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