Psychology Final Notes2013Intro NotesIntroduction to Psychology- Psychology The scientific study of behavior and mental processes Behavior Observable Actions Mental Processes Internal Experiences- Scientific Method A set of rules that helps us draw accurate conclusions- Aristotle Greek Philosopher Differences in behavior are related to experience- Hippocrates Greek Physician Differences in behavior are related to differing levels of humors, or fluids, in the body- Wilhelm Wundt 1879 in Leipzig, Germany Established the first Psychology Lab First US lab was founded at Johns Hopkins in 1883- Structuralism Investigators study the components that go together to make an experience. Wilhelm Wundt and Edward Titchner Introspection Having individuals describe what they did when they were thinking- Functionalism Investigators study how experiences help people adapt to situations Influence by Charles Darwin Led by William James- Gestalt Experiences can be best understood when the parts are considered as a unified whole Gestalt means “form” or “shape” Max Wertheimer- Psychodynamic approach An explanation for behavior which suggests that behavior is controlled by the unconscious processes Sigmund Freud A neurologist who developed the notion of the unconscious when he was trying to explain physical symptoms for which a physical cause could not be found 1900- Behavioral Perspective An explanation for behavior which suggest that behavior is learned John B. Watson Little Albert Albert became afraid of the white rat Behaviorism Psychologists should study observable behaviors rather than unobservable factors such as the unconscious or thinking. 1920- Humanistic Perspective Humans strive for self-fulfillment and are motivated by a basic goodness Carl Rogers 1950- Cognitive Perspective Behavior is controlled by what individuals think Aaron Beck Psychiatrist who developed an approach to treating patients psychological problem in which the goal was to change the thoughts that led to problems 1970- Physiological Perspective Behavior is controlled by physiological factors such as brain chemistry and structures- The Development of Psychology Split between Philosophy and Physiology- APA-1832- Clinical Psychologists Diagnose and treat people with disorder- Counseling Psychologists Same thing as clinical but with less disturbed people and usually in schools or large companies- Cognitive Psychologists Do research on perception, language, emotion, etc…- Social Psychologists Do research on factors that influence interactions among people- Developmental Psychologists Study how people change over a life span- Physiological Psychologists Interested in effects of brain chemistry- Educational Psychologists Work on the problems of teaching and learning- School Psychologists Work with students with emotional or educational problems in schools- Industrial Organizational Psychologists Work on effectiveness of people in business settings- Psychologists have to go to grad school for 4 to 5 years Obtain a Ph.D. Doctor of Philosophy- Psychiatrists go to Med School Obtain an M.D. Doctor of Medicine Then do 3 years of residency- Clinical Psychologists Obtain a Psy.D. Doctor of Psychology- Mind body dualism The idea that the mind is separate from the body and that there is little interaction between the two Rene DescartesPsychology Chapter 1Scientific Methods in Psychology- Hypothesis Statement about an expected relationship- Case studies Examples that fit with what is predicted by the hypothesis We cannot determine whether the relationship that occurs in the one individual willoccur in other individuals We cannot draw conclusions concerning cause and effect Could be due to a third variable- Observational Research Investigators set out to specifically observe behaviors as means of finding cases in which they might find relationships- Correlational Studies Data on two variables are collected from a group of individuals and then a statistical test is used to determine whether the variables are related to each other- Correlation Coefficient Abbreviated as r The degree to which one variable is related to the other variable -1.00 to 1.00 The higher the correlation, the stronger the relationship We can learn if the correlation occurs in many people We cannot determine cause and effect Positive Correlation When one goes up, so does the other Negative Correlation When one goes up, the other goes down- Controlled Experiments We first change one variable in one group of individuals but not in another group, and then we determine whether the change leads to a change in a second variable Independent Variable The variable whose effects we are studying Dependent Variable The variable on which the effects are being studied 1. First investigators must randomly assign individuals Experimental Condition Independent variable is manipulated Control Condition Independent variable is not manipulated 2. Manipulate the Independent Variable 3. Measure the Dependent Variable Pretest Measuring the Independent Variable beforehand Posttest Measuring the Independent Variable after the experiment- Longitudinal Studies The same group of individuals is measured repeatedly over a period of time Specific events may also be occurring that influence data To avoid this problem they can study in waves Which is to study a different group of individuals every ten years Take a long time to complete Some participants may drop out- Cross Sectional Studies Different groups of individuals who are of different ages are compare on some variable at one point in time Studies can be distorted by events that are more likely to influence individuals of one age group- Studies of Families The degree to which individuals who have similar genes have similar characteristics Family members share genes and an environment To avoid this there are studies of twins Compare the similarity of identical twins to nonidentical twins Study of Adoptees and Their Parents- Survey Research Investigators ask questions about their beliefs and behaviors Important Questions to Ask Who was questioned? Who answered the questions? Did the wording of the
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