Chapter 1 Psychology and Scientific Thinking I II II II What is Psychology A Psychology is the scientific study of the mind brain and behavior B Levels of analysis lower levels tied to biological influences and higher levels tied to social influences C Multiply determined caused by many factors D Trusting our common sense a Scientific Theory is an explanation for large number of findings offers and account 1 Hypothesis prediction that can be tested b Na ve realism the belief that we see the world precisely as it is c Confirmation bias tendency to seek evidence that supports our beliefs and denies what contradicts d Belief perseverance refers to the tendency to stick to our initial beliefs even when evidence contradicts them B Metaphysical claims assertions about the world that we cant test Psychological Pseudoscience Imposters of Science A Pseudoscience set of claims that seem scientific but isn t B Warning signs a Ad hoc immunizing hypothesis loop hole that defends a theory to protect this theory from being disproven b exaggerated claims c Overreliance on anecdotes d Doesn t connect to other research e Lack of review by others outside the lab f Meaningless terms g Proof not evidence B Fallacies to keep in mind a Emotional reasoning fallacy uses emotions b Bandwagon because everyone else believes it Scientific Thinking Distinguishing Fact From Fiction A Scientific skepticism approach of evaluating all claims with an open mind but insisting on persuasive evidence before accepting them B Critical Thinking set of skills for evaluating all claims in an open minded and careful fashion Psychology s Past and Present A Wundt a Introspection method by which trained observers carefully reflect and report on their mental experiments B Titchener a Structuralism aimed to identify the basic elements of psychological experience B Darwin a Functionalism aimed to understand the adaptive purposes of psychological characteristics 1 Ex Darwin s theory 2 Free will and determinism b Principle that organisms that possess adaptations survive and reproduce at a higher rate than other organisms c Evolutionary psychology natural selection to human and animal behavior B B B Watson a Behaviorism focuses on uncovering the general laws of learning by looking at observable behavior 1 Black box psychology Piaget a Cognition the mental processes involved in different aspects of thinking 1 Pathways of the brain 2 Cognitive psychology proposed that thinking is central to understanding behavior i Psychology of rewards and punishments will never be adequate because our interpretation of the two are crucial determinants of our behavior 2 Cognitive neuroscience relation between the brain and thinking Freud a Psychoanalysis internal psychological processes of which we re unaware 1 Unconscious drives