Psychology Unit 1 Chapters 1 & 2

Goals of Psychology Observe behavior Describe behavior Explain behavior Predict behavior Control behavior

Areas of specialization Clinical- largest group, treat psy. Problems Counseling- treat adjustment problems School- deal with students who have problems that interfere with learning Educational- focus on course planning and instructional methods Personality – identify characteristics or traits

Social- concerned with people’s behavior in social situations Experimental- conduct research into basic processes Industrial/Organizational- focus on people in work or business Environmental- ways in which people influence and are influenced physical environment

Consumer- study behavior of shoppers Forensic- concerned with how psy. problems give rise to criminal behavior Health- study ways in which behavior and mental processes are related to physical health

Wilhelm Wundt Father of modern Psychology First to use laboratory Developed Introspection: process of looking into yourself

William James First American Psychologist Concerned with the Conscious mind How humans function and adapt to their environment

Sigmund Freud Influenced by things we are not aware of Influenced by our experiences in early childhood Three Levels of the Mind - Id: biological drives - Ego: desires vs. reality - Superego: conscious - Also use free association, dream analysis and Psychoanalysis

Sir Francis Galton Darwin's cousin Heredity vs. Environment Developed the first tests and statistical concepts to test abilities Start of IQ tests

Ivan Pavlov Famous Dog Spit experiment “Conditioned response “ aka “Classical Conditioning” Pg. 239

John Watson

John Watson All behavior is the result of conditioning Little Albert “Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up and I’ll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select—doctor, lawyer, merchant-chief, and yes, even beggar man and thief, regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race of his ancestors.”

Association with something pleasurable Mary Cover Jones Removal of fears Association with something pleasurable

B.F. Skinner Applied conditioning to society Reinforcement: control of rewards and punishments

Skinner Box

Carl Rogers Humanist Fully functioning conditional and unconditional Positive regard

Abraham Maslow Humanist Self-actualized

Hierarchy of Needs

Conducting Research Forming a research question Forming a hypothesis Testing the hypothesis Analyzing the Results Drawing Conclusions

Seven Contemporary perspectives in Psychology Biological: nervous system, glands, hormones, genetic factors Evolutionary: physical traits, social behavior Cognitive: interpretation of mental images, thinking, language Humanistic: self-concept Psychoanalytic: environmental influences, observational learning Learning: effects of experiences on behavior Sociocultural: ethnicity, gender, culture, socioeconomic status

Methods of Observation Testing: measure various elements of human behavior such as abilities, interests, and personality Case Study: researchers conduct in-depth investigations of individuals or small groups Longitudinal: group of participants are observed at intervals over an extended period of time Cross-sectional: researchers compare the differences and similarities among people in different age groups at a given time Naturalistic-observation: researchers observe the behavior of people or animals in their natural habitats Laboratory-observation: participants are observed in a laboratory setting

Elements of Experimentation Researchers conduct experiments to learn about cause and effect Placebo: medicine with no active ingredient, works by power of suggestion Double-blind study: neither participants nor researchers know which group any subject belongs Variables: things that change in an experiment Independent Variable: “If” factor that the experimenter manipulates or changes in a study Dependent Variable: “Then” the factor in a study that changes or varies as a result of changes in the independent variable Experimental Group: critical part of the experiment is performed Control Group: does not participate in the critical part of the experiment

Ethics: APA Guidelines Subjects must always have the right to decline participation in an experiment Openness and honesty are essential to experimentation Information obtained about a subject during the course of a study must remain confidential The experimenter has the duty to asses the possibility of any risk, physical or mental. Inform participants of any existing risks Correct or remove any undesirable consequences of participation

Spirit of Science Objectivity: nonbiased, open minded Relativism: “relative” to time and place Ethical Neutrality: what is, not what ought to be Skepticism: question everything before accepting Humility: how little we know, man’s limitations