Introduction to psychology Chapter 1 (Background to Psychology

Question 1

Psychology is the science of ________ and its ______ _____ ______

Answer 1

behaviour, undelying mental processes

Question 2

What is behaviour

Answer 2

Behaviour is an observable action of a person or animal

Question 3

What is the mind

Answer 3

The mind is the individuals sensation, perception and subjective experience.

It also refers to unconcious knowledge and processes in the brain

Question 4

What is science

Answer 4

Science refers to all attempts to answer questions through systemativ collection and logical analysis of data

Question 5

What are the three foundations and ideas of psychology

Answer 5

1. ) Materialism (behaviour and mental processes have a material origin) vs dualism (humans have “thought”, which is like a soul but unconcious processes are mechanical)
2. ) Empiricism (all knowledge is learnt) vs Nativism (there is a basic foundation of knowledge inborn)
3. ) Evolution (natural selection promoted the developement of humans and the mind) vs Creationism (…)

Question 6

what are two kinds of knowledges according to nativism

Answer 6

1. priori knowledge (inborn)

2. postori knowledge (learned)

Question 7

what are the four biological levels of analysis

Answer 7

1. neural (brain processes)
2. physiological (chemicals in body)
3. genetic
4. evolutionary (how was this behaviour helping)

Question 8

what are the five other causal levels of analysis

Answer 8

5. learning
6. cognitive (knowledge)
7. social (influence from others)
8. cultural (personal background)
9. developmental (age and development)

Question 9

how did empiricism explain behaviour

Answer 9

it works mainly with the law of association and contiguitiy