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Intro To Psychology
Psychology (PSYC 101)
Queensborough Community College
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Intro to psychology
Psychology, Critical Thinking, and Science
Overview:
In this topic you will learn about:
- Psychological Science
- Pseudoscience
- History of Psychology
- Careers in Psychology
- Define psychology and describe the main focus of
each major area of applied psychology including
clinical, counseling school, and industral/
organizational psychology
- Summarize the major tenants of the various
psychological perspectives including the
psychodynamic, behavioral, humanistic, cognitive,
and biological schools of thought
What are the goals of psychology?
Psychology : This word comes from 2 different root words ( Psyche and logos)
Psyche : refers to the mind
- Logos : refers to knowledge or study
- Definition : The scientific study of behavior and mental processes
- we are interested in seeing how the study of the mind relates to the study of behavior and mental processes
Behavior : overt I can be directly observed) 1 Ex : crying)
- Mental Process : Covert I cannot be directly observed ) ( Ex :
remembering 1
Psychology is both a science and profession
Describing behaviors :
→ Naming and classifying various observable , measurable behaviors
Understanding behaviors
→ The causes of behavior
Predicting behaviors
→
Forecasting behavior accurately
Pseudopsychologies
Why do we believe in pseudo psychologies?
How to think like a psychologist: The scientific method
- How much credibility can the claim be
####### given? High , medium, low , provisional ?
- Pseudopsychology comes from the word pseudo
- Pseudo : false ; any unfounded " system " that resembles psychology and is NOT based on scientific testing
####### Examples
→ Phrenology : Personality traits was revealed by shape of skull and bumps on head
####### → Palmistry : Lines on your hands 1 palms ) predict future and reveal personality
→ Graphology : Personality revealed by handwriting
####### → Astrology : The positions of the stars and planets at birth determine your personality and effect your behavior.
→ The theory of astrology is unconvincing
→ The evidence against astrology is convincing
Uncritical acceptance
####### → Tendency to believe positive unflattering descriptions of yourself
Confirmation Bias
####### → When we remember or notice things that confirm our expectations and forget the rest.
Barnum effect
####### → Tendency to consider person descriptions accurate it stated in general terms
→ Always have a little
something for everyone
####### → Readings , horoscopes , etc. can fit anyone
####### six basic elements
1) Making observations
2) Defining a problem
→ Operational definitions
3) Proposing a hypothesis
####### → An educated guess that can be tested
4) Gathering evidence /testing the hypothesis
5) Building a theory
6) Publishing results
Research ethics
- Psychologists must carry out
investigations with respect for the people who participate and with concern for their dignity and welfare
"
( American Psychological Association, 2010 a)
- If there aren't ethics in research then , people may be at risk for harm , which is something we can't accept.
What psychologist do
####### -> Much of behavior is influenced by the unconscious
-> His technique of introspection looking within a person became known as psychoanalysis
Behaviorism -> In reaction to Freud is behaviorism -> Behaviorism didn't like the idea of
assessing thing that aren't measurable
-> Behaviorism was very interested in behavior -> John Watson &B. Skinner -> The mind cannot be observed -> Behavior can be observed
####### -science should study the observable
-> came up with the words reinforcement and stimulus - response
Humanistic Psychology
- Carl Rogers & Abraham Maslow
####### -> client-centered therapy
-> Individuals strive for self-actualization
####### -> self-actualization: The ability to be all that you are capable of
being
-> Humanistic Psychology movement
####### gave way to positive psychology
-> positive psychology: The idea that people are good, but things happen in their lifes that prevent them to achieve their full potential
The Cognitive Revolution
####### -> Alan Newell BHerbert Simon
####### -Focus on mental processes (information processing
-> Idea that we make mental processes and decisions very similar to the way a computer processes information,
####### through algorithms
- This idea is only true for some cases
####### -> Computer metaphor
-> Cognitive neurosciences
Evolutionary psychology
-> Leda Cosmides, John Tooby, David Buss, $Steven Pinker
-> The idea is that many
things that we do are because our ancestors did them and it enabled their survival.
-> Evolutionarily successful cognitive strategies 1 goals survived
-> comparison of human and primate abilities
####### Clinical psychology
-> psychotheraphy
####### -> Clinical neuropsychology
####### → Psychological testing
counseling psychology
→
Helping people with everday issues
→ Career
####### counseling
→ Vocational testing
Psychologist V Psychiatrist
→ Psychologist : PHD , goes through grad school , theraphy only perscribe in Louisiana & New Mexico
####### → Psychiatrist: MD , goes through medical school , can perscribe drugs
Academic Psychologists
→ Teach classes → conduct research
####### → Main types :
→ clinical
→ cognitive
####### → Developmental
→ social
→ Physiological
Applied Psychologists
####### → solve problems in practical areas
####### → Main Types :
→ Developmental → Human Factors → Industrial /
####### organizational
####### → Personality
→social
####### → sport
→ school
Intro To Psychology
Course: Psychology (PSYC 101)
University: Queensborough Community College
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