● What Is Psychology?Key Terms: Methods of Psychology:1.Psychology scientific study of behavior and mental processes.2. Science uses systematic methods to observe human behavior and draw conclusions. (scientific method).3. Behavior things people do that can be directly observed. Put into numbers to make it easier to understand.4. Mental Processes thoughts,feelings,motives, that we experience privately and cannot be directly observed; also put into numbers(Quantify).● Contemporary Approaches to Psychology:1) Biological Approach(Neuroscience) ↳brain and nervous system are critical for understanding attitudes and behaviors.(Ex: Trauma can cause personality changes; Injuries to the brain can change people )2) Behavioral Approach ↳study of behavior responses to environmental stimuli. ↳Social Cognitive Theory: people learn from the consequences of other people’s actions. This behavior will be imitated if there are positive consequences. (Proposed by John B. Watson / B.F. Skinner. Albert Bandura later proposes.)3) Psychology Approach ↳biological instincts influence attitudes and behavior. These impulses can shape our behavior and personality(Ex: sexual or aggressive impulses) . ↳sexual relationships with parents shape personality.(Proposed by Sigmund Freud: theory of a young child by the age of 4 or 5 having a sexual attraction to the opposite sex parent).4) Humanistic Approach ↳emphazises peoples positive qualities, capacity for positive growth, and free will.(Ex: The Amish : they have less but with their simple life still have happiness)5) Cognitive Approach ↳study of how mental processes allow people to remember, make decisions, plan, set goals, and be creative. ↳Memory can change and become flexible ( Ex: selective memory)6) Evolutionary Approach ↳adaptation, reproduction,and survival of the fittest; explains human behavior.↳Sexual Selection Theory: 1. Men and Women are the same in most domains. 2. Men and Women differ in their reproductive changes.(Ex: Women are always sure that the baby is theirs ; Men are often unsure. Men have ashort term mating strategy; Women have a long term mating strategy)↳(Proposed by David Buss)7) Sociocultural Approach ↳cultural contest influence attitudes and behavior.8) Positive Psychology Approach ↳movement toward studying human strengths and positive experiences. ↳Studies focus on: Experiences that people value, Positive individual traits, Positive group and civic
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