Psychology Intro key terms

Question 1

Definition of Psychology

Answer 1

Psyche= Mind
Logos= Knowledge or study
* Once defined as study of the mind
* Broader definition includes behaviour
* Psychologists study mind and behaviour scientifically

Question 2

The mind

Answer 2

The mind refers to experiences or mental processes that cannot be directly observed.
* any response that is internal or hidden from view and cannot be directly observed.
* Psychology relies on inferences, or assumptions, about underlying processes on the basis of observable behaviour.

Question 3

Inference

Answer 3

An inference is a logical conclusion which is based on available evidence. We never say we PROVE anything in psychology, rather we say we can INFER from the evidence we have collected.
The process that take place in the mind are known as cognitive processes or cognitions.

Question 4

Behaviour

Answer 4

Behaviour refers to any observable action made by a living person or animal.
is best described as any kind of response that can be seen and measured.
eg. Eating, sleeping, sneezing
But this also includes biological processes, such as activation of regions of the brain or neurotransmitters.

Question 5

Operationalisation

Answer 5

Operationalisation: how a variable is defined by the researcher and the way the variable is measured in the research.
Because a single behaviour can be interpreted as meaning many things, our starting point is to operationalise the behaviour we are studying and state how we are operationalising the behaviour in our study

Question 6

Is Psychology a science?

Answer 6

yes because, The empirical approach through gaining knowledge through experience quickly became the scientific approach and greatly influenced the development of physics and chemistry in the 17th and 18th century.

The empirical approach turned into a method of inquiry that used careful observations and experiments to gather facts and evidence.