Chapter 1 Revised Psyc 3H PDF

Curiosity, Creativity, and Commitment Research Methods: Chapter 1 What is psychology?     Psyche = the mind Logos = the study of So psychology is the study of the mind More specifically, it is the scientific study of behavior, especially human behavior Discussion: Is Psychology A Science?...

Curiosity, Creativity, and Commitment Research Methods: Chapter 1 What is psychology?     Psyche = the mind Logos = the study of So psychology is the study of the mind More specifically, it is the scientific study of behavior, especially human behavior Discussion: Is Psychology A Science?!? YUP!! -Held to same standards as other sciences. -Utilizes scientific method. -Must use data to prove our theories. The Science of Psychology   Defined as the systematic, objective study of human behavior Unfortunately, many pseudoscientific ideas masquerade as scientific psychology    Pseudoscientific ideas have often created great harm even though the motives of the proponents may have been good Only solid theories can withstand the rigors of scientific scrutiny Other examples of pseudoscience? What is Science?  Defined by its way of thinking   Not defined by its technology or its accomplishments Scientists ask questions    You can ask questions about almost anything Scientists must be able to tolerate uncertainty, because some questions cannot be easily or quickly answered They are skeptics Science and Art  Often thought of as polar opposites     Science as precise and constrained Art as free flowing and creative Scientists and artists share a creative drive to understand and represent reality It is not uncommon for truly creative people to be gifted in both science and art (for example, Leonardo daVinci) Ways to Acquire Knowledge       Tenacity: “It has always been that way” Intuition: “It feels true” Authority: “Someone important says it is true” Rationalism: “It makes sense logically” Empiricism: “I observed it to be true” Science: a combination of rationalism and empiricism Early Civilization    Early civilizations developed practical skills, which were passed from generation to generation Focus was on the practical, rather than the abstract principles of modern science Orderliness belief: belief that the universe behaved in an orderly, lawful manner Greek Science    Thales was one of the first to combine rationalism and empiricism Strato introduced experimentation Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle moved away from empiricism to an emphasis on rationalism as a way to understand a mystical universe Medieval Science     Empirical research in the service of religion (i.e., way to demonstrate the hand of God) Some religious scholars encouraged research (Thomas Aquinas & Roger Bacon) Science started making a comeback as a tool in the “service of humanity” In time, science and religion began to clash The Scientific Revolution    Based on New discoveries (e.g.,DNA research) Tons of research in Universities and research centers (grant money!) Greater use of technology Modern Science     A vast enterprise, heavily supported by governments because of its value to society Tremendous growth in the last century Remarkable new discoveries virtually every day from scientific labs New discoveries lead to new technology, which often leads to yet more new discoveries History of Psychology    Built on other sciences (e.g., philosophy, biology, physiology, physics, etc.) First psychology lab (and father of psychology)? Wundt In what year did psych become a science? 1879 in Germany Good or Evil?!?  Several perspectives advanced    Behaviorism (focused on learning principles and what you can observe) Psychoanalysis (focused on internal dynamics, unconscious) Humanistic psychology (focused on the uniqueness of the human being, self-actualization) Women in Psychology     Initially, they were not allowed to earn advanced degrees Belief that women were not as smart or had the temperament for professional careers Even when earned degrees, they were often forced to work in applied settings because they could not get academic positions Nevertheless, they made significant contributions