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Psychology as the Science of Behaviour (Fields of Psychology:…
Psychology as the Science of Behaviour
Critical Thinking
Costs of
uncritical
thinking:
Pseudoscience
misconceptions add up and contribute to an increasingly misguided view of how the world operates.
ex. graphology, astrology tea-leaf readers
taking a active role in understanding the world around you rather then merely receiving information
evaluating the validity of something presented to you a a fact.
Asking:
Who is making the claim? What's the credibility of the source?
What's the evidence, and how good is it?
What is the claim or assertion?
are other explanantions possible? Can i evaluate them?
What's the most appropriate conclusion?
rationalizing considering facts and evidence behind a statement
Fields of Psychology:
Developmental:
Biopsychology/Neuroscience:
Experimental:
industrial-Organizational:
Personality:
Social:
Clinical
Scientific Approach:
Science:
systematically gathering and evaluating empirical evidence to answer questions and test beliefs about the natural world
Empirical Evidence
data gained through experience and observation
Systematic:
performed according to a set of rules or conditions
vs. Conventional or "folk" wisdom:
personal experiences, media, conversations
form inaccurate beliefs
Psychologists take concrete
steps
to avoid or minimize biases
"Steps":
instruments-
to objectively and precisely record people's responses.
ex. brain-imaging devices, video recorders, questionnaires
statistics-
To analyze their data
controlling experimental behaviour-
to minimize drawing erroneous conclusions
via: controlled variables and a manipulated variable, thus the independent variable also.
Publish their findings
for scrutination by other psychologists
to reduce
conformation bias
selectively paying attention to information that is consistent with beliefs and downplaying or ignoring information that is inconsistent
Science can't answer what the meaning of life is, beyond scientific measurements
poorly executed studies lead to misleading conclusions
falsifiability (of test)
Basic or Applied
Applied
Designed to solve specific practical problems
uses principles discovered
through
basic research
Basic
quest of knowledge for its own sake
describing how people behave and to identify the factors that influence a particular behaviour
Behaviourists:
use operating definitions that can apply to everyone
behaviour
:Actions and responses we can directly observe
Goals of Psychology:
DESCRIBE
behaviour and mental processes
EXPLAIN
and understand causes of the behaviours
PREDICT
future behaviours
INFLUENCE
/control behaviours through knowledge of causes to enhance human welfare
Cognitivists
Mind
: internal states and processes, infered from the observables, measurable responses
ie. thoughts and feelings
Analysis
psychological level
ex. our thoughts, feelings, and motives
biological level
ex. brain processes and genetic influences
environmental level
past and current physical and social environments to which we are exposed
Mind-body interactions:
the relations between mental processes in the brain and the functioning of other bodily systems
interplay between
psychological and biological levels
of analysis
mind-body dualism:
mind is a spiritual entity not subject to physical laws that govern the body
Nature-Nurture Interactions:
nature:
biological endowment
nurture:
our environment and learning history
experiences influencing our biological capabilities
ex. depriving a rat of physical contact has has negative influence on its brain functioning and biological development
Roots:
perspective
philospohy
medicine
biological and physical sciences
aka
engines of perspective
Intellectual Roots
Mind-body dualism
#
Monism
monos
: one
mind and body are one, mind is not a seperate spirtiual entity