Introduction to Psychology

Psychology: The Science of Behaviour Chapter 1 © McGraw-Hill Ryerson 2005

3 What is Psychology? Science of behaviour and factors that influence it What is behaviour? 2 components: –directly observable actions –mental events/ internal processes not observable: e.g. thoughts, feelings

4 What questions and behaviours do you think psychologists are interested in studying?

5 Psychologists are interested in many issues and aspects of behaviour: Memory Thinking Biological basis of behaviour Causes and treatment of mental disorders/addiction Child development and parenting styles Function of sleep Personality Culture Animal behaviour Etc.!!!

6 Psychology as a Science Looks for causes of behaviour using rigorous systematic method of hypothesis testing and theory building When possible use controlled experiments Research is the foundation of psychology

7 Types of Research Basic research “curiosity driven” –Seeks knowledge purely for it’s own sake –Describe behaviour –Find factors that influence or cause it Ex/ I wonder how babies learn to talk? Applied research –Solve specific practical problems Ex/ What medication works best to relieve Parkinson’s disease symptoms? Note – basic research feeds applied

8 Basic and Applied Research Robber’s Cave Study ( see document “Aggression: Robbers Cave”) Basic research findings: –Competition breeds hostility –Conflict decreased by increasing group interdependence Jigsaw Classrooms (Aronson et al., 1978) –Cooperation between multiethnic groups was achieved

9 4 Goals of Psychology To describe how people behave To explain and understand its causes To predict how people will behave under certain conditions Influence or control behaviour by controlling the causes

10 When examining the causes of behaviour –Biological –Psychological –Environmental –Different researchers study each of these causes

11 What caused Whitman to kill? Case of Charles Whitman Killed his mom, wife and shot many others Tumor in area involved in aggression (Biological) Irrational thoughts/ violent impulses (Psychological) Abusive father; rifles – rewarded (Environmental)

12 Which answer is correct? All can be correct. Different levels of analysis. The same behaviour viewed from different perspectives.

13 What do you see? Similarly, researchers from different perspective see different causes of the same behaviour.

14 Psychological Perspectives Psychological Perspectives Perspective = vantage point from which you analyze behaviour and its causes The perspective a psychologist studies from influences which questions they ask, which aspects of behaviour he/she considers important, the type of research methods, etc.

15 6 Perspectives on Behaviour 6 Perspectives on Behaviour Biological Cognitive Psychodynamic Humanistic Behavioural Sociocultural

16 Biological Perspective What is psychological is first physiological Roles of: –Brain structures & function –Biochemical processes –Genetic factors –Evolution Ex/ tumor in amygdala

17 Cognitive Perspective Views human as problem solvers and information processors Roles of: –Mental processes ex/ attention –Information stored and retrieved –Memory Ex/ abnormal thought patterns

18 Psychodynamic Perspective Behaviour caused by unconcious processes Roles of: –Unconcious forces –Unresolved conflict from past –Hypnosis & ink blots Ex/ unconcious aggressive impulses

19 Behavioural Perspective External environment shapes behaviour Roles of: –Past experience in forming habits –Reward and Punishment –Associations –Stimuli in environment evokes response –Observational learning Ex/ rifle play rewarded

20 Humanistic Perspective Internal factors such as innate tendency toward individual growth and self fulfillment Roles of: –Concious motives –Free will Ex/ discharged from army

21 Sociocultural Perspective External environment determines behaviour through influence of one’s culture Roles of: –Culture = enduring values, behaviours, traditions shared by a large group of people and passed on from one generation to the next –Social influences Ex/ violence on TV and videogames

22 6 Perspectives on Behaviour 6 Perspectives on Behaviour Biological Cognitive Psychodynamic Humanistic Behavioural Sociocultural