Psychology I

David G. Myers

Prologue

• Psychology defined – is the scientific study of behavior and the mental processes.

– Science ? observation and analysis• Early thinkers Buddha, Confucius, and Hebrew

scholars

• Greece – • Socrates and Plato mind is separate from body.

Knowledge is innate-born with.

• Aristotle the mind and body are one “ the soul isn’t separated from the body and the same holds true for particular parts of the soul”. (De Anima)

• Rene Descartes- agreed with Socrates/Plato

• Francis Bacon- (Novum Organuum) New Instrument - used inductive reasoning in discovery - sound science birth of the scientific method

• John Locke -The mind is a blank slate at birth, white paper, tabula rasa. Our knowledge comes from our experience. Science should rely on observation and experimentation. Empiricism-a view that knowledge originates in experience and that science should, rely on observation and experimentation.

• Psychology is born• Wilhelm Wundt - first to attempt

to measure behavior process. The first psychology laboratory, school and staff.

• Structuralism - used introspection to explore the elemental structure of the human mind

• Functionalism - how mental behavioral processes function.

Nature vs Nurture

• Where do you stand? Try to support your thoughts on the matter. Nature vs Nurture

• Personality traits• Intelligence• Temperament• Both

Thinking Critically with Psychological Science• The need for Psychological Science• “What good fortune for those in power that people do not think.” Adolf Hitler, 1889-1945

– Why (Intuition and Common Sense isn’t enough)• Judgmental Overconfidence• Hindsight

– Hindsight Bias “I-knew-it-all-along phenomenon” » Or, » 20/20 hindsight vision» OMG didn’t you see that coming» I told you not to trust him/her» You are such an idiot the signs were there all along

– Examples: » Stock Market Crash» 9/11

• Intuition “Trust the Force Luke”– Instincts

Scientific Attitude • Critical Inquiry and a Scientific approach

• Curiosity • Skepticism• Humility

• Critical Thinking = smart thinking-examine assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions. Critical thinkers asks questions.

• Scientific Method - a self-correcting process for asking questions and observing nature’s answers.– Form Theory (“MY MOM IS LAME.”)

– Hypothesis “testable predictions” (“MY MOM IS LAME BECAUSE SHE IS LAME BECAUSE SHE WON’T LET ME SEE MY FAVORITE BAND IN CONCERT.”)

– Research Observation (ASK MOM, “ CAN I GO SEE THE MY FAVORITE BAND NICKELBACK IN CONCERT TONIGHT?” (CONDUCT A STUDY)

– Operational Definition (“MY MOM MAY BE PRETTY COOL.”) (VIEW RESULTS ADJUST YOUR ORIGINAL PREDICTION)

– Replicate

• Advantage and disadvantage of – RESEARCH METHODS

• TESTS– RELIABLE – PRODUCE RESULTS THAT ARE

CONSISTENT AND PREDICATBLE – VALID – MEASURE WHAT THEY ARE SUPPOSE TO

MEASURE• INTERVIEWS• OBSERVATIONS

• THE CASE STUDY

• THE SURVEY– Wording Effects

– Random Sampling

• NATURALISTIC OBSERVATION

• CORRELATION

• CORRELATION AND CAUSATION

• ILLUSORY CORRELATIONS

• PERCEIVING ORDER IN RANDOM EVENTS

• EXPERIMENTATION– CAUSE AND EFFECT– EVALUATING THERAPIES– INDEPENDENT AND DEPENDENT