Research process

Question 1

What is psychology?

Answer 1

The scientific study of mental processes and behaviour and how these are affected by internal processes and the environment

Question 2

What does it mean by scientific?

Answer 2

Systematic and controlled study of the human behaviour

- hope to establish a cause and effect relationship or describe behaviour

Question 3

What does it mean by mental process?

Answer 3

Covert behaviours - not openly acknowledge/displayed
- attention, memory, emotion, attitudes
Other behaviours (ouvert) - can be observed directly or measured with instruments
- aggression, helping, sleeping

Question 4

What influences behaviour?

Answer 4

2 sets of factors

1) NURTURE - internal processes (hormones, genes)
2) NATURE - environment

Question 5

What is pop psych and psychobabble?

Answer 5

Pop psych
- wide range of popular psych theories and concepts that may or may not have a basis on psych
- often oversimplified accounts of psych issues based on anecdotal evidence and popular beliefs
Psychobabble
- unsupported claims, beliefs, popular opinion

Question 6

What are the different levels of analysis?

Answer 6

Biological
- focuses on physiology and genetics
Cognitive
- mental process (e.g. memory, thinking, perception, attention)
Sociocultural
- how environment and culture affect behaviour or thikning