1.1 Psychology as a Science

Question 1

Psychology

Answer 1

the scientific study of mind and behavior

Question 2

Meaning of the world psychology

Answer 2

comes from the Greek words “psyche,” meaning life, and “logos,” meaning explanation

Question 3

Where do most psychologists work?

Answer 3

in research laboratories, hospitals, and other field settings where they study the behavior of humans and animals

Question 4

What do all psychologists have in common?

Answer 4

they rely on scientific methods

Question 5

Research psychologists

Answer 5

use scientific methods to create new knowledge about the causes of behavior

Question 6

Psychologist-practitioners

Answer 6

such as clinical, counseling, industrial-organizational, and school psychologists, use existing research to enhance the everyday life of others

Question 7

data

Answer 7

any information collected through formal observation or measurement

Question 8

hindsight bias

Answer 8

the tendency to think that we could have predicted something that has already occurred that we probably would not have been able to predict

Question 9

What have scientific studies found out about people?

Answer 9

though it is easy to think that everyday situations have commonsense answers, scientific studies have
found that people are not always as good at predicting outcomes as they think they are

Question 10

What does employing the scientific method allow?

Answer 10

it allows the scientist to collect empirical data objectively, which adds to the accumulation of scientific knowledge.

Question 11

Empirical methods

Answer 11

includes the processes of collecting and organizing data and drawing conclusions about those data

Question 12

scientific method

Answer 12

the set of assumptions, rules, and procedures that scientists use to conduct empirical research

Question 13

Values

Answer 13

they are personal statements such as “Abortion should not be permitted in this country,” “I will go to heaven when I die,” or “ It is important to study psychology.”

Question 14

Facts

Answer 14

they are objective statements determined to be accurate through empirical study. Examples are “ There were more than 21,000 homicides in the United States in 2009,” or “ Research demonstrates that individuals who are exposed to highly stressful situations over long periods of time develop more health problems than those who are not.”

Question 15

levels of explanation

Answer 15

the perspectives that are used to understand behavior

Question 16

Lower levels of explanation

Answer 16

they are more closely tied to biological influences, such as genes, neurons, neurotransmitters, and hormones

Question 17

middle levels of explanation

Answer 17

they refer to the abilities and characteristics of individual people

Question 18

highest levels of explanation

Answer 18

they relate to social groups, organizations, and cultures

Question 19

Why are all levels of explanation essential?

Answer 19

for a better understanding of human behavior

Question 20

What is a major goal of Psychology?

Answer 20

to predict behavior by understanding its causes

Question 21

Individual differences

Answer 21

the variations among people on physical or psychological dimensions

Question 22

multiply determined

Answer 22

behavior that is produced by many factors

Question 23

Sigmund Freud (1856–1939)

Answer 23

he argued that many psychological disorders were caused by memories that we have repressed and thus remain outside our consciousness

Question 24

Psychological phenomena

Answer 24

they are complex, and making predictions about them is difficult because of individual differences and because they are multiply determined at different levels of explanation