Introducing Psychological Science Flashcards
Cyber Emotional Intelligence
examines assumptions we make about people based on their online personalities
Psychology
the scientific study of behaviour, thought, and experience, and how they can be affected by physical, mental, social, and environmental factors
Scientific Method
a way of learning about the world through collecting observations, developing theories to explain them, and using these theories to make predictions
Hypothesis and Theory
Theory:
- general principles/explanations of some aspects of the world
- must be falsifiable (there can be evidence for or against it)
Hypothesis:
- specific predictions that can test the whole (or specific parts) of the theory
- can be rejected or supported through scientific testing (cannot be PROVEN)
(See fig. 1.1, page 3)
Pseudoscience
an idea that is presented as science but does not actually utilize basic principles of scientific thinking or procedure
e.g., astrology
Clarification of common issues about a theory
1) Not the same thing as opinions or beliefs
2) All theories are not equally plausible
3) A measure of a good theory is not the number of people who believe it to be true
The biopsychosocial model
Biological influences: brain structures, chemical hormones, external substances like drugs
Psychological influences: -memories, emotions, personalities
-how above factors shape the way we think and and respond to different people and situations
Social factors: family, peers, ethnicity, culture
Biopsychosocial model: explaining behaviour a product of the above three factors. All three levels influence each other
(See fig. 1.2, page 6)
Scientific literacy
the ability to understand, analyze, and apply scientific information
- Knowledge gathering: What do we know about this?
- Scientific explanation: How can science explain it:
- Critical thinking: Can we critically evaluate the evidence?
- Application: Why is this relevant?
Critical thinking
exercising curiosity and cautious skepticism when evaluating the claims of others, and with our own assumptions and beliefs; does not mean being negative or arbitrarily critical
How to develop critical thinking
- Be curious
- Examine source and nature of evidence; not all research is of good quality
- examine assumptions and biases
- avoid overly emotional thinking
- tolerate ambiguity
- consider alternative viewpoints and interpretations of the evidence
Empiricism
a philosophical tenet that knowledge comes through experience; knowledge based on careful observation, not common sense
Determinism
the belief that all events are governed by lawful, cause-and-effect relationships
Hippocrates | Influences from the ancients
- developed the world’s first personality classification scheme
- Greeks believed that four humours flowed throughout the body and influenced health and personality
- blood - yelloew bile - black bile - phlegm
Galen of Pergamon | Influences from the ancients
-refined Hippocrates’ work: suggested that the four humours combined to create temperaments, or emotional and personality characteristics that remained stable throughout the lifetime
Sanguine (blood): a tendency to be impulsive, pleasure-seeking, and charismatic
Choleric (yellow bile): a tendency to be ambitious, energetic, and aggressive
Melancholic (black bile): a tendency to be independent, perfectionist, and a bit introverted
Phlegmatic (phlegm): a tendency to be quiet, relaxed, and content with life
Gustav Fechner | Influences from Physics
-coined tem “psychophysics”: the study of relationship between the physical world and the mental representation of that world
