Lesson 1: pop psyc & thinking

Question 1

Psychology is?

Answer 1

The study of mental processes and behaviours

Question 2

What are the four goals of psychologists?

Answer 2

-Description: what they observe

-Explanation: why mental processes/behaviour occurs

-Prediction: circumstances that lead to the behaviour of mental process

-Control: what we can do to prevent it

Question 3

Psychology isn’t easy to define because?

Answer 3

-There are multiple levels of analysis
-behaviour is multiply determined

Question 4

Levels of analysis?

Answer 4

-The brain (neuronal activity, neurochemistry, brain structure, genes)

-The person (emotions, thoughts, ideas)

-The group (friends, family, population,culture)

Question 5

Challenges of psychology? (5)

Answer 5

1.) Behaviour is multiply determined: -behaviour is not caused by a single factor
-hard to predict

2.) Psychological influences are rarely independent:

3.) Individual differences:
-people think differently
-explains why people react differently in situations

4.) People influence each other:
-behaviour is caused by social interaction combined with differences and other factors

5.) Behaviour shaped by culture:
- information is different in each culture

Question 6

Reciprocal determinism?

Answer 6

Feedback loop where we influence each others behaviour

Question 7

Empiricism?

Answer 7

Knowledge through observation