Unit1, Chapter 1, Section 1

Why Study Psychology?

Mr. Young

1st and 6th periods

Why Study Psychology

Physiological- having to do with an organism’s physical processes (eating, sleeping, moving)

Cognitive- having to do with an organism’s thinking and understanding (feelings, emotions)

Overview of Psychology

Psychology- scientific study of behavior and mental processes

Can involve both animals and humans

Some believe you should only study what you can see, others believe that you need what you cant see as well

The Goals of Psychology

Broken down into four different ideas

1. Describe

2. Explain

3. Predict

4. Influence behavior

Description

First goal, must describe or gather information about behavior being studied and present what is known

Explanation

Explain why people or animals behave as they do

1. Hypothesis- assumption or prediction about behavior that is tested through scientific research

2. Theory- complex explanation based on findings from hypothesis

Prediction

Will use different hypothesis and theories to predict human or animal behavior

Will study descriptive and theoretical accounts of the past to try and explain future behavior

Influence

Basic science- the pursuit of knowledge about natural phenomena for its own sake

Applied science- discovering ways to use scientific findings to accomplish practical goals

Learning Different Perspectives

Look at this picture from Rene Magrittes called The Human Condition

Wilhelm Wundt and SM

The Scientific Basis of Psychology

Also use the scientific method, identify specific problems or questions, formulate a hypothesis, collect data through observations and experiments, and analyze the data

Wilhelm Wundt- created first psychological lab in Germany, 1879

Called procedure “introspection” or what we know as scientific method

Scientific Method

Scientific Method Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MV8lSmIo4Ac