PSY20121PSY 2012 Exam 1Learning ObjectivesPrologueWhat is psychology?The science of behavior and mental processesDescribe how did the field of psychology started. What disciplines and individuals were important for its creation?Wilhelm Wundt first measured people’s awareness of hearing a sound. This is considered the first psychology experiment. William James-American philosopherIvan Pavlov-Russian physiologistSigmund Freud-Physician; role of unconscious processesWhat is a “school of thought” or theoretical perspective? Discuss various schools of thought mentioned in lecture (and described further in the text).Structuralism-used introspection to explore elements of human mind. Created by Edward Bradford Titchener. He engaged people in introspection, training them to report their experience.Functionalism-focused how our mental and behavioral processes function-how they enable us to adapt, survive, flourish. Founded by William James. Influenced by Darwinsism.Psychoanalysis-Freud; how unconscious drives/conflicts drive behaviorBehaviorism-psychology should be an objective science that studies behavior. John Watson and B. F. Skinner proposed this.Humanistic psychology-emphasized growth potential of healthy people and the individuals potential for personal growth. Pioneered by Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow. Focused on current environmental influences on our growth potential and the importance of having our needs for love be satisfied.Cognitive neuroscience-study of the brain activity linked with cognition. Explore the ways we perceive, process, and remember information.Describe psychology’s levels of analysis and how they might work together to explain behavior and mental processes.1. Biological influences: Natural selection of adaptive traits, genetic predispositions responding to environment, brain mechanisms, hormonal influences2. Psychological influences: learned fears, learned expectations, emotional responses, cognitive processing and perceptual interpretations3. Socio-cultural influences: presence of others, cultural, societal, and family expectations, peer and other group influences, compelling modelsBiopsychosocial approachDescribe/label psychology’s main subfields.PSY20122Biological: Explore the links between brain and mindCognitive: Study how we perceive, think, and solve problemsDevelopmental: Study changing abilities from womb to tombSocial: Explore how we view and affect one anotherPersonality: Investigate our persistent traitsIndustrial/Organizational: Studies and advises on behavior in the workplaceClinical: Studies, assesses, and treats people with psychological disordersCounseling: Helps people cope with academic, vocational, and marital challengesLearning ObjectivesChapter 1 - Critical Thinking (pg 15-34; 37-38; 40-42)What are problems with intuition and what are some reasons why intuition & common sense can be inaccurate (hint—know about hindsight bias and overconfidence)?Our intuition is faulty!Hindsight bias: The tendency to believe that after you know a certain outcome, that you could have predicted it all alongOverconfidence: People believe that they are rightWhat are three main components of the scientific attitude?1. Curiosity: Being passionate to learn2. Humility: Being aware of our own shortcomings3. Skepticism: Questioning what you’re toldWhat are components of a good theory and how does a theory advance psychological science?A theory is useful if it:1. Organizes a range of self-reports and observations2. Implies clear predictions that anyone can use to check the theory or to derive practical applicationsWhat types of studies do psychologists use to observe and describe behavior? What are the pros/cons ofeach type of study? What type of study is used to establish cause-effect relationships?1. The Case Study-Study one person in depth to reveal underlying behavioral principles. Pro: Can suggest fruitful ideasCon: Misleading is individual is atypical2. The Survey-Self-reporting attitudes or behaviors of a particular group; usually by questioning a representative, random sample of the groupPro: Quick and cheap way to collect dataPSY20123Con: Can be misleading if it doesn’t accurately represent a population of people3. Naturalistic Observation-Observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situationPro: Unobtrusive; an in-depth look into people’s lives Con: Potentially time consumingWhy is the study sample important to understanding research findings? What’s the rationale behind the use of random selection for choosing a sample?The study sample is crucial to the research findings, so the sample must be representative of the population being studied. Using random selection (a sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion) is extremely important in obtaining accurate results. A disproportionate study sample will offset the results, making the findings misleading and unreliable.What does a correlation coefficient tell us about the relationship between variables, and how should it be interpreted? Why does correlation not tell us about cause and effect? (Be sure to be able to interpret a correlation coefficient r and a scatterplot.A correlation coefficient is a statistical index of the relationship between two things.A correlation tells us WHETHER 2 variables relate to each other and HOW they relate.Correlations indicates the possibility of a cause-effect relationship, but it does not prove causation.What is the distinction between a correlational study and an experiment?A correlational study does NOT provide causation, which is what an experiment determines.What is the purpose of an experiment and how does the design of an experiment allow it to achieve its goal?The purpose of an experiment is to determine causation. An investigator will manipulate one or more factors (independent variables) to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process (the dependent variable) to achieve its goal.What is an independent variable and dependent variable? Be able to identify them in an example experiment.Independent variable: the experimental factor that is being manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studiedDependent variable: the outcome factor; the variable that may change in response to manipulations of the independent variableWhat is random assignment and how is it important to an experiment?Random assignment is the
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