Psychology Chp 1

The scientific study of behavior and mental process. 

Rational investigation of being and knowing. 

Use of systematic methods to observe, describe behavior, predict, and explain behavior. 

• 1. Describe (what)
• 2. Explain (why)
• 3. Predict (when)
• 4. Control (how)

Leipzig Germany in 1879 

Wilhelm Wundt 1832-1920

• Shape (round) 
• Color (green)
• Texture (bumpy)

• Student of Wundt
• Brought Psy in the form of STRUCTURALISM to America in 1892. 
• Studied at Cornell Uni in Ithaca, NY

• Harvard- Late 1870s
• William James 1842-1920 
• James brought FUNCTIONALISM to psy studies. 

Mas Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka, Wolfgang Kohler

Believed that people seek out patterns (wholes) in sensory information, then separate elements of consciousness to result in a false picture. 

The theory and therapy that is based on Sigmund Freud's (1856-1939) idea that unconscious conflicts are determinant of behavior and that early childhood forms out personality. 

When two stimuli are associated, an involuntary behavior (reflex) is elicited. 

• Ivan Pavlov 

John B. Watson believed that humans are born blank and the environment the baby grows up in determines the child's personality. 

B.F. Skinner believed that rewards and punishment shaped the VOLUNTARY behavior. 

Albert Bandura believed that people learn a behavior by watching other's behaviors. 

Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow believe humans can choose their own personality and destiny because humans have the strength and abilities to choose. 

Herbet Simon, Alber Ellis, Aaron Beck

• Cognitive: Ability To Think
• Memory, Intelligence, Perception, Problem-solving, and Learning. 

• Attribute human and animals behavior to BIOLOGICAL events. 
• Genes, Chemicals(hormones), Chemicals in nervous system. 

Relationship between social behavior and culture.

Other behaviors effect behaviors, and cultures effect behaviors. 

• Medical Doctor (M.D.)
• Can prescribe medication
• Do not typically provide "psychotherapy" as the once did. 

• Doctor of Psychology (PhD or PsyD)
• Do NOT prescribe medication
• Provides psychotherapy. 

• Clinical- Mild to severe psy disorders (M.D.) 
• Counseling- less severe disorders(Masters) 
• Educational- learning and development (teach and research)-(College Levels) 
• School- Tests kids for educational placement(Determine learning disabilities)

• Experimental- Research of psychological concepts
• Social- Study of group behavior and influences.
• Physiological- Study of biological bases of behavior
• Developmental- Studies how people change throughout life. (Physical, cognitive, moral, emotional, relational)

• Clinical - 34%
• Counseling- 13%
• Developmental- 12%

A way to collect data while controlling the chance of error and bias when observing behavior. 

• A way to rest or verify claims or theories. 
•  

Notice an event and ask "Why?"

Example: Kids are more aggressive after watching cartoons on Saturday. Why?

A educated guess as explanation for "Why?"

Example: Kids who watch violent cartoons will be more aggressive.

• Test your hypothesis and collect all data.
• Example: One of my kids watched violent cartoons in one room while my other kid watched "nice" cartoons. After watching T.V. collect and record your data.

• Data collected is analyzed.
•  If your hypothesis is supported  you can make educated guesses about the future.

Report all findings and revise your theories! 

The entire group of people about which the investigator wanted to draw conclusions. 

(The kids) 

A subset of the population chosen at random for the study. 

Samples should be random and representative. 

(Random kids are selected to watch diffrent cartoons at random.)

When samples are not random, the study is less valid. 

Is only possible if the sample truly represents the population. 

This is the ultimate goal of research!

• Lab observation: 
• Occurs in psy lab
• controlled
• may not be realistic
• Naturalistic Observation:
• Observes real world behavior
• very little control
• Subjects may act differently
• Does not reveal cause and effect
• Interviews and Questions: 
• Costs effective and easy to conduct.
• People may be reluctant to admit embarrassing information 

• Descriptive- Serves to observe & record behavior/events. 
• Correlational: Describes the strength of a relationship between two variables. 
• Experimental: Scientific procedure in which one or more factors believe to influence behavior are manipulated while all other factors are held constant. 

• Goal: Describe the strength of relationship between two variables. 
• The stronger the relationship, the more effect one variable predicts. 
• Relationship is expressed as a numerical value called a correlational coefficient ranging from +10to-1.0

Sign: (+/-) indicated the direction of the relationship (positive/negitive) 

Size: Of the the # indicates the strength of the relationship. (stronger when closer to +10 or -1.0 and weaker the closer to 0) 

Positive: When increases/decreases in one variable are matched by +/- in the other. 

Negative: When + in one variable are matched by - in the other one. 

• Example: Positive when you record the number of yawns in the class to the lecture length.  You are increasing the "boring" so you are increasing the yawns!
• Negative when you record the number of student attention to a lecture. You are still making the "boring" lecture go up, so the attention goes down. 

• Scientific exploration of relationships between variables.
• Independent Variables (IV): The variable that is being manipulated (changed) 
• Dependent Variable (DV): The variable that changes because you changed the IV

• Experimental Group:The group whose experience has be changed. 
• Control Group: Where there was no change.