Psychology

Front 1

Definition of 'psychology'

Back 1

There are many. One is "psychology is the scientific study of mental processes and behavior and how these are affected by internal processes and the environment"

Front 2

Psychology is scientific, therefore..

Back 2

it is the systematic and controlled study of human behavior, with the hope of establishing cause-and-effect relationships or describing behavior

Front 3

What are mental processes?

Back 3

Mental processes are covert behaviors.
e.g. attention, memory, emotion & attitudes

Front 4

What are overt behaviors?

Back 4

Behaviors that can be observed directly or measured with instruments.
e.g. aggression, helping & even sleeping

Front 5

What influences behavior?

Back 5

Two sets of factors: internal processes (like hormones and genes) and the environment. Nature AND nurture.

Front 6

What is pop psych?

Back 6

Pop psych or 'popular psychology' is a term used for a wide range of popularized psychological theories and concepts that may or may not have a basis in psychology.

Front 7

What are pop psych books?

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They are often oversimplified accounts of psychological issues based on anecdotal evidence and popular beliefs.

Front 8

What is psychobabble?

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A term coined by Rosen meaning buzzwords taken from psychological terminology but used out of context.

Front 9

What is the difference between scientific psychology and pop psychology?

Back 9

Scientific: based on documented research evidence
Pop: based on unsupported claims, beliefs and popular opinion e.g. astrology

Front 10

What is an example of integration of the various branches of science to study human behavior?

Back 10

Neuroeconomics: a combination of neuroscience, economics and psychology to investigate how people make choices in economics.

Front 11

What does the Biological LOA focus on?

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Physiology and genetics

Front 12

What does the Cognitive LOA focus on?

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Mental processes like memory, perception and attention

Front 13

What does the Sociocultural LOA focus on?

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How environment and culture affect behavior and thinking

Front 14

Example of why we use different levels in psychology? hint if needed: gender

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Biological: XX & XY chromosomes; estrogen and testosterone
Cognitive: gender scheme theory (mental representations about what it means to be male or female which guide behavior); study of gender stereotypes and whether it is possible to change them?
Sociocultural: people learn gender behavior by watching other males/females; how culture affects definitions of gender roles may shape mental representations of gender

Front 15

Why do we use different levels in psychology?

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Because each level contributes to an overall understanding of the phenomenon under investigation

Front 16

Literal meaning of psychology?

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"reasoning about the soul" in Greek
psyche: mind/soul; logos: reason

Front 17

What is the psychology of adaptation?

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Modern scientific psychology is to a large extent based on this psychology of adaptation: a psychology influenced by the ideas of Darwin on evolution, where the focus is on the biological study of the evolutionary utility of mind and behavior

Front 18

When psychologists publish their work, they refer to..

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theories and empirical studies (some of the building blocks of scientific psychology)

Front 19

What is a theory?

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An explanation for a psychological phenomenon. A statement used to summarize, organize and explain observations. Theories can be used to make predictions about observed events. Most theories are built on concepts.

Front 20

What are concepts?

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Hypothetical constructs that must be carefully defined so that they can be tested. e.g. Bandura's self-efficacy (one's own belief as to whether one will succeed in something, based on previous experiences).

Front 21

What is Bandura's self-efficacy theory?

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That one's self-efficacy will determine if and how hard one will try to do a certain thing.

Front 22

Are psychological theories like laws in the natural sciences?

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No. Psychological theories are merely dealing with principles. The theoretical explanations are probable rather than certain and therefore are always open to some degree of doubt. In general, one theory can not explain all aspects of a psychological phenomenon. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate theories & examine their strengths and limitations.

Front 23

Which two theories of intelligence did Dweck describe?

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1. The entity theory of intelligence: intelligence is an innate, unchangeable and internal characteristic
2. The incremental theory of intelligence: intelligence is malleable and can grow through effort

Front 24

What is an empirical investigation/study?

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When a researcher collects and analyzes data in order to investigate a psychological phenomenon

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What are different reasons to research?

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To explore a given topic and perhaps formulate a theory afterwards, to test an existing theory, to describe a certain phenomenon, to improve the world we live in..

Front 26

What is critical thinking?

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The ability and willingness to assess claims and make objective judgments on the basis of well-supported reasons and evidence, rather than emotions, beliefs, myths and anecdotes.

Front 27

Critical thinker profile

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Questions assumptions and biases
Evaluates available evidence and relates it to a theory or opinion
Considers alternative interpretations
Avoids emotional reasoning
Does not jump to oversimplified conclusions
Knows that plausible conclusions are based on evidence
Is willing to reassess conclusions if new information appears
Is able to tolerate some uncertainty

Front 28

How can you demonstrate critical thinking skills when evaluating a theory?

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What sort of evidence is it based on?
Is it possible to test the theory?
Is there evidence to support or contradict it?
Is it useful in explaining things in real life?

Front 29

How can you demonstrate critical thinking skills when evaluating an empirical study?

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Is it based on a representative group of people?
Was it conducted in a lab or a natural setting?
Were the participants asked to do things they wouldn't do in real life?
Was it ethical?
Are the findings supported or questioned by findings of other studies?