Introduction to Psychology I: Study Tips Quiz

Course Information

• Course Title: Introduction to Psychology I
• Course Code: PSI127
• Academic Year: 2024-2025 Fall
• Instructor: Dr. Özge Bozkurt

Study Tips

• Dunning-Kruger Effect: People overestimate their knowledge in a specific area, unaware of their limitations. A study compared actual exam scores to students' guesses about their scores.
• Metacognition: Be aware of what you know and what you don't know.
• Specific Topic Awareness: Be aware of what you know about specific topics.
• READ-WAIT-SUMMARIZE: A good study strategy, involving reading, waiting, then summarizing the information.
• Consolidation: Long-term memories aren't formed instantly; they require consolidation. Sleep is crucial for this process.
• Forgetting: The failure to recognize or retrieve previously encoded information.
• Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve: Information is lost quickly after learning, particularly within the first hour and day. The rate of forgetting declines as the retention interval increases.

Why Study Psychology?

• Self-awareness: Understanding yourself.
• Body-brain connection: The relationship between the body and mind.
• Improved learning and memory: Strategies for better learning and memorization.
• Stress management: How to deal with stress.
• Critical thinking: Recognizing potential flaws in research.
• Understanding of human behavior: Examining human behavior.
• Understanding of mental processes: Understanding how our minds work.

What is Psychology?

• The scientific study of behavior and mental processes.
• Behavior: outward actions and reactions (e.g., talking, facial expressions).
• Mental processes: internal, hidden activity of the mind (e.g., thinking, feeling, remembering).

History of Psychology

• Psychology is a relatively young field, approximately 145 years old.
• The first psychology laboratory was established in 1879 in Leipzig, Germany by Wilhelm Wundt.
• Early thinkers (e.g., Plato, Aristotle, Descartes) pondered the human mind and its connection to the body.
• Pre-1879 psychological research was conducted by medical doctors, philosophers, and physiologists who wondered about human behavior and animal behavior.
• Medical doctors/physiologists were interested in the connection between body and brain.
• Fechner and Helmholtz conducted experiments on perception.
• Early Pioneers in Psychology: Wilhelm Wundt, Edward Titchener, William James

Wundt and Objective Introspection

• Wundt believed consciousness could be broken down into basic elements.
• Objective introspection was a method used to study these elements. Students tried to understand their thought processes.
• Wundt's work introduced objectivity and measurement to psychology, making it a more scientific field.

Titchener and Structuralism

• Wundt's student, Edward Titchener, brought Wundt's ideas to America.
• Titchener’s research focused on structuralism, dissecting consciousness into individual emotions and sensations (e.g., "what is blue?").
• Advanced the use of introspection, looking at aspects of consciousness (thoughts and perceptions) not just physical sensations.
• Structuralism was a dominant force early in psychology. However, it fell out of favor.

William James and Functionalism

• James wanted to know how the mind enables people to function in everyday life.
• He emphasized the practical application of consciousness.
• Heavily influenced by Charles Darwin’s concept of natural selection.
• Behaviors promoting survival were passed on.
• Functionalism influenced educational and industrial/organizational psychology.
• Introduced the textbook, "Principles of Psychology," in 1890

Three Influential Approaches (in Earlier Decades)

• Gestalt Psychology: The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Psychological events cannot be broken down; they must be understood as a whole entity.
• Psychoanalysis: Focused on the unconscious mind's influence on behavior and relied heavily on experiences during early childhood; introduced by Sigmund Freud.
• Behaviorism: Focuses on observable and measurable behavior. Dismissed the idea of the unconscious mind and emphasized observable behaviors (e.g., Ivan Pavlov, John B. Watson, B.F. Skinner).

Modern Perspectives

• Psychodynamic: A modern take on the previous ideas of Freud, focusing less on sexual motivations. Emphasizes self-development and interpersonal relationships.
• Behavioral: Behaviors are influenced by reinforcement, learning voluntary behavior through reinforcement.
• Humanistic: Individuals can shape their own lives; free will and self-actualization are emphasized.
• Cognitive: Mind is structured like an information processing machine, with focus on how people think, learn, and remember.
• Sociocultural: Focuses on the influence of social norms, values, and culture on behavior.
• Biopsychological: Understanding behavior and mental processes through biological processes (e.g. biology of the brain, hormones, and heredity).
• Evolutionary: Examines behavior through the lens of biological evolution.

Psychological Professionals and Areas of Specialization

• Psychology is a broad field, and professionals working in it vary in training, goals, and approaches.
• Psychologists work in different settings (e.g., hospitals, schools, private practice).
• Not all psychologists are therapists/counselors.
• The field is quite diverse with various areas including, but not limited to: clinical, social, experimental, developmental, industrial/organizational.
• Psychiatrists are medical doctors specialized in psychological disorders, and have the ability to prescribe medication.

Additional Information

• Summary Topics: Covers historical and major figures in psychology, along with important modern perspectives.
• Study Strategies: Offers practical advice on how to study effectively.
• Psychology Debate: A debate covering the topic of violence being part of human nature.
• Logical Fallacies: Covers common logical fallacies used in debates.