PSYC 1010 Introduction to Psychology Quiz

Course Information

• Course name: PSYC 1010
• Lecture 1: Introduction to psychology
• Instructor: Dr. Alisha Salerno

Teaching Approach

• Foster positive learning environment
• Promote student engagement
• Focus on accessibility and flexibility

Course Evaluations

• 3 non-cumulative multiple-choice tests (19% each)
• Applied reflections (12%, 2% each, 6 required)
• 2 mini assignments (10% and 15%)
• URPP (4%)
• Course quiz (2%)
• 2-3 week turnaround for assignment marking

URPP (Undergraduate Research Participant Pool)

• Participate in real research to earn up to 4% toward the grade
• Register for an account
• Grades are posted at the end of the term, not updated live

Course Policies

• Teaching Assistants (TAs)
• Rounding policies
• Missed tests
• Extension coupons
• Academic honesty/posting on course-sharing websites
• Accommodations
• Office hours/emails

Tips for Success

• Stay on top of readings and assignments
• Talk to the professor/TA if having trouble
• Use proper email etiquette
• Make friends (with similar work ethic). Beware of group chats
• If applying to graduate school, get to know the professors

Common Concerns

• Final/cumulative exams
• Resources for studying
• Time management (work-life balance)
• Making new friends

Thorny Topics

• Social psychology (conformity, obedience)
• Psychological disorders (crime, solitary confinement, incarceration)
• Psychology topics and law (wrongful convictions, eyewitness misidentification)

Psychology's Past and Present

• Psychology was once part of philosophy (ancient Greeks contemplated the mind)
• Formal psychology began in the late 19th Century
• Wilhelm Wundt established the first psychology lab in 1879
• Studied the building blocks of the mind (structuralism) using introspection

Structuralism

• Founded by Wilhelm Wundt and E.B. Titchener
• Wundt considered a founder of structuralism
• Established the first psychology lab
• Understanding the structure and characteristics of the mind using introspection
• Emphasized systematic observation of consciousness

Theoretical Perspectives

• How behavior is explained
• Five primary schools of thought (Structuralism, Functionalism, Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Psychodynamic)

Functionalism

• Founded by William James—the first American psychologist
• Drawn from the purpose of cognitive process
• Established functionalism
• Focused on what the mind does and how behavior functions
• Influenced by the theory of natural selection

Psychodynamic Perspective

• Founded by Sigmund Freud
• Studied hysteria and neurosis
• Theorized many patient problems from the unconscious mind
• Could access unconscious mind through dream analysis
• Focused on the role of unconscious experiences on early childhood experiences

Behaviorism

• John B. Watson (considered the founder of behaviorism)
• Believed objective analysis of the mind is impossible
• Focused on observable behavior and ways to control it
• Used today in behavioral therapy and CBT

B.F. Skinner

• Focused on how behavior was affected by consequences
• Studied principles of modifying behavior using reinforcement and punishment (operant conditioning)

Cognitivism

• Founded by Piaget and Neisser
• Understands mental processes underlying thinking
• Thinking affects behavior (not about reward/punishment, but the interpretation)

Women in Psychology

• Social prejudice hindered women's participation
• Excluded from graduate programs
• Still only represent 28% of faculty at the highest rank
• Male professors earn an average of $5,000 more per year than female counterparts in Canada.

How We Know What We Know

• Authority
• Reason
• Observation

Intuitive Reasoning

• Basic principles of common sense
• Birds of a feather flock together. Opposites attract. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Out of sight, out of mind. You can't teach an old dog new tricks and never too old to learn.

Why Intuition Doesn't Always Trust Common Sense

• Naive Realism ("Seeing is believing")
• The Earth seems flat, but it is rotating 30 km/sec
• Understanding of common sense can differ from reality

Snap Judgments

• Snap judgments based on facial traits are 65% accurate in determining sexual orientation

The Scientific Method

• Approach used by psychologists (and other scientists) to systematically acquire knowledge about behavior
•  Identify question of interest
• Formulate explanation
• Carry out research to support/refute

Scientific Theory

• Explanation for findings in the natural world
• Hypothesis = a testable prediction (eg., bystander effect)

Bias Awareness

• Confirmation bias: Seeking evidence that supports the hypothesis, while neglecting contrary evidence.
• Belief perseverance: Sticking to initial beliefs even when evidence is contradictory.

Examples of Confirmation Bias/Belief Perseverance

• Police investigations
• Political views
• Medical decisions
• Conspiracy theories
• Sports fandom
• Stereotyping
• Medical self-diagnosis
• Relationship conflicts
• Product reviews

Psychological Pseudoscience

• Imposters of science
• Set of claims that seem scientific but lack defenses from bias

Warning Signs of Pseudoscience

• Use of psychobabble (e.g., energy therapies)
• Lack of self-correction
• Overreliance on anecdotal evidence
• Extraordinary claims without extraordinary evidence

The Mozart Effect

• A claim that listening to Mozart's music improves cognitive ability in infants and children. (This is a pseudoscience)

Why We Are Drawn to Pseudoscience

• Patternicity: Tendency to detect meaningful patterns in random stimuli
• Finding comfort in our own beliefs

Pseudo-Profound Bullshit

• Seemingly impressive assertions that are presented as true and meaningful but are vacuous (meaningless)

Terror Management Theory

• We experience anxiety because of the inevitability and unpredictability of death
• To manage this anxiety, we seek worldviews that provide meaning, purpose, and continuity.

The Antidote for Pseudoscience

• Think scientifically
• Separate science from pseudoscience
• Avoid common logical fallacies

Common Logical Fallacies

• Emotional reasoning fallacy: Using emotions rather than evidence
• Bandwagon fallacy: Believing something is true because many people believe it
• Not me fallacy: Thinking that one doesn't have the same biases as other people

Dangers of Pseudoscience

• Opportunity cost (e.g., investing time, energy, and effort into questionable treatments)
• Direct harm
• Blocking critical thinking in one domain, which may spill over into other critical issues (e.g., stem cell research, GMOs)

Critical Thinking

• Set of skills to evaluate claims open-mindedly and carefully
• Key to the scientific method
• Thinking critically = thinking scientifically
• Not intuitive; requires overcoming biases

Six Principles of Scientific Thinking

• Ruling out rival hypotheses
• Correlation is not causation
• Falsifiability
• Replicability
• Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence
• Occam's Razor (simpler explanations are preferred)

Modern Psychology

• Experimental psychology (research focused)
• Clinical psychology (treatment, assessment, diagnosis, science-practitioner model)

Branches of Psychology

• Neuropsychology
• Child/developmental psychology
• I-O psychology
• Sports psychology
• Social/personality psychology
• Forensic psychology.

Psychology's Impact

• Basic research explores how the mind works
• Applied research utilizes research in everyday life to solve problems (e.g., perspective from ASD community on police interactions)