Human Behavior Ch. 1-1 What is Psychology?

Brooke Ellison Accident at 11 years old. Paralyzed from the neck down. Went on to graduate from Harvard. Did not dwell on situation

Psychology Not limited to studying abnormal behavior. Scientific study of behavior and mental processes. Thoughts, feelings, and actions. Pg. 4 is a list of associated psychology fields.

Developmental Psychology Study physical, mental, social, and emotional growth and change. From prenatal to old age. Subgroups include: –Child, adolescent, and life-span psychologists. Would study how Brooke managed with the challenges of adolescence.

Physiological Psychology Study the biological basis of human behavior, thoughts, and emotions. Neuropsychologists –Brain and Nervous system Biological psychologists –Body’s chemistry Behavioral geneticists –Explore heredity Would like to study how they can help Brooke once again send messages to the muscles of her body.

Experimental Psychology Conduct research on basic psychological processes = learning, memory, sensation, perception, thinking, motivation, and emotion. Why can some achieve more in athletics, arts, and so on. Would be interested in how Brooke processes and remembers information.

Personality Psychology Study the differences among individuals in traits like sociability, conscientiousness, self-esteem, etc… Like to study Brookes personality traits, did they always exist or were they due to her accident. Will they change as she gets older?

Clinical and Counseling Psychology 50% of psychologists Clinical –Interested in the diagnosis, causes, and treatment of psychological disorders (depression). Counseling –Interested in the problems of “normal” everyday adjustments (career choices) Divide time between treatment and research Would monitor Brooke and anyone else who had a difficult time with her accident. Such as her sister Kysten.

Social Psychology Study how social influences are exerted and the effects they have. Would study how stereotypes of handicapped people would affect the way in which Brooke was treated.

Industrial and Organizational (I/O) Psychology Apply principles of psychology to the workplace. How to train personnel, improve productivity, and working conditions.

Enduring Issues What do all fields have in common? 5 enduring issues are evident in all: –Person-Situation –Nature-Nurture –Stability-Change –Diversity-Universality –Mind-Body

Person-Situation To what extent is behavior caused by internal processes (emotions). To what extent is behavior caused by external factors (incentives).

Nature-Nurture Is a person shaped by: –Heredity (genes) –Environment (experiences)

Stability-Change Are our characteristics: –Permanent and fixed –Change in predictable and unpredictable ways

Diversity-Universality We are all human Yet we all have differences What differences exists between: –Men and women –Racial or ethnic groups –Or a particular society

Mind-Body How the mind and body connect. Experiences (thoughts and feelings) Biological processes (activity in the nervous system)

Psychology as Science Scientific Method –Define the problem –Create a theory (hypothesis) –Collect data (test) –Analyze assumptions –Draw conclusions –Consider every alternative interpretation –Redo