Lecture #1: Introduction to Psych Flashcards
Define Psychology
- The scientific study of thoughts (difficult to measure) and behaviour (easier to measure)
- Psyche = mind
- Logos = study
Scientific Approach
- Open-minded
- Test ideas
- Follow the evidence
What Psychological research studies
- Study behaviour and behavioural disorders
Case study: Depression (SRTCS)
- Symptoms
- Rate
- Treatment
- Causes
- Susceptibility
Stimuli
- things that can change or result in behaviour.
- Some are meaningful and others are filtered out.
- Their degree of meaningfulness depends on the individual and the env’nt.
- Meaningful stimuli = cause or change our behaviour.
- sounds, sights etc.
Perceived behavioural control
- Link between one’s perception about their behavioural and their actual behaviour.
- Belief: I can control my behaviour = likely to diet
- Belief: I cannot control my behaviour = do not diet.
What do we mean when we say behavior is ‘multifactorial’?
- There are many factors that influence behaviour => difficult to predict behaviour.
- Factors can interact with each other.
1. Predictive power: - Some factors are easier to predict behaviour with (stronger predictors)
- Weaker predictors
- Individual differences
- Culture differences
- Reciprocal determinism
- People influence other people (e.g. low mood can be shared).
Biases
- Preferences in judgment
- 4 main types of biases.
Confirmation bias
- The tendency to look for evidence that backs our stance.
To Solve:
- Meta-analysis: analyze a large amount of opinion and then use the average stance.
Illusion of Causality
- The instinct to see patterns and associations between things.
- Helpful when there are real associations
- Cost: when there are false associations (called random relationships)
Clustering Illusion
- Making associations when there isn’t enough data (range is too small).
Apophenia
- Perceiving meaning between unassociated things
- Evolutionary advantage for survival
- E.g. seeing faces on inanimate objects (hard-wired to recognize faces for survival).
Fallacies
- Errors in reasoning.
Terror management theory
- Example of beliefs that have no supporting evidence
- How we deal with terror:
- Resort to rituals that will provide meaning (quell fear).
Belief perseverance
- maintain our beliefs even when we know we are wrong
- b/c afraid of the consequences (factual) or take a self-esteem hit (emotional).
- E.g. refuse to believe I gave vanilla extract instead of maple syrup to the elderly people.
- Structuralism (school of thought) psychology
- Breaking down experiences into components (elements).
Techniques: - analytical Introspection to see common elements.
Benefits: - Credibility to psychology
- Sensation vs. perception.
- Unconscious processes underlie behaviour.
Limitations:
- Subjects reported inconsistent elements for their experiences.
- Functionalism psychology
- Our behaviours are the result of adaptations for survival.
Limitations:
- Mostly theoretical and difficult to test. - - e.g. anxiety = our fight or flight
- Gestalt psychology
- Experiences cannot be broken down into elements
- Context is important
Beneficial:
- Visual perception principles: ability to fill in gaps in our sight (make assumptions).
Limitations:
- Don’t explain why/how we have visual perception.
- Psychodynamics
- Study of the unconscious and internal experiences. Techniques: - Talk therapy and dream analysis was used. Benefits: - Developed talk therapy - Public awareness increased. Limitations: - Psychiatric patients (small sample).
- Behaviourism psychology
- The exclusive study of behaviour (by studying stimulus and response)
Benefits: - Principles of learning and learned behaviour (Reinforcement/punishment experiments)
Limitations: - Brain = black box: Couldn’t study mental processes/brain
Reinforcement & punishment affecting behaviour
Importance:
- Understanding principles of learning.
- Understand learned behaviour.
Drawbacks:
- No mental processes.
- Doesn’t explain the exceptions (e.g. kids experimenting with bad language). - E.g.: goal of safe driving
Positive Reinforcement
- Adding something to increase behaviour - Free gas if drive safe
Negative Reinforcement
- Removing something to increase behaviour
- Stop seat belt beep; put on seatbelt
Positive punishment
- Adding something to decrease behaviour - Speeding ticket; decrease unsafe driving.
Negative punishment
- Removing something to decrease behaviour - take away license; decrease unsafe driving.
- Cognitive psychology
- study mental processes
- requires advanced technology (neuroimaging).
- Social/cultural psychology
- How social and cultural factors influence behaviour and decision.
- Individualism vs. collectivism
