PSYCHOLOGY UNIT 1 CHAPTER 01- Nature Of Psychology Flashcards
❓❓❓The word “psychology” comes from the Greek words “psyche” and “logos”. What do these words mean?
PSYCHE= mind
LOGOS= knowledge or study
❓❓❓PSYCHOLOGY IS THE STUDY OF…
Thoughts, behaviour and biological processes, particularly associated with the brain
❓❓❓What is psychology?
Psychology is the scientific study of behaviours and mental processes including perception, cognition and emotion.
☀️☀️☀️PSYCHOLOGY AS A PROFESSION
- leads to opportunities in a range of careers
- can work w/ children, adolescents, adults, families, communities in different work settings
- can work in industries, mental health services, government departments, schools, defence forces, emergency services, sport teams, as a lecturer/researcher
- basic psychology= psychological topics used in order to seek knowledge but not to practice e.g. research
- applied psychology= psychological topics that can be applied in a practical and relevant way e.g researching about how children and adults differ in their understanding about what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ and then using that research to see if it can prevent crime
❓❓❓ Define a Clinical Psychologist? Scenario? Workplace?
A Clinical Psychologist has specialist training in assessment, diagnosis and treatment of mental health problems and major mental illnesses.
SCENARIO- a clinical psychologist would diagnose a client with a mental health issue and suggest ways of improving their general well being
WORKPLACE- hospital
❓❓❓ Define a sport and exercise psychologist? Scenario? Workplace?
A sport and exercise psychologist helps athletes to develop mental skill so achieve peak performance
SCENARIO- working with young AFL players on strategies to manage aggression
- helping an athlete gain confidence to compete again after recovering from a serious injury
WORKPLACE- sporting clubs/facilities
❓❓❓Define a community psychologist? Scenario? Workplace?
A community psychologist works w/ individuals, community groups and organisations to help improve the health and well fare of the people in the community
SCENARIO- working w/ the local counsel to improve the welfare of the area
WORKPLACE- community facilities/ counsel
❓❓❓Define a biological psychologist? Scenario? Workplace?
A biological psychologist focuses on bodily structures, systems and activities associated with behaviour and mental processes
SCENARIO- could study the way that genetics affects our behaviour
WORKPLACE- labs, hospitals, with brain/body scans
❓❓❓Define behaviour. Examples.
A behaviour is any observable behaviour made by a living person.
EXAMPLES
- whistling aloud
- Looking into a mirror
- having a nosebleed
- looking at the time
❓❓❓Define mental processes. Examples.
Mental processes are an individual’s thoughts and feeling which cannot be directly observed.
EXAMPLES
- ‘butterflies in stomach’
- adding numbers
- singing ‘in your head’
- feeling a toothache
❓❓❓Define overt behaviours and covert behaviours
OVERT- behaviours that you can see
COVERT- internal behaviours (pretty much a mental process)
❓❓❓Define a forensic psychologist? Scenario? Workplace?
A forensic psychologist works with people in legal and criminal justice settings
SCENARIO- could prepare witnesses for stressful situations in court
-could help people in prisons who suffer from depression
WORKPLACE- prisons, court
☀️☀️☀️MENTAL PROCESSES AND BEHAVIOURS ARE INTERCONNECTED
mental processes can influence behaviours and vica versa
EXAMPLE- feeling sad will cause you to cry
-slapping your face will cause you to feel pain
❓❓❓Define an organisational psychologist? Scenario? Workplace?
An organisational psychologist helps people in workplaces
SCENARIO- could devise strategies to maximise team effort, cooperation and performance in the workplace
WORKPLACE- workplaces
❓❓❓Define an educational psychologist? Scenario? Workplace?
An educational psychologist helps people deal with issues that affect learning
SCENARIO- helping school children devise a study plan
-helping school children deal with stress caused by homework
WORKPLACE- schools
❓❓❓Define a developmental psychologist? Scenario? Workplace?
A developmental psychologist helps people deal with changes in their lives
SCENARIO- could study the processes that result in physical, mental and social changes throughout the life cycle
WORKPLACE- research facility, private office
❓❓❓Define a counselling psychologist? Scenario? Workplace?
A counselling psychologist helps people deal with all kinds of personal and relationship problems
SCENARIO-working with couples to create strategies to deal with their relationship issues
-helping an individual deal with stress arising from poor income
WORKPLACE- schools, workplaces, private offices
❓❓❓Define a personality psychologist? Scenario? Workplace?
A personality psychologist focuses on people’s characteristic ways of thinking, feeling and behaving
SCENARIO- could help a patient with multiple personality disorder
WORKPLACE- lab, mental health hospital
❓❓❓Define a clinical neuropsychologist? Scenario? Workplace?
A clinical neuropsychologist helps rehabilitate people with problem arising from brain damage
SCENARIO- could help a patient who has partial, but permanent, speech loss that was caused by a stroke by providing them with strategies to help him cope with his limited speech ability
WORKPLACE- hospital
❓❓❓Define a health psychologist? Scenario? Workplace?
A health psychologist promotes and maintains health related behaviour, works on improving the health care system
SCENARIO- could work with clients in developing and maintaining behaviour associated with good health
WORKPLACE- hospitals
❓❓❓Define a social psychologist? Scenario? Workplace?
A social psychologist focuses on how behaviour can change in different social situations
SCENARIO- could study how individuals are influenced by personal factors, how others influence them and how they influence others
WORKPLACE- rehab centre, lab
❓❓❓Define a cognitive psychologist? Scenario? Workplace?
A cognitive psychologist focuses on how people acquire, process, remember and use information
SCENARIO- could study how different peoplel solve problems and make decisions
WORKPLACE- labs
☀️☀️☀️ AUSTRALIAN PSYCHOLOGICAL SOCIETY (APS)
- formed in 1966
- seeks to represent, promote and advance psychology
❓❓❓What are the steps to become a psychologist?
- Complete a 4 year psychology course
- Complete an additional 2 years of either post graduate study, or training under supervision of a registered psychologist
(Post graduate studies are usually undertaken in a specialist masters degree)
(If you choose to train under supervision you can so in any field you like)
- Qualified and registered as a psychologist
❓❓❓What are the steps to become a psychiatrist?
- 6 years university study and training
- Intern at hospital for 12 months- registered as medical practitioner
- 1 year as a resident medical officer
- 5+ years of lost graduate study
- Qualified as a psychiatrist (fellow of Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatry)
❓❓❓ What are some of the key differences between a psychologist and a psychiatrist?
- psychologists use counselling and different types of psychological therapies- practical strategies
- psychologists have no legAl authority to hospitalise patients who do not give their consent
- psychiatrists prescribe medicine, hospitalise (schedule) patients and perform medical procedures
- both have patient confidentiality
❓❓❓What does ‘nature’ (heredity) refer to?
Refers to our DNA and the genes we inherit from our parents
❓❓❓What does ‘nurture’ (environment) refer to?
Refers to where/how you grew up e.g. Culture, religion
❓❓❓What is the ‘nature vs nurture’ debate?
The ‘nature vs nurture’ debate asks whether the genes we inherit from our parents or our life experiences influence how we develop
❓❓❓ What is the mind-body problem?
The mind body problem asks whether the mind is controlled by the body or if the body is controlled by the mind
❓❓❓ What was the general consensus towards the mind-problem? What did Descartes propose?
The genres consensus was that the mind controlled the body and that they were separate entities.
Descartes proposed dualism (both linked) and said that the body could also control the mind
❓❓❓ What experiment did Helmholtz (German physiologist, 1821-94) conduct? What did it show?
EXPERIMENT:
Sent harmless electrical shocks through a frog’s leg to see how the nerve impulses travel. Later, he moved on to humans, sending a small shock to see how fast the nerve impulses travel to the brain.
SHOWED THAT:
(Because there was a difference in reaction time)
Showed that nerve impulses do not instantaneously get to the brain.
❓❓❓Who was the main theorist of ‘structuralism’? What were the key ideas?
MAIN THEORIST:
William Wundt
KEY IDEAS:
- 1879 started first psychological laboratory
- consciousness can be divided into different units e.g. Physical sensations, feelings and images
❓❓❓Who was the main theorist of ‘Functionalism’? What were the key ideas?
MAIN THEORIST:
William James
KEY IDEAS:
- “stream of consciousness”, ongoing thoughts
- consciousness cannot be broken into elements
❓❓❓Who was the main theorist of ‘Psychoanalysis’? What were the key ideas?
MAIN THEORIST:
Freud
KEY IDEAS:
- focused on the unconscious experience
- studied individuals’ internal conflicts and motivations to understand and explain their mental process
❓❓❓Who was the main theorist of ‘Behaviourism’? What were the key ideas?
MAIN THEORIST:
Watson and Skinner
KEY IDEAS:
- concerned with behaviour that can be observed and measured
- all behaviours are moulded by experience
- the study of psychology should focus on behaviour rather than on consciousness
☀️☀️☀INFO ABOUT BEHAVIOURISM
️ -Watson founded behaviourism in the early 1900s
- Skinner focused on the role of reinforcement
- Classical conditioning (Watson), “Little Albert” experiment showed that fear is learned
- Operant conditioning (Skinner), experiment with pigeons, used positive/negative reinforcement
❓❓❓Who was the main theorist of ‘Humanism’? What were the key ideas?
MAIN THEORIST:
Carl Rogers
KEY IDEAS:
- focuses on the uniqueness of each individual
- assumes all people are born “good” and constantly strife to realise their full potential
❓❓❓What was the focus of the ‘behavioural’ perspective? Major assumption? Method of study? Example of theories
FOCUS OF STUDY
-how behaviour is acquired or modified by environmental consequences
MAJOR ASSUMPTIONS
-behaviour is acquired/modified by environmental consequences e.g. rewards and punishments
METHODS OF STUDY
-“Skinner Box” demonstrated how pigeons’ behaviour can be shaped with reinforcement/punishment
operant conditioning:
- reinforcements, punishments
- consequences of behaviour determined if behaviour is repeated
THEORY
-behaviour can be modified by punishments and reinforcements
☀️☀️☀️ -emerged from behaviourism
❓❓❓What are the key ideas of the biological perspective? Major assumption? Method of study?
FOCUS OF STUDY
-focuses on the biological and physiological influences on behaviour and mental processes
MAJOR ASSUMPTIONS
-assumes all thoughts, feelings and activity is the result of underlying bodily processes
METHODS OF STUDY
- ROGER SPERRY split brain surgery: showed that disconnecting the two hemispheres brain results in the two parts not being able to communicate properly.
- neuroimaging
❓❓❓ What are the key ideas of the socio-cultural perspective? Major assumption? Method of study? Theories?
FOCUS OF STUDY
-focuses on the roles of social and cultural influences on human behaviour and mental processes
MAJOR ASSUMPTION
-socio-cultural factors (sex, race, age, income level, culture) are important influences
METHOD OF STUDY
-research
THEORY
social loafing:
-American/European participants worked less in a group
-Chinese participants worked harder in a group
-people tend to work less when in a group
☀️☀️☀️
- socio= social influences
- cultural= highlights diversity among human being across cultures (thoughts, feelings, behaviour)
❓❓❓What are the key ideas of the cognitive perspective? Major assumption? Method of study? Theories?
FOCUS OF STUDY
-focuses on how we acquire, process, remember and use information
MAJOR ASSUMPTION
-assumes mental processes influence behaviour
METHOD OF STUDY
-study mental processes using scientific methods, particularly well controlled experiments
THEORY
-the brain processes information sequentially (step by step)
☀️☀️☀️
- information processing approach: computer metaphor/ human camera
- Connectionist approach: process info sequentially/step by step
❓❓❓What is positive reinforcement?
-increasing the likelihood of a behaviour being repeated by providing a positive outcome (reward)
E.g.doing homework and getting a sticker
❓❓❓What is negative reinforcement?
-Increasing the likelihood of a behaviour being repeated by removing /avoiding something unpleasant
E.g. Doing your homework and not getting detention
❓❓❓What is punishment?
-decreasing the likelihood of a behaviour Beijing repeated by following the behaviour with a negative outcome
E.g. Missing curfew and getting grounded
❓❓❓What does MRI and PET stand for?
MRI= magnetic resonance imaging
PET= positron emission tomography
❓❓❓neuroimaging allows psychologist to scientifically…
…study the brain at work
☀️☀️☀️ NEUROIMAGING
- scanners enable productions of computer generated images
- the images use different colours to show levels of brain activity
-enabled psychologists to explore other aspects of normal brain function, as well as the effects off medications on the brain and the changes that could be linked to various diseases
☀️☀️☀️BEHAVIOUR MODIFICATION AND THERAPY
- behaviour therapy involves using learning principles to eliminate unwanted behaviour and create desired behavioural changes
- has helped people overcome fear, quit smoking, lose weight, toilet train infants and acquire better study habits
❓❓❓Scientific method is the approach…
…for planning, conducting and reporting research which involves collecting empirical evidence
❓❓❓What is empirical evidence?
A-data collected directly by observation, or experimentation
❓❓❓What are some of the pros of scientific method?
- to be objective
- avoid bias
- accurate evidence
- reliable results
❓❓❓What is replication?
-replication is when the same experiment is conducted on the same group of people to obtain more accurate results
