Module 1 Flashcards
How can psychology help us to learn?
reflective learning skills- set goals, ask questions, expand notes and modify strategy, relating info learned to personal life
reflective reading- relate concepts to self and critical thinking, find key points and relate, what is the purpose of the key points
reflective listening- limit distractions (like texting), listen for main ideas
How can psychology help us to study?
study strategies
spaced study sessions, overlearn (spend more time with ideas and content, go beyond mastery, and don’t get too confident with what you know
ask for clarification
Psychology
Seek/explain human behaviors
scientific study (observable) of behavior and mental processes
testing and asking questions to understand mental processes (what is someone thinking?)
4 goals of psychology
- describe the nature of behavior (what is affecting behavior along with observed behavior and how does environment influence behavior)
- understand why behavior occurs (the norm and its changes)
- predict when behavior might occur (working towards an understanding, use categories/labels/ and descriptions to understand and predict, validity and reliability come in b/c predictions aren’t always right)
- control conditions that affect behavior (influencing factors)
Critical thinking
examines assumptions, considers the source, discerns hiddden biases, evaluate evidence and assesses conclusions
doesn’t automatically accept facts/arguements
healthy amount of skepticism based on evidence and logic
pause, evaluate, compare, question, analyze, critique, and synthesize info
be skeptical and challenge convention wisdom: are common sense accurate?
How is psychology a science?
science- passion to explore and understand without misleading
uses scientific observation, critical thinking, and empirical evidence
behaviorism and learning
John Watson, BF Skinner dissmissed introspective definition and redifined psychology as the scientic study of observable human behavior (not feelings)
view that psychology should be an objective science that studies behavior without reference to mental processes
most psychologists today believe in 1st part and not the 2nd
Biological level of analysis
genetics, brain processes, and evolution
inherited, adaptive aspects of behavior, and mental processes
neuroscience
confirmation bias
looking for stuff that confirms our beliefs
Functionalism
functionality of senses/how senses protect us individually; how the mind helps us to survive
early school of thought promoted and believed by William James (he was also influenced by Darwin)
explored how mental and behavioral processes function- how they enable the organism to adapt and survive
Levels of analysis
biological, psychological, sociocultural
holistic- each level
enables psychologists to consider interconnected factors to explain behaviors
biopsychosocial approach- integrated approach that combines all 3 levels of analysis to analyze
we share biological roots, but psychological and socio-cultural influences affect our behaviors and assumptions
Max Wertheimer
expanded on William James’ ideas
Gestalt psychology: studied thinking, learning, personality, and perception as whole units
holistic approach- 5 senses as a whole and their purpose as a whole and individually (difference in parts and whole)
seek patterns! (how are we able to predict)
Psychological level of analysis
behavior is the result of processes within each person
mental processes
scientific research
Sociocultural level of analysis
impact of social context, crowds, groups, and cultures
effect of poverty, religion, ethnicity, and education and their impacts
Structuralism
early school of thought- Wundt and Titchener believed these ideas
structure of mind/what is there/what is it made of
gather info through 5 senses and describing
used introspection (describing, telling your awareness and inner sensations and feelings) to reveal the structure of the human mind and the goal of classifying and understanding
some science, but some flaws- people’s perceptions of senses are different, more opinion based, unreliable and had high variability
Edward Titchener (student, expanded, brough to USA)
