Chapter One: What is Psychology - PDF

**KEY TERMS** **CHAPTER ONE: What is Psychology?** By Joseph Fakhoury 1. DEFINING PSYCHOLOGY§ - **psychology** is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. - Three keys: Science \| Behavior \| Mental processes - **AS SCIENCE**: the scientific method (Systematic method t...

**KEY TERMS** **CHAPTER ONE: What is Psychology?** By Joseph Fakhoury 1. DEFINING PSYCHOLOGY§ - **psychology** is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. - Three keys: Science \| Behavior \| Mental processes - **AS SCIENCE**: the scientific method (Systematic method to observe and draw conclusions) - **BEHAVIOR:** everything we do that can be directly observed (any action we see it in our own eyes) - **MENTAL PROCCESS:** everything that cannot be observed directly (thoughts, feelings, and motives each of us experience privately, derived from observable behaviors) THE PSYCHOLOGICAL FRAME OF LIFE At the scientific approach there is 4 attitudes in which psychologists use: 1. [Critical thinking]: The process to think deeply and actively, asking questions and evaluating the evidence, critical thinking reduces the bias results that relies on personal belief, opinions, and emotions) 2. [Skepticism:] Psychologists view the world with a skeptical eye to see if a supposed fact is true (Questioning what everybody's know), means skeptical people challenge wither a supposed fact is true. [ ] *Related to critical thinking and skepticism, is the distinction between science and pseudoscience (fake science, which have no scientific evidence, like astrology)* 3. [Objectivity:] to be objective, scientists apply the empirical method (knowledge through the observation of events, the collection of data, and logical reasoning), being objective is to see things as they are and not as we would like them to be. 4. [Curiosity:] involves questioning everything and asking questions, even big ones like "Where did the earth come from". Debate and controversy are a natural part of thinking like a psychologist, psychology has advanced as a field because psychologists do not always agree with one another about why the mind and behavior work as they do Psychology as the Science of All Human Behavior - Psychopathology: the study of mental disorders and unusual or maladaptive behaviours - Clinical Psychologists specialize in studying and treating psychological disorders - Psychology is not only about studying mental illness - Psychologists Diff. than therapists (the media confuses them) - Psychology is a much more general science - When thinking about psychology, the majority thinks about Sigmund Freud - Sigmund Freud believed that behaviors are caused by dark and unpleasant unconsciousness. For Freud, any person is mysterious enough of unconscious desires. - "Freudian slip" means an error in speech that is based on unintentional meaning like saying "Sigmund [Fraud]" - Psychology seeks to understand the truths of human life in all its dimensions - **positive psychology:** A branch of psychology that emphasizes human strengths. - Freud based his ideas of human nature relying on the patients whom he have in his clinical practice, who was struggling with psychological problems, his experience with those clients and his analyze, he reflected it on humanity. And he said that he saw very few "good" in the human being and all of them are "trash" - [Does birth order matter or personality? (Experiment)] - Is there evidence for birth order's effects on personality? - After conducting research on many brothers/sisters and siblings concerning personality trait. Essentially, the relationship between birth order and personality was ZERO, Like being born first does not give leadership skills or anything related to personality. We concluded that without evidence enough for it, birth order does not as influential as common beliefs might hold. 2. Psychology in historical perspective Psychology seeks to answer questions that people have been asked for thousands of years. For example: - How do we learn? - What is memory? - Why does one person grow and flourish while another struggles? - At an early age, once the word "why" was made and people started to talk about the past, they found ways to explain how things are (Like when a volcano erupted, the gods are angry), at that time Philosophy was born which investigated the matter and tried to explain events in terms of natural rather than supernatural causes - First, Greek philosophers: Aristotle (linked to Happiness), Socrates, Plato they debated the nature of thoughts and behavior and the possible link between the mind and the body. - Later philosophers, such as Renner Descartes (linked to Emotion) argued that the body is completely separated of the mind, and they focused their attention on the mind. - Psychology grew out of this tradition, though psychologists still refer to Descartes when studying emotions, and still mention Aristotle when studying about happiness - Also, psychology has natural roots from philosophy, Physiology, and biology Wundt's Structuralism and James's Functionalism - Wilhelm Wundt's, a German philosopher-physician, integrated the philosophy and the natural sciences to create an academic discipline of psychology. His experiment to measure the the time lag between the instant a person heard a sound and the moment he or she pressed a telegraph key to signal having heard it, thereby, the capability to measure a mental process became able. - Wundt founded the first ever Psychology laboratory - Wundt focused on studying the basic structures of the human mind thus his approach was called "STRUCURALISM", by introspection (means focusing on your own thoughts it relies on a person conscious reflection. - Wundt is regarded as the founding father of psychology William James focused on the function of the brain rather it structures, James' view was called functionalism. They mainly studied the functions of the mind and behavior, and they focused on human interactions with the outside world and the purpose of thoughts. Structuralism is "WHAT" of the mind, but functionalism is the "WHY". Wundt(STRUCTURALISM): mind rigid structures James(FUNCTIONALISM): Mind is flexible and fluid and in constant change in response in continuous flow of information with outside activities he called this process "Stream of consciousness" QUICK SUM UP: - Psychology emerged as a science from the fields of philosophy and physiology - Founders of psychology: Wilhelm Wundt and William james - Wundt (Structuralism) James (Functionalism) - The functionalist emphasis on the mind's adaptive character fits well with the new understandings of Darwin's theory of evolution DARWIN'S NATURAL SELECTION Principle of natural selection: Darwin's principle of an evolutionary process in which organisms that are better adapted to their environment will survive and produce more offspring. Darwin's approach was well remarked by psychologist because it relies a big part on observation. The founding father of Evolutionary theory, in which he implies that a species changes over a generation because of genetic mutation and adaptation to the environment [Important figures in psychology and their roles:] - Wundt and James are rightfully recognized as the twin founders of psychological science. - Woman and people of color also contributed despite facing discrimination. - Mary Whiton Calkins studied psychology with William James at Harvard, she completed all the degree requirements for a PhD, but Harvard refused to award her because she is a woman - Charles Henry Turner, who received a PhD in zoology, is recognized as the first African American to conduct psychological research, he was studied insect behavior and learning and in honeybees. 3. CONTEMPORARY APPROACHES TO PSYCHOLOGY **1-THE BIOLOGICAL APPROACH** - An approach focusing on the body, especially the brain and nervous system. - Neuroscience, the study of the structure, development, genetics, function and biochemistry of the nervous system, neuroscientists believe that the brain and nervous system are central to understanding behavior, thought and emotion (understand the brain) *[Example]: Looking at the cute puppy involves physical processes in the eyes, nervous system, and brain* **2-THE BEHAVIORAL APPROACH** - Behavioral approach focuses on the interaction of the behavior and the environment (Behaviorists) - B. F. Skinner [and] John B. Watson adopt this approach *Example: The moment you spot the puppy, you might smile without thinking and reach down to pet the dog, [this action might be based on your past learning with your own dog.]* **3-THE PSYCHODYNAMIC APPROACH** - An approach focusing on unconscious thought (the conflict between biological drives) - The founder father: Sigmund Freud - Freud developed the technique "Psychoanalysis" which involved unlocking a person's unconscious conflict by talking about his/her childhood memories, dreams, thoughts, and feelings. - Today's psychodynamic approach focuses more on cultural and social experiences rather than sexual drives *Example: The moment you spot the puppy, you might smile without thinking and reach down to pet the dog[, based on unconscious memories of a childhood dog.]* **4-THE HUMANISTIC APPROACH** - It focuses on the person's positive qualities, the freedom of positivity's growth and the freedom to choose one's destiny. - People can control their lives and not be controlled by the environment *Example, you might find yourself striking up a conversation with the puppy's owner, based on your shared love of dogs.* **5-THE COGNITIVE APPROACH** - It focuses on the mental processes involved in knowing how we direct our attention, perceive, remember, think, and solve problems. - "Information processing" the way human mind interprets incoming information, weighs it, stores it, and apply it to make decisions *Example: The moment you spot the puppy, you might smile without thinking and reach down to pet the dog, [based on conscious memories that you especially like this dog breed.]* **6- EVOLUTIONARY APPROACH** - Focusing on evolutionary ideas such as adaptation, reproduction, and natural selection to explain human behaviors *Example: The moment you spot the puppy, you might smile without thinking and reach down to pet the dog, [based on evolutionary processes that promoted cuteness to help offspring survive.]* **7-THE SOCIOCULTURAL APPROACH** - Focuses on the way in which cultural and social environments influences behavior 4. WHAT PSYCHOLOGISTS DO: DIFFERENT CAREERS IN PSYCHOLOGY Psychologists practice their profession mainly in University/College and in medical centers - Individuals with undergraduate training in psychology: (occupations) - Human resources - doing casework for individuals struggling with mental disorders. - Business consulting - Individuals with graduate training in psychology: - Therapists - Councilors - Researchers and teachers in universities - Business consultants or marketing researchers. - Individuals who are engaged in helping others "PRACTITIONERS of psychology" - Clinical practices - Scientific research - Psychiatrist (Physician with medical degree specializes in abnormal behaviors) can prescribe drugs - Clinical psychologist (Doctoral degree in psychology 4-5years graduate work and 1 year of internship in a mental health facility) cannot prescribe anything AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION There is currently 56 divisions: Division 1 (the Society for General Psychology) Division 2 (the Society for the Teaching of Psychology) **Other areas of specialization:** - **Psychological psychology and Behavioral neuroscience**: - These people are interested in the physical processes that underlie mental operations such as thinking and memory. - May use animal models such as rats because it is impossible to study same way in humans. - Behavioral neuroscience focuses on biological processes, mainly the brain role in behavior - **Sensation and perception** - Focuses on the physical systems and psychological processes that allows us to experience the world, to listen to a favorite song and to see the beauty of a sunset. - **Learning** - The intricate process by which behavior changes in response to changing circumstances**.** - Rats and pigeons are often used for this kind of study - **Cognitive psychology** - Psychology that examines attention, consciousness, information processing, and memory. - Cognitive psychologists are also interested in skills and abilities such as problem solving, decision making, expertise, and intelligence - **Developmental psychology** - developmental psychologists concentrate on the biological and environmental factors that contribute to human development. (How people become who they are) - **Motivation and emotion** - Motivation (how people persist to attain a difficult goal) - Emotion (brain processes that underlie emotional experience) - **Psychology of women and gender** - Consider the psychological, social, and cultural influences on women's development and behavior. - The way in which our biological sex influences our ideas about ourselves as men and women. - **Personality Psychology** - Considers personality, consisting of the relatively enduring characteristics of individuals. - Personality psychologists study topics such as traits, goals, motives, genetics, personality development, and well-being. - **Social psychology** - Considers people's interactions with one another, relationships, social perceptions, social cognition, and attitudes. - **Industrial and organizational psychology** - Centers on the workplace---both the workers and the organizations that employ them. - Industrial: personnel matters and human resource management. - Organizational: examines the social influences in organizations, as well as organizational leadership. - **Clinical and counseling psychology** - Most widely practiced. - Focuses diagnose and treat people with psychological problems. - Clinical psychologists are interested in psychopathology (he scientific study of psychological disorders and the development of diagnostic categories and treatments for those disorders) - **Health psychology** - Emphasizes psychological factors, lifestyle, and the nature of the healthcare delivery system. - Health psychologists may work in physical or mental health areas - **Community psychology** - Concentrates on improving the quality of relationships among individuals, their community, and society at large. - **School and educational psychology** - Focuses children's learning and adjustment in school - **Environmental psychology** - The study of the interactions between people and their physical environment - **Forensic psychology** - field of psychology that applies psychological concepts to the legal system - **Sport psychology** - Psychology's principles to improving sport performance and enjoying sport participation. - **Cross cultural psychology** - Psychologists compare the nature of psychological processes in different cultures with a particular focus on whether psychological phenomena are universal or culture specific. 5. **THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY AND HEALTH AND WELLNESS** - **How the mind impacts the body:** Health psychologists view health behavior as a subset of behaviors that are relevant to physical health, but what about thinking, feeling and the health is affected? Everything we do, the way in which we think, see and feel can have a huge impact on our health and well-being - **How the body impacts on the mind:** The body can influence the mind in dramatic ways, like how much easier u can solve problem when you got enough sleep, clearly physical states such as illness and health have an influence over how we think PRACTIVING CH1 -- 73/100 1. D c(They are predicting ) 2. A 3. D 4. B d(being overweight is a observable trait yet not a behavior) 5. C 6. B 7. B 8. C 9. A d(Rena is critical thinking by investigating the evidences) 10. C Skepticism? 11. A Skinner? B(Freud is the most narrow view of psychology held by the majority of the society) 12. B 13. A 14. A 15. A 16. B 17. A introspection? 18. D structures and introspection? 19. B (basic elemnents) 20. D c(in structuralism, researchers asked participants ro report sensations they were experiencing) 21. A 22. A d(Wundt was the first one to introduce the idea of measuring mental processes) 23. C 24. B behaviorism? A(Functionalism) 25. C or D(The purpose of behavior the WHY? Of behavior) 26. D 27. D 28. D 29. B 30. C 31. A 32. C 33. D 34. D 35. D 36. ??c(Skinner believes that what we do is most important) 37. A? b(Skinner was the leading behaviorist) 38. A or b(Behavioral perspective) 39. C 40. D 41. C a(Behavioral) 42. D b(Skinner and Watson believed that psyc should focus more on interactions with the environment that can be seen and measured) 43. B or D(The behavior genetic focuses on how we learn observable responses) 44. B A(Focuses on early childhood's memory=unconsciousness) 45. B 46. C 47. D 48. A Psychodanamic 49. A 50. B a(nowadays, focuses more on cultural and social experiments rather than sexual instincts) 51. C b(Both psychodynamic and humanistic approaches acknowledge the importance of internal personality process) 52. A 53. C 54. C 55. B 56. C 57. D 58. C 59. D 60. B 61. A 62. B?? is it D(Feelts that people thought process function almost like computer programs endorses) 63. B 64. C 65. A 66. D?? C(Its difficult for evolutionary psyc to explain sex differences) 67. A 68. C 69. D 70. D 71. D 72. A 73. D 74. ?/ c(Most of psychologists work at colleges and unis) 75. C 76. D 77. B 78. C 79. B c(Behavioral neuroscience) 80. C a(Clinical psychology) 81. D 82. D 83. A d(cognitive) 84. D 85. B 86. D 87. A b(sport cz it relates to the physical body) 88. A 89. D 90. B 91. C 92. D 93. C 94. B 95. A 96. D 97. A 98. a 99. b 100. c 1-C