Psychology Has Many Faces: Science, Academic Discipline, Healing Profession Clinician Researcher Teacher Understand Research Methods

Behavioral Neuroscientist… Behavior in relation to the Brain Psychology Strong Background in Research Methods!

Understanding Psych Research Understanding Science Research = Science

A scientist: Finds intellectual excitement in creating questions and seeking answers

Science: a process of inquiry Basic Curiosity “We Ask Questions of Science And Get answers” D.E. Moss The process of formulating specific questions and then finding answers in order to better understanding

Psychology: the science of human & animal behavior Goal: gather an organized body of knowledge Psychological research seeks scientific explanation for behavior 1.Empirical: based on observable evidence 2. Testable: verifiable through direct observation 3. Rational: follow rules of logic, consistent with known facts (not based on assumptions known to be false)

Scientific explanations strive to be: 1. Parsimonious: offer the least complex explanation that requires the fewest assumptions 2. General: can be applied to more than the original set of circumstances – broad explanatory power 3. Tentative (Skepticism): readily replaced by better explanation Occam’s Razor: “Do not multiply hypotheses unduly” Choose the simplest explanation!!!!

Science is based on: Empiricism: Collecting data Rationalism: Formulating Question Skepticism: Interpretation of data Decarte (thinking) reasoning rules of logic Thales (observation) careful observation of nature Documentation - data

What is Science? 2. Collection of facts? 1. Technology? 3. Finished Product? 4. Objective search for the truth? 5. Immediate solutions to practical problems? 6. Grows continuously?

What is Science? Technology: NO! Immediate contribution to human welfare Ex: The Genome Project

What is Science? Just a Collection of Facts: NO! Integration of data but also theory driven – relating data to principles (theories)

What is Science? Finished Product: NO! One experiment inevitably leads to other questions…serendipity!

What is Science? Search for the Truth: NO! Implies there is one right question for every phenomena

What is Science? Science Grows Continuously: NO! Science grows awkwardly One direction then another direction Science has a history of fads (style that interests many people for a short time) Ex: Schools of Psychology

Structuralism: the study of the structure of conscious experience ( ) 50 years  moved psychological study from the domain of philosophy and the natural sciences and began to utilize physiological experimental techniques in the laboratory – SCIENCE

 moved psychological study from the domain of just the “mind” to behavior  influence of Darwin - animal research  applied research (practical questions ie., education, training, developmental) Functionalism: Consciousness as well as behavior must serve some sort of purpose – the function of the mind William James ( ) “my thinking is first, last always for the sake of doing” Professor at Harvard Taught first class in experimental Psych in US 50 years

Behaviorism: All other schools to mentalistic and to subjective – not observable, not science Focus is on relationship between the environment and behavior John Watson ( ) University of Chicago Johns Hopkins  moved psychological away from the mind – only behavior  transferred all mentalistic content into S-R: “we only think we think”  animal research (Pavlov. Skinner)  Against Freud! 60 years

No longer one school of Psychology Biological Psychology Cognitive Psychology Social Psychology Clinical PsychologyNeuropsychology Developmental Psychology

Assignment: Read Goodstein Article “How Science Works” -take notes -answer question via group discussion -present answers as a group in class If you did not read, you will be asked to leave during discussion time