psychology in action chapter 1: introduction to psychology & its research methods
TRANSCRIPT
Psychology in Action
Chapter 1: Introduction toPsychology & Its Research Methods
Introducing Psychology
What is Psychology? The scientific study of behavior & mental
processes.
Psychology focuses on critical thinking & is scientific.
Pseudopsychologies (e.g., psychics, mediums) are nonscientific.
Introducing Psychology: Psychology’s Four Goals
1. Description: tells “what” occurred2. Explanation: tells “why” a behavior or
mental process occurred3. Prediction: identifies conditions under
which a future behavior or mental process is likely to occur
4. Change: applies psychological knowledge to prevent unwanted behavior or to bring about desired goals
Applying Psychology To Work: Examples
Biopsychology/ Neuroscience
Clinical & Counseling Psychology
Cognitive Psychology Developmental
Psychology Educational & School
Psychology
Experimental Psychology
Forensic Psychology Gender/Cultural
Psychology Industrial/Organizational
Psychology Social Psychology
Careers in Psychology: Percentage of Psychology Degrees by Specialty
Origins of Psychology
Wilhelm Wundt: Considered to be the “father of psychology”
Developed the first psychological laboratory in Germany in 1879
Trained the first scientific psychologists His ideas would lead to multiple different
psychological perspectives:
Structuralism Functionalism Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic Behavioral Humanistic Cognitive Neuroscience/Biopsychology Evolutionary Sociocultural
Your Job… Create point form notes on each of the
major perspectives identified on pages 10-13 of your textbook
Be sure to identify how each perspective seeks to explain human behavior, as well as particular scientists associated with each perspective
Structuralism: sought to identify the basic building blocks, or structures, of the mind through introspection – looking inward at basic sensations and feelings Edward Titchener = key leader Doomed to fail – no scientific way existed with
which to settle disputes
Origins of Psychology
Origins of Psychology Cont’d
Functionalism: studied how the mind functions to adapt organisms to their environment Asked Why? and How? Strongly influenced by Darwin’s Theory of Evolution
and the concept of natural selection William James = key leader
Origins of Psychology (Continued) Psychoanalytic/
Psychodynamic Perspective: unconscious processes & unresolved past conflicts between “acceptable” and “unacceptable” behaviors Freud = key founder Behaviors based on sexual
impulses Believed most of our development
occurred during childhood
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)
Origins of Psychology (Continued) Behavioral Perspective:
objective, observable environmental influences on behavior
Watson, Pavlov, & Skinner were key figures
Believed we could use external stimuli to shape human behavior
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy_mIEnnlF4B. F. Skinner (1904-1990)
Origins of Psychology (Continued) Humanistic Perspective: free will, self-actualization,
& a positive, growth-seeking human nature – self-actualization (when we reach our full potential)
Opposite to behaviorists Rogers & Maslow were key figures
Carl Rogers (1902-1987) Abraham Maslow (1908-1970)
Origins of Psychology (Continued)
Cognitive Perspective: studies how we gather, encode and store information such as problem solving, memory, language, & information processing
Neuroscience/ Biopsychology Perspective: studies how genetics & other biological processes in the brain & nervous system affect behavior
Origins of Psychology (Continued)
Evolutionary Perspective: argues that natural selection, adaptation, & evolution help to explain behavior
Sociocultural Perspective: social interaction & cultural determinants Show how factors such as ethnicity, religion,
occupation and SES impact behavior
Origins of Psychology: One Unifying Theme of Modern Psychology
Biopsychosocial model: combines all seven major perspectives
Views biological processes, psychological factors and social forces as interrelated influences on behavior
Why do you think psychologists & other scientists may need multiple
perspectives when it comes to understanding the unknown?
Pause & Pause & Reflect: Reflect: Critical Critical ThinkingThinking
Do See a Vase Or Two Faces? Multiple
perspectives allow psychologists to better understand research & complex behavior & mental processes.
Assignment: Outrageous Celebrities Choose one celebrity who has demonstrated
some “not-so-normal” behaviors in recent years Summarize the behaviors (explain what they
have been doing; identify at least 3 behaviors) Using the chart on page 14, explain how each of
the seven modern perspectives would explain the celebrity’s behaviors Ex. Freud may explain drinking or drug use to a past
conflict between the individual and their parent
The Science of Psychology
Research Methods
“What is research, but a blind date with knowledge” – William Henry
The Science of Psychology Basic Research: conducted to advance
scientific knowledge Knowledge for its own sake Typically conducted in universities or research labs Meets the first three goals of psychology – description,
explanation and prediction
Applied Research: designed to solve practical problems Meets the fourth goal of psychology – to change existing
real world problems
The Scientific Method
The Science of Psychology: Ethical Guidelines
Ethical Guidelines for Human Research Participants: • Informed consent• Voluntary participation• Restricted use of deception & Debriefing• Confidentiality• Alternative activities (for college credits)
The Science of Psychology: Ethical Guidelines (Continued)
Rights of Nonhuman Participants: Advocates believe nonhuman research offers significant scientific benefits. Opponents question these benefits & suggest nonhuman animals cannot give informed consent.
General Guidelines: Psychologists must maintain high standards for both human & nonhuman animal research.
Four key research methods:
1. Experimental
2. Descriptive
3. Correlational
4. Biological
Research Methods
Four Key Research Methods
1. Experimental Research: carefully controlled scientific procedure that manipulates variables to determine cause & effect
Key features of an experiment: Independent variable (factor that is
manipulated) versus dependent variable (factor that is measured)
Experimental group (receives treatment) versus control group (receives no treatment)
Does TV increase aggression? Only an experiment can determine cause & effect.
Research Methods—Experimental
Potential researcheresearcher problems:
Experimenter bias - researcher influences the research results in the expected direction
Solution = Double Blind Study Ethnocentrism - believing one's culture is
typical of all cultures May see impact of personal stereotypes
Research Methods—Experimental
Potential participantparticipant problems:
Sample bias - research participants are unrepresentative of the larger population
Solution = random sampling and random assignment
Participant bias - research participants are influenced by the researcher or experimental conditions
Ex. May be embarrassed so may lie
Research Methods—Experimental (Continued)
Research Methods—Descriptive
2. Descriptive Research: observes & records behavior without producing causal explanations
Three types of descriptive research: Naturalistic Observation - observation & recording of behavior in natural state or
habitat Survey - assessment of a sample or population Case Study - in-depth study of a single participant
What could be the advantage of studying psychological research methods like naturalistic observation?
What could be the disadvantage?
Pause & Reflect: Pause & Reflect: Psychology at Psychology at WorkWork
Research Methods—Correlational
3. Correlational Research: observes or measures (without directly manipulating) two or more variables to find relationships between them
Be Aware: Correlation does not imply causation Example Pg. 31 – ice cream consumption and drowning are highly
correlated. Does this mean eating ice cream causes people to drown? Of course not! A third factor, such as time of year, affects both ice cream consumption and time spent in the water
Research Methods—Correlational
Positive Correlation: two variables move (or vary) in the same direction—either up or down
Ex. Studying for a test is positively correlated with higher test scores
Research Methods—Correlational
Negative Correlation: two variables move (or vary) in the opposite direction—either up or down
Ex. Missing more school decreases grades
Research Methods—Correlational
Zero Correlation: no relationship between two variables (when one variable increases, the other can increase, decrease, or stay the same)
Research Methods—Correlational
Research Methods—Correlational
Can you see why correlation can never show cause & effect?
Research Methods—Biological
4. Biological Research: scientific studies of the brain & other parts of the nervous system
Methods of Biological Research: Lesioning (systematically destroying brain tissue
to study the effects on behavior and mental processes)
Dissection Observation & Case Studies – particularly of
living people who have had injuries, diseases and disorders that affected brain functioning
Electrical Recordings of brain activity
Research Methods—Biological