GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY2012 EXAM ONE STUDY GUIDE BASED OFF OF LEARNING OBJECTIVES LECTURE NOTES BOOK MATERIAL LEARNING OBJECTIVES FOR CHAPTERS 1 2 AND 8 1 WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGY HOW DOES IT DIFFER FROM OTHER AREAS OF SCIENCE Behavior a Psychology is the Scientific study of the Mind Brain b It differs from other areas of science since Psychology deals with the mind it cannot be directly observed unlike other scientific processes The issue of ethics is also much more important in psychology than in other sciences as the subjects are living beings Therefore research must be carried out in a way that won t damage the patients physical or psychological state Therefore although psychology is a science there are certain factors that set it apart from the more traditional sciences such as physics and chemistry 2 HOW HAS THE DEFINITION OF PSYCHOLOGY CHANGED FROM THE TIME OF THE FIRST PSYCHOLOGY LAB 1879 THROUGH TODAY a Psychology began as a discipline of figuring out why we are the way we are and with little research on what to do about it Psychology then strived to become a hard science relying on empirical evidence This lead to determining the functions of our thoughts and feelings and today we have many subfields of psychology that contribute to the research and healing of individuals mind brain and behavior 3 WHAT ARE STRUCTURALISM AND FUNCTIONALISM HOW DO THEY DIFFER FROM EACH OTHER WHO WERE THE KEY FIGURES IN EACH MOVEMENT A Structuralism attempted to map the mind in a very scientific way It focused on structural elements used introspection having patients explain their inner thought process and feelings as they perform a task Structuralists dreamed of creating a comprehensive map of the elements of consciousness B Key Figure Edward E B Titchener C Functionalism strived to determine what the functions of our thoughts and feelings are They desired to understand the adaptive purposes of our thoughts feelings and behaviors Members of this school of thought were highly influenced by biologists Charles Darwin Key Figures Williams James Influenced by Charles Darwin a Differences Whereas structuralists asked what questions like What is conscious thought like Functionalists asked why questions like Why do we sometimes forget things William James rejected structuralists approach with the argument that careful introspection doesn t yield a fixed number of static elements but rather an ever changing stream of consciousness 4 EXPLAIN WHY THE BEHAVIORISTS SOUGHT TO CHANGE THE FOCUS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH a Behaviorists believed introspection was too subjective and a waste of time to try and figure out what is going on with a person s mental processes because the basic elements of mental experience could never be conclusively verified The behaviorist desired to redirect science down a more objective path Instead they decided to observe what people do and why they do it contending that it was not necessary to peer inside the organism to grasp psychological principals but that we can comprehend human behavior exclusively by looking outside the organism to rewards and punishments from environment i AKA BLACK BOX PSYCHOLOGY BRAIN IS BLACK BOX ii Believed the proper subject matter of psychology was observable behavior iii Subjective information or writing is based on personal opinions interpretations points of view emotions and judgment It is often considered ill suited for scenarios like news reporting or decision making in business or politics Objective information or analysis is fact based measurable and observable 5 DESCRIBE WHAT THE COGNITIVE REVOLUTION BEGINNING AROUND THE 1950 S 1960 S REINTRODUCED TO PSYCHOLOGY a Cognitive Psychology placed importance on both behavior and our mental processes Introspection of events In essence reopening the Black Box It Focuses not only on rewards and punishments Behaviorism but on organism s interpretation of them i I E A student who is accustomed to receiving F s on Exams receives a B and would regard this as a reward However a student accustomed to receiving A s might view this as a punishment ii Recaptured the importance of mental processes 6 IDENTIFY THE MAIN LEVELS OF ANALYSIS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE CONSIDER HOW THE FOCUS OF ATTENTION CHANGES ACROSS LEVELS ARE THE LEVELS OF ANALYSIS COMPLEMENTARY a Psychology spans multiple levels of analysis If we think of the levels of Analysis as rungs on a ladder the lower rungs would be tied most closely to Biological Influences and the higher rungs would be tied most closely to Social Influences We can t understand psychology by focusing on only one level of analysis Each level tells us something different and we gain knew knowledge from each vantage point b They are complementary because both biological and social factors are essential for a complete understanding of psychology c Molecular Level Neurochemical Level Neurological Physiological level Mental level Behavioral level Social level i The study of depression at differing levels of explanation ii Molecular level Variations in people s genes that predispose them to depression iii Neurochemical level Differences in levels of the brain s chemical messengers that influence mood iv Neurological physiological level Differences among people in the size and functioning of brain structures related to mood v Mental level Depressed thoughts I m a loser sad feelings ideas of suicide vi Behavioral level Decrease in pleasurable activities moving and talking slowly withdrawing from others vii Social level Loss of important personal relationships lack of social support 7 WHAT ARE THE MAJOR SUBFIELDS OF PSYCHOLOGY AND HOW DO THEY DIFFER FROM EACH OTHER a Clinical Psychology Perform assessment diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders b Conduct research on disorders and clients c Typically work in colleges and universities mental health centers or private practice d Social Psychology Study of interaction between people How people influence others behavior beliefs and attitudes e Cognitive Psychology School of psychology that proposes that thinking is central to understanding behavior i What s going on in the brain Memory Problem solving etc f Developmental Psychology Studies how and why people change over time i Conduct research on infants children and sometimes adults and elderly people s emotional physiological and cognitive processes and how these change with age ii Most spend their time in laboratory collecting and g Neuroscience Use MRI s to figure out what is going on
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