Lecture 1 - The Evolution Of Science Flashcards
Why is psychology important?
Psychology can help us understand other people and ourselves Psychology can help us improve our lives
What are the study of mental activity and behaviour based on?
Brain processes
What does mental activity let us perceive ?
The world; we use our senses - sight, smell, taste, hearing and touch to take in information from outside ourselves
What does behaviour refer to?
all of ours actions that result from sensing and interpreting information
What is critical thinking?
Systemically evaluating information to reach reasonable conclusions best supported by evidence
What are the 3 steps in becoming a skilled critical thinker?
What am I being asked to believe or accept? What evidence is provided to support the claim ? What are the most reasonable conclusions?
What does media report seek to grab?
Attention. Their claims may be based on psychological research, but they may be hype instead
What does thinking critically about claims in psychology help?
Daily life
What does listening to Mozart make people?
Smarter
Why is important to learn about psychology’s major issues, theories and controversies ?
Help succeed in academic work
What are important abilities learned from psychology?
Analysing information by breaking it into pieces Evaluating ideas by drawing conclusions about them Communicating about psychological concepts
What do teachers and education professionals need to understand?
How people’s thinking, social abilities, and behaviours develop over time
What do people in business, marketing, advertising and sales need to know?
How attitudes are formed or changed and how well people’s attitudes predict their behaviour
What are the philosophical questions?
Aristotle and Plato Nature/nurture debate: both nature and nurture influence our psychological development Mind/body problem: are the mind and body separate and distinct. Descartes and dualism: the mind and the body are separate yet intertwined
What are the school of thoughts?
Structuralism Functionalism Psychoanalytic theory Gestalt psychology Behaviourism Humanistic psychology Cognitive psychology
Structuralism
Wilhelm Wundt and Edward Titchener Goal: identify basic parts, or structures, of the conscious mind
Functionalism
William James and Charles Darwin Goal: describe how the conscious mind aid adaptation to an environment
Psychoanalytic theory
Sigmund Freud Understand how unconscious thoughts cause psychological disorders
Gestalt Psychology
Max Wertheimer and Wolfgang Kohler Goal: study subjective perceptions as a unified whole
Behaviourism
John B Watson and B.F. Skinner Goal: describe behaviour in response to environmental stimuli
Humanistic Approach
Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers Goal: investigate how people become happier and more fulfilled; focus on the basic goodness of people
Cognitive Psychology
George Miller and Ulric Neisser Goal: explore internal mental processes that influence behaviour
When did experimental psychology begin?
1879 when Wilhelm Wundt established the first psychology laboratory
What is the purpose of laboratory
Identify basic parts, or structures, of conscious mind Reaction time experiments Introspection methods
What is structuralism based on?
That conscious experience can be broken down into underlying parts
Structuralism
Component of the conscious mind
Functionalism
Purpose of the conscious mind Concerned with the adaptive purpose, or function of mind and behaviour
Evolutionary theory
Natural selection aids survival
What did Darwin’s idea deeply influence?
Science Philosophy Society
Psychoanalytic theory
Unconscious conflict Freud used psychoanalysis to treat h conscious mental forces that conflicted with acceptable behaviour and produced psychological disorders While of personal experience is different from simply the sum of its parts
Behaviourism
Stimuli and responses Emphasises he role of environmental forces in producing behaviour
Humanistic Approach
Focus on positives Investigates how people grow to become happier and more fulfilled and focuses on people’s basic goodness How people are free to choose activities that make them happy and bring them fulfilment
Cognitive psychology
Mental activity The study of how people think, learn and remember
What is cognitive neuroscience interaction of?
Cognitive psychologists Computer scientists Philosophers Brain researchers
What are the four levels of analysis used by psychologists?
Biological level Individual level Social level Cultural level
Biological level
How the physical body influences our thoughts and behaviour
Individual level
Focuses on individual differences in personality and mental processes that affect perception and understanding
Social level
Investigating how groups affect people’s interactions and people’s influence on each other
Cultural level
Explores how people’s thoughts, feelings, and actions are similar or different across cultures
What does biological focus on?
Brain systems Neurochemistry Genetics
What is studied in brain systems?
Neuroanatomy, animal research and brain imaging
What is studied in neurochemistry?
Neurotransmitters and hormones Animal and drug studies
What is studied in genetics?
Gene mechanism, heritability, twin and adoption studies
What do individual level focus on?
Individual differences Perception and cognition Behaviour
What is studied in individual differences?
Personality, gender, developmental age groups, self-concept
What is studied in perception and cognition?
Thinking, decision making, language, attention, memory, vision
What is studied in behaviour?
Observable actions, responses, physical movements
What do social level focus on?
Interpersonal behaviour Social cognition
What is studied in interpersonal behaviour?
Groups, relationships, persuasion, influence, workplace interaction
What is studied in social cognition?
Attitudes, stereotypes and perceptions
What does cultural level focus on?
Thoughts, actions, behaviours in different societies and cultural groups
What is studied in cultural level?
Norms, beliefs, values, symbols, ethnicity
What are the subfield or research related sub fields in psychology?
Biological Cognitive Developmental Personality
Social Cultural Clinical.
Industrial/organisational
