PSYCH 107 10 18 2015 Ecampus Bring book to class Quiz every Tuesday Bring scantrons Friday Sept 4 prescreening survey for credit hours about an hour go on website closes sept 11 Need 14 credits but 1 credit 30 minutes Tamupsychology sona systems com There is an app Check ecampus for slides to ensure everything is right ie section 5 Bring textbook to class everyday might use for tests quizzes Supplemental reading tested in test 1 2 and 3 Check ecampus link for test and quiz questions mindtap Chapter 1 Notes Module 1 1 meaning word 10 18 2015 Psychology psyche Greek work meaning soul or mind and logo Literally the study of mind or soul Psychology the systematic study of behavior and experience Experience allows us to discuss your perceptions without implying that a mind exists independently of your body o It depends Almost every aspect of behavior depends on age Key what it depends on Much of psychology attempts to identify the subtle easily ignored factors that influence your decisions i e the coffee temperature example o Accurate measurement is key Research progress is limited by the difficulty of measurement Psychologist s understanding has advanced fastest on topics which can measure fairly easily and accurately such as memory learning etc but advances slowly on topics we cannot accurately measure i e what is emotion o Confidence in the conclusions depends on the strength of the research the data support Many psychologists hold more confident opinions than Must distinguish between opinions based on conclusive evidence and those based on less Three of the most profound philosophical questions related to psychology o Free will versus determinism Determinism the idea that every event has a cause or determinant that one could observe or measure This view is an assumption not an established fact but the success of scientific research attests to its value Free will the belief that behavior is caused by a person s independent decisions Some psychologists view free will as an illusion o The Mind Brain problem Mind brain problem the philosophical question of how experience relates to the brain Dualism view that the mind is separate from the brain but somehow controls the brain and therefore the rest of the body Dualism contradicts the law of conservation of matter and energy which is one of the cornerstones of physics Monism view that conscious experience is inseparable from the physical brain mental activity is brain activity or heredity environment issues how do differences in behavior relate to differences in heredity and environment Heredity differences might make a big difference for people in one environment and less difference in another o The Nature Nurture Issue o Clinical psychologists have an advanced degree in psychology master s Phd or PsyD with a specialty in understanding and helping people with psychological problems o Psychiatry branch of medicine that deals with emotional disturbances psychiatrists can prescribe drugs o Psychoanalysts therapy providers who rely heavily on the theories and methods pioneered by the early twentieth century Viennese physician Sigmund Freud and later modified by others o Clinical social worker similar to a clinical psychologist but with different training specialization in psychological problems o Counseling psychologists help people with educational vocational marriage health related and other decisions o forensic psychologist who provide advice and consultation to police lawyers and courts What Psychologists Do Service Providers to Organizations o Industrial organization psychology psychological study of people at work o Human factors specialist ergonomist tries to facilitate the operation of machinery so that ordinary people can use it efficiently and safely o School psychologists specialists in the psychological condition of students Psychologists in Teaching and Research o Developmental psychologists study how behavior changes with age o Learning and motivation studies how behavior depends on the outcomes of past behaviors and current motivations o Cognition refers to thought and knowledge o Cognitive psychologists studies processes focus on how people make decisions convert thoughts into language and solve problems o Biopsychologist behavioral neuroscientist explains behavior in terms of biological factors such as activities of the nervous system the effects of drugs and hormones genetics and evolutionary pressures o Evolutionary psychologist tries to explain behavior in terms of the evolutionary history of the species including why evolution might have favored a tendency to act in particular ways o Social psychologists study how an individual influences other people and how the group influences an individual o Cross cultural psychology compares the behavior of people from different cultures Module 1 2 the mind Structuralism an attempt to describe the structures that compose Functionalism to learn how people produce useful behaviors Psychological function the mathematical description of the relationship between the physical stimulus and its perceived properties Comparative psychologists specialists who compare different animal species Behaviorism a field of psychology that concentrates on observable measurable behaviors and not on mental processes Basic research seeks theoretical knowledge for its own sake such as understanding the processes of learning and memory Applied research deals with practical problems such as how to help children with learning disabilities Positive psychology studies the predispositions and experiences that make people happy productive and successful Health psychologists study how people s health is influenced by their behaviors such as smoking drinking diet exercises Sport psychologists apply psychological principles to help athletes set goals train and concentrate their efforts Chapter 2 Notes Module 2 1 10 18 2015 Science Latin word meaning knowledge Hypothesis a clear predictive statement o Test of hypothesis hypothesis method results interpretation o Hypothesis can be based on observations good hypothesis leads to predictions o Interpretation consider what the results mean Replicable results those that anyone can obtain at least approximately by following the same procedures Meta analysis combines the results of many studies and analyzes them as though they were all one huge study Theory an explanation or model that fits many observations and makes accurate predictions Falsifiable stated in such clear