Transcript PSYCHOLOGY

PSYCHOLOGY
CHAPTER ONE
Essential question:
What is psychology?
Psychology provides the tools to
help you gain insight into your
own behavior, as well as your
relationships with others
Behavior has two components
observable behavior
unobservable behavior
Psychology is a Science
Psychology is connected to the social
sciences
i.e. history and economics
As a social science psychology explores
the influences of society on individual
behavior and group relationships.
Psychology is connected to the natural
sciences
i.e. biology and chemistry
As a natural science psychology looks
for biological explanations for human
behavior
Ask the question, “Why do teenagers
participate in risky behavior?
Social science would look at the
behavior as it is influenced by
society.
Family structure, economics, locations
Natural science would look at brain
development.
Brain development
Predict
Rank in order the progression of drug use then share
with the person next to you.
1. Pot
2. Cigarettes
3. Alcohol
4. Heroin
5. Prescription drugs
6. Ecstasy
7. Cocaine
8. LSD
9. Mushrooms
Goals of Psychology
DESCRIBE- psychologist describe or gather
information about the behavior being studied
and to present what is known.
EXPLAIN- psychologist seek to explain why
their study subjects (people or animals)
behave they way they do. These explanations
can be called psychological principles.
Psychological principles are generally valid
ideas about behavior
PREDICT- psychologist try to predict, as
a result of accumulated knowledge,
gathered through research, how people
or animals will behave.
INFLUENCE- some psychologist will seek
to influence behavior, hopefully for the
better
Steve's Behavior
Humans are complex!
Steve ignored physiological needs –
physical needs (sleep hunger)
Engaged in this behavior for cognitive
(private unobservable mental) reasons
unknown to us
thinking, feeling, attitudes
AVOIDANCE?????
PSYCHOLOGY is the
SCIENTIFIC (in accord with the rules
or methods of science)
SYSTEMATIC (follow a plan,
methodical, orderly)
STUDY of behavior and mental
processes in organisms.
Why ????
- to reduce the possibility or errors
and bias….
Hmmmm.. let’ s look at that predict list
again
Did you by chance rank these
according to your personal experience???
The Scientific Basis of
Psychology
Psychologists working in basic science are
conducting studies TO EXPLAIN more
human or animal behavior (research)
Psychologists working in applied science
use what is already known to solve more
immediate problems.
EX: Finding ways to alter/fix the
Psychology as a Science
Studies done in psychology MUST use the
scientific method. (to reduce the
possibility or errors and bias)….
1. QUESTION or PROBLEM
2. HYPOTHESIS- educated guess
3. COLLECT DATA- experiments, surveys and
case studies
4. ANALYIZE DATA
5. DRAW CONCLUSIONS
6. THEORY
William Wundt set up the first psychology
lab to study sensation and feelings.
Technique was known as introspection