Psychology Ch. 1

Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and the factors that influence it.

Biological, environmental and psychological

Behaviour has no basic definition, when studying psychology behaviour can be many things.

• the quest for knowledge purely for it's own sake.
• Describes how people behave and identifies factors that influence a type of behaviour in a lab or real world setting.

Take findings from basic research and design a study to solve practical problems

• -A basic research study
• - Competition between groups caused conflict
• - Reduced this by forcing cooperation

• Jigsaw program: multicultural school.. required students to cooperate to achieve success
• prejudice was decreased through cooperation

• Predict how certain people and animals behave under certain conditions
• Control behaviour through knowledge and control its causes to enhance human welfare.
• Understand and explain the causes of behaviour
• Describe how people have animals behave
• PCUED

• They are vantage points for analyzing behaviour and its biological, psychological and environmental causes.
• There are six different perspectives.

Biological, cognitive, psycho-dynamic, behavioural, humanistic, sociocultural.

• focuses on the physical side of human nature. BRAIN!
• Mind body dualism vs monism

• That all areas of the brain are responsible for different functions.
• The EEG shows electrical activity from large areas of the brain through electrodes attached to the scalp.

• Darwin introduced the idea of evolution. Survival of the fittest
• Mendel discovered genetic transmission.
• Evolutionary psychologists focus on the role of evolution in the development of behaviour and mental mechanisms.

stimulates development of brain mechanisms

complex social behaviours are built into species as products of evolution

the study of how behavioural tendencies are influenced by genetic factors

views humans as information processors an problem solvers whose actions are governed by thought and planning

structure of mind by breaking down into basic compenents, thought to be sensations

influenced by Darwin's evolutionary theory and has emphasis on how mind processes information and direct behaviour which is adaptive behaviour

elements of experiences are organized into wholes, opposite of structuralism.

AHA! sudden perception of a useful relationship or solution

studies cognitive development in children

tried to understand how mental distortion patterns create emotional problems

searches for the causes of behaviour within the workings of our personalities, emphasizes the role of unconscious processes and unresolved conflicts from the past

• Psychoanalysis: internal unconscious psychological forces.
• Hysteria and hypnosis. Repression.

focuses on the roles of the external environment in shaping our actions

• British empiricalism held that all ideas and knowledge are gained empirically (through the senses)
• Seeing was believing.

• emphasizes environmental control of behaviour through learning, emerged as an outspoken alternative to the cognitive and psycho-dynamic perspectives.
• A person does not act upon the world, the world acts upon him.

a bridge between the 2 perspecives.. the environment affects our behaviour by giving us the information we need the behave effectively.

• Self-actualization
• we all are trying to reach our individual potential,

• We all want to live forever but know we are going to die.
• Anxiety called existential terror.

focuses on the manner in which culture is transmitted to its members and on the similarities and differences that occur among people from diverse cultures.

• Culture is the values, beliefs and traditions shared by a large group
• Norms are rules that specify what is acceptable.

Western civilization: we care about our own personal goals

Eastern: the groups goal matters most. One big defined goal.