1. Methods Domain
Part One

2. Development of psychology

3. Definition: The study of behaviors and cognitive activities
Look at it like a math problem:
Thoughts + Actions = Psychology

4. 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

5. 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

6. Middle Ages
Any problems meant a person was possessed

7. 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)

8. William James / Functionalism
How thoughts help us adapt
Successful actions are repeated and eventually become habits
John Watson / Behaviorism
Observable behavior only

9. 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

10. Sigmund Freud / Psychoanalysis
Emphasizes unconscious motives and internal conflicts
Id = basic drives
Ego = reality principle
Superego = moral principle
Biography

11. Careers in psychology

12. All Psychologists: Are interested in behavior
Believe research is important
Say something is true ONLY when proven

13. Psychiatrists
Are medical doctors (MDs) who have gone through medical school and simply specialized in psychiatric treatment
Prescribe medications

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. Contemporary perspectives

18. 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.

19. 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.

20. 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.

21. 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!

22. 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.

23. Research strategies & statistics

24. 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!

25. Steps of Scientific Research
Form a Research Question
Form a Hypothesis
Test the Hypothesis
Analyze the Results
Draw Conclusions
Replicate

26. 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

27. 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

28. Ethical issues

29. Definition
Standards for proper and responsible behavior

30. 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

31. 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