Chapter 1

Question 1

Psychology is

Answer 1

The scientific study of the mind, brain, and behaviour.

Question 2

What are the three levels of psychology?

Answer 2

The first level is the structure of the brain, the second level is thoughts, feelings, and emotions, and the third level is cultural and social influences.

Question 3

Five reasons that psychology is complex

Answer 3

1) Actions are almost always multiply determined
2) Psychological influences are rarely independent
3) People have specific differences as individuals
4) Reciprocal determinism - people mutually influence each other
5) Behaviour is shaped by culture

Question 4

Two approaches to cross-cultural society

Answer 4

Emic - study as a native

Etic - study as an outsider

Question 5

Who developed the scientific method?

Answer 5

Hippocrates, a Greek philosopher

Question 6

Who thought that the mind and body were connected?

Answer 6

Hippocrates

Question 7

Dualism (has been discredited)

Answer 7

Argued that the mind and body are fundamentally different things, the body being material and the soul being immaterial

Question 8

Phrenology

Answer 8

Specific mental abilities are localized in the specific regions of the brain

Question 9

Wilhelm Wundt

Answer 9

“Father of psychology”, wanted to study consciousness, argued psychology should be a science

Question 10

Introspection

Answer 10

Technique used to Wundt to record mental experiences, trained observers were to reflect carefully and report on their mental experiences, systematic observation

Question 11

Structuralism

Answer 11

Theoretical perspective that aimed to identify the basic elements, or structures, of the psychological experience

Question 12

Problems with structuralism

Answer 12

Too subjective, science requires replicable observations, imageless thought

Question 13

Functionalism

Answer 13

Shifted focus away from the content of consciousness to the purpose of consciousness, argued consciousness couldn’t be mapped because it was always changing

Question 14

Behaviourism

Answer 14

Emerged in the early 1900’s, saying that psychology must be objective and should only study observable behaviour, argued psychology should not study mental life at all because it’s too subjective

Question 15

“Litte Albert” Experiment

Answer 15

Hypothesis: fear is learned, not innate

Question 16

Radical behaviourism (behaviourism cont.)

Answer 16

Argued that stimulus-response psychology cannot amount of all learning, developed a theory of learning focusing on how behaviour changes according to its consequences, human mind is a black box

Question 17

Cognitivism

Answer 17

Argues our thinking affects our behaviour

Question 18

Psychoanalysis

Answer 18

Focuses on internal psychological processes in the unconscious

Question 19

Freud

Answer 19

Being treating people with hysteria, liked hypnosis

Question 20

Behavioural genetics

Answer 20

A field of research dedicated to ascertaining the different contributions of genes/environments on specific behaviours

Question 21

Evolutionary psychology

Answer 21

Argues that many psychological processes have adaptive functions (memory, emotion, attractiveness)

Question 22

Empiricism

Answer 22

The premise that knowledge should be initially acquired through observation

Question 23

Basic research

Answer 23

Examines how the mind works; tests predictions derived from theories

Question 24

Applied research

Answer 24

Examines how we can use basic research to solve real world, practical problems

Question 25

Confirmation bias

Answer 25

The tendency to see evidence that supports hypothesis

Question 26

Believe perseverance

Answer 26

The tendency to stick to our initial beliefs even when evidence contradicts them

Question 27

Metaphysical claims

Answer 27

Assertions about the world that are not testable

Question 28

Pseudoscience

Answer 28

Claims that seem scientific but are not (eg. astrology)

Question 29

Warnings of pseudoscience

Answer 29

Exaggerated claims, over reliance on anecdotes, use of loopholes, lack of self-correction

Question 30

We fall for pseudoscience because…

Answer 30

Emotional reasoning fallacy, not me fallacy, hasty generalization fallacy, appeal to authority fallacy

Question 31

Scientific skepticism

Answer 31

An approach to evaluating claims with an open mind but insisting on the persuasive evidence before accepting them

Question 32

When evaluating scientific principles, 6 things to keep in mind:

Answer 32

Ruling out rival hypotheses, correlation is not causation, falsifiability, replicability, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, Occam’s razor (simplest explanation is the best one)