday things

Interesting BECAUSE  It’s kind of saying your behavior isn’t really YOURS – it’s a result of other factors at play  It’s saying we want to understand WHY and then be able to prove it

Why does it matter? Why should you study it?  Don’t want to study psychology in the future?  It’s ok- this class will still matter to you  You will:  Become a more informed person  Help you understand yourself better  Analyze your own behavior –control it  Help you on the job  Ex. Welfare caseworker, rehab counselor, doctor, police officer, waiter, receptionists, politicians, even magicians! …etc.  Insight into political issues- crime, discrimination...  Become a critical thinker! –make better decisions, don’t just do what you are told!

It’s based on scientific research and empirical evidence  Evidence gathered by careful observation, experimentation, & measurement  It’s MORE than just popular opinion  It’s MORE than just common sense  What makes it more? It’s PROVEN.

Theory  An organized system of ASSUMPTIONS and principles that ATTEMPTS to explain a specified SET of phenomena and their interrelationships.  It makes assumptions/rules based off the grey areas between evidence  Theories are NOT proven, because they cannot be tested or reliable in all cases.  Ex. Darwin’s theory of evolution: cannot prove this fully. It may make sense to some, but it is not PROVEN!  Problems: Missing link between humans and apes

“Psychobabble”  It confirms our prejudice and existing beliefs  Psych challenges them  Astrology & Psychics  Can these be proven? No =Psuedo-science  Like psychologists- try to explain people’s problems and predict behavior *½ of Americans and Canadians believe in it

Thinking Critically  8 Guides  Ask Questions/be willing to wonder  Define your Terms  Examine Evidence  Analyze Assumptions and Bias  Avoid Emotional Reasoning  Don’t Oversimplify  Consider other Interpretations  Tolerate Uncertainty

Group Notes  Get into a small group, fill out the chart. Use pages You may wish to split up the guides and answer what they are and then fill the last two columns together.  We will be sharing these in class so fill everything out. Your examples are to be DIFFERENT from those in the book.  Simplify answers, you may use extra paper for big handwriting.  Example of what I am looking for:  Guide: Questioning, What is it: Asking what you want to know/wonder, Helping Critical thinking: Guide finding answers- should be able to answer to find overall answer, Example: (What you are thinking critically about- you are wondering how far back you can remember) –Can I recall events from my childhood? Are memories all accurate? Is there a way I can find out if what I remember is true?...