science of psychology I.pdf

8/10/2019 science of psychology I.pdf

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GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY

PSY100

I

uazzez erve Yksel

Clinical Psychologist, PhD.Fall, 2014


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Course Objectives

To acquire knowledge of the different subject areas

in psychology.

To learn how psychologists gather and interpret

their data.

To prepare students to take more advanced courses

in psychology.

To communicate clearly with the instructor and

other students while in the classroom.

To think more critically about the causes of

behavior.


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Required Textbook

Morris, C. G. & Maisto, A. A. (2008). Understanding Psychology:Mypsychlab edition (9thEdition). NJ: Pearson


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What is Psychology?


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So, what is psychology?

Psychology relies on research to lead to thedevelopment of theories about behavior,cognition, feeling

GREAT WHY and GREAT HOW

Why people (yourself included) tend to act differently in groups? Why we forget some things and remember others? Why drugs make us feel the way they do? How habits develop and how to break them? ..


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Psychology is the study of behavior and mental

processes and how they are affected by anorganisms physical state, mental state, and

environment.

Greek word meanPsycho = mind or soulLogo = study of


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Goals of Psychology

O

bserve

Exam, watch, or interview a persons behavior

Describe

Record specific behavior under certain situations

E

xplain

Give reasons for behavior in terms of feeling of anxiety or distraction

Predict

Determine how a person will behave under a certain situation based on

ODEControl

Change the behavior or mental process by teaching patient newways of keeping their anxiety under control


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Biological Perspective

Focus

How the body and brain create emotions, memories,

and sensory experiences.

Sample I ssues

How do evolution and heredity influence behavior? How are messages transmitted within the body?

How is blood chemistry linked with moods and motives?


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Behavioral/Clinical Perspective

FocusHow we learn from observable responses.

How to best study, assess and treat troubled people.

Sample I ssues How do we learn to fear particular objects or situations?

What is the most effective way to alter certain behaviors?

What are the underlying causes of:

Anxiety Disorders

Phobic Disorders

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders


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Cognitive Perspective

Focus

How we process, store and retrieve information.

Sample I ssues How do we use info in remembering and reasoning?

How do our senses govern the nature of perception?(Is what you see really what you get?)

How much do infants know when they are born?


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Psychoanalytic Perspective

FocusThe role of unconscious conflicts on behaviorand mental processes

FocusFree will, personal growth, and resilience

Humanistic Perspective


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Social-Cultural Perspective

Focus

How behavior and thinking vary across situations

and cultures.

Sample I ssues How are we, as members of different races and

nationalities, alike as members of one human family? How do we differ, as products of different social contexts?

Why do people sometimes act differently in groups than

when alone?


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Psychological Perspectives:Depression Example

Biological: abnormalities in neurotransmitters in the brain

Learning: depressive symptoms have been reinforced(rewarded) by the environment (e.g., getting to stay homefrom school because of feeling depressed)

Cognitive: negative, pessimistic thinking style

Socio-cultural: societal stress and role demands; modernculture has made us increasingly isolated

Psychodynamic: depression is due to unconsciouslydisplacing anger towards your parent onto yourself

Humanistic: depression is due to being inauthentic or bybeing otherwise blocked in fulfilling your potential


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What is Psychology?

The scientific study of behavior and mental processes

and how they are affected by an organisms physical,

state, mental state, and external environment.


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What is Psychology?

The scientific study of behavior and mental processesand how they are affected by an organisms physical,


Scientific study requires several things:

1. Theoretical framework

2. Testable hypotheses

3. Empirical evidence


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What is Psychology?

The scientific study ofbehavior and mental processes

and how they are affected by an organisms physical,


Behavior and mental processes include overt,

observable instances but also include subtle

kinds of instances, like brain activity.


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What is Psychology?


and how they are affected by an organismsphysical,


Humans and may other creatures included in the

scientific study of behavior and mental processes


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What is Psychology?


and how they are affected by an organismsphysical

state,mental state, and external environment.

Physical state relates primarily to the organisms

biology - most especially the state of the brain

and central nervous system


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What is Psychology?


and how they are affected by an organisms physical


Mental state does not have to be conscious - can

study mental states in many creatures without

their conscious awareness - and can be studied interms of brain activity.


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What is Psychology?




All organisms function in an environment that is

constantly presenting them with problems and

challenges that must be solved.


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What is Psychology?




Most people think of psychology as the study of

differences between people, but it also includes

the study ofsimilaritiesbetween people.


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John B. Watson - Behaviorist

Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and

my own specified world to bring them up in and

I'll guarantee to take any one at random and train

him to become any type of specialist I might select

doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant-chief and, yes,

even beggar-man and thief, regardless of his

talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations,

and race of his ancestors. I am going beyond my

facts and I admit it, but so have the advocates ofthe contrary and they have been doing it for many

thousands of years.(1930)


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____________ believed that childhoodexperiences greatly influences the development

of later personality traits and psychologicalproblems, emphasized unconscious conflict &past events.

According to ____________, environmentfactors mold behavior and, behavior isreinforced by rewards and punishment.

___________ psychology approach deals withperception (Max Wertheimer)


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FIELDS OF PSYCHOLOGY

Developmental Psychology

Physiological Psychology

Experimental Psychology Personality Psychology

Clinical and Counseling Psychology

Social Psychology Industrial and Organizational Psychology


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CAREERS IN PSYCHOLOGY

A psychiatrist

A psychoanalyst

A clinical psychologist

Counseling psychologist

A social worker


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RESEARCH METHODS INPSYCHOLOGY

Naturalistic Observation

Case Studies

Surveys

Correlations Research

Experimental Research


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Experimental Research

Take some action and observe its effects

Extension of natural science to social science

Best for limited and well defined concepts

Useful for hypothesis testing - need theory

Focus on determining causation, not just

description


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Components of Experiment

Three components:

Independent and dependent variables Effects of stimulus on some outcome variable

Pretesting and posttesting Ability to assess change before and after manipulation

Experimental and control groups

Comparison group that does not get stimulus


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Pre-Experimental Designs

On-Shot Case Study

One Group Pretest-Posttest Design

Static Group

Comparison


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True Experimental Design


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Experimental Method

Strengths: Isolation of the experimental variable over time. Experiments can be replicated several times using

different groups of subjects.

Weaknesses: Artificiality of laboratory setting. Social processes that occur in a lab might not occur in a

more natural social setting.


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CORRELATION / The Process

Problem selection Variables to be correlated are selected on the basis of some

rationale Math attitudes and math achievement

Teachers sense of efficacy and their effectiveness

Increases the ability to meaningfully interpret results

Inefficiency and difficulty interpreting the results

from a shotgunapproach

Objective 2.1


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CORRELATION / The Process

Participant and instrument selection Minimum of 30 subjects

Instruments must be valid and reliable Higher validity and reliability requires smaller samples

Lower validity and reliability requires larger samples

Design and procedures Collect data on two or more variables for each subject

Data analysis Compute the appropriate correlation coefficient

Objectives 2.2 & 2.3


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Correlation Coefficients

A correlation coefficient identifies the size anddirection of a relationship

Size/magnitude Ranges from 0.001.00

Direction Positive or negative

Objectives 3.1, 3.2, & 3.3


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Interpreting the size of correlations General rule

Less than .35 is a low correlation Between .36 and .65 is a moderate correlation

Above .66 is a high correlation

Predictions

Between .60 and .70 are adequate for grouppredictions

Above .80 is adequate for individual predictions

Objective 3.5


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Interpreting the direction of correlations Direction

Positive Highscores on the predictor are associated with highscores on the

criterion Lowscores on the predictor are associated with lowscores on the

criterion

Negative Highscores on the predictor are associated with lowscores on the

criterion

Low

scores on the predictor are associated withhigh

scores on thecriterion

Positive or negative does not mean good or bad

Objective 3.3


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How to be a critical thinker

1. Ask Questions

be curious2. Define Your Terms

frame your question in concrete, measurable terms(operationalize)

3. Examine the Evidence

ask what evidence supports and refutes yourhypothesis, conduct research or read about others who have tested yourhypothesis, take into account the quality of the research

4. Analyze Assumptions and Biases

what assumptions might you be making orwhat biases do you have that narrows your view: acknowledge these and force

yourself to expand your view5. Avoid Emotional Reasoning

try to take your emotions out of your thinking(i.e., if you feel passionately that your view is correct it may cloud your

judgment)6.

Dont Oversimplifydont generalize from a single (or a few) cases or events

7. Consider Other Interpretations

force yourself to consider and test otherexplanations/hypotheses that are contrary to your own, but would also explainyour observations

8. Tolerate Uncertainty

avoid drawing firm conclusions unless others havereplicated your findings

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science of psychology I.pdf