Methods Domain Part One
Development of psychology
Definition: The study of behaviors and cognitive activities Look at it like a math problem: Thoughts + Actions = Psychology
Psychology is a social AND a natural science. Deals with the structure of human society and the people in society Examples History Political Science Sociology Concerned with the nature of the physical world; conduct research Examples Biology Chemistry Physics
Ancient Greece A quick video on why this part is important! Socrates and Plato (400 BC – 350 BC) Motto: know thyself Introspection~ looking within Hippocrates (400 BC) Ancient physician Believed confusion and madness were caused by brain abnormalities
Middle Ages Any problems meant a person was possessed
Modern Science Modern psychology began in the 1800s Became a lab science in 1879 William Wundt / Structuralism Conscious experiences are stressed Looks at both objective (sights and sounds) and subjective (feelings and thoughts)
William James / Functionalism How thoughts help us adapt Successful actions are repeated and eventually become habits John Watson / Behaviorism Observable behavior only
BF Skinner / Reinforcement Rewarded behaviors will be repeated Max Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka, and Wolfgang Kohler / Gestalt Perceptions of an item are more than the sum of its parts
Sigmund Freud / Psychoanalysis Emphasizes unconscious motives and internal conflicts Id = basic drives Ego = reality principle Superego = moral principle Biography
Careers in psychology
All Psychologists: Are interested in behavior Believe research is important Say something is true ONLY when proven
Psychiatrists Are medical doctors (MDs) who have gone through medical school and simply specialized in psychiatric treatment Prescribe medications
Types of Psychologists Clinical: the largest group, evaluate problems through interviews and tests; treat psychological disorders Counseling: use interviews and tests; deal with adjustment problems School: identify and help students who have problems that interfere with learning
Educational: focus on course planning and instructional methods Developmental: study changes through a life span (physical, emotional, cognitive, and social) Personality: identify characteristics and traits Social: concerned with people’s behavior in social situations Health: look at how mental processes and behavior are related to one’s health
Experimental: conduct research Industrial & Organizational: focus on people and work Environmental: look at how people influence and are influenced by their surroundings Consumer: explain and predict a shopper’s behavior Forensic: work with the criminal justice system
Contemporary perspectives
Something described as contemporary is new A perspective is a view of a topic We’re going to make a visual aid to help us remember these. Begin by tracing your hand on a piece of paper.
Biological: the influence of our bodies on our behavior; especially focus on the brain This is your pinky finger—just like the cartoon Pinky and the Brain! Cognitive: emphasizes one’s thoughts in determining behavior; looks at the various ways we process information When we’re thinking, sometimes we point to our temple, so this is your pointer finger.
Humanistic: stresses our capacity for self- awareness and self-fulfillment; we “invent” ourselves Place your hand, palm down, on the desk. Lift all your fingers. It’s most difficult to lift our ring finger. This reflects we’re all human, and have to work hard to reach our potential.
Psychoanalytic: our unconscious influences behavior; focus on conscious choice and self direction This is our thumb. If you point your thumb behind you, it’s towards your past experiences. Learning: the effect of experience on behavior How do we know what the middle finger means? We learned it!
Socio-cultural: includes issues of ethnicity, gender, culture, and socio-economic background If we stretched out our arms and gave ourselves a big hug, we are accepting our differences. This is represented by our palm. Evolutionary: organisms survive and transmit adaptive genes to future generations Draw a 6th finger to represent future changes.
Research strategies & statistics
Goals of Psychology Observe: look at what’s happening Describe: explain your observations Explain: why did this happen Predict: what made this happen Control: decide when to let it happen again Try it out!
Steps of Scientific Research Form a Research Question Form a Hypothesis Test the Hypothesis Analyze the Results Draw Conclusions Replicate
Population Target population: the whole group to study Sample: a part of the target population Random: done by chance Stratified: proportional to the whole population
Analysis Look at the correlation (a measurement of the relationship between two variables) Positive Correlation: as one factor goes up, so does the other Negative Correlation: as one factor goes down, so does the other
Ethical issues
Definition Standards for proper and responsible behavior
Standards of the APA APA: American Psychological Association Confidentiality: records are private Informed Consent: participants must know what they’re involved in Deception: psychologists may lie when it’s for the best and not too serious
Psychologists must be objective when analyzing data; they cannot ignore the results They can harm animals if there are no other options and it’s for the best