Lectures 1, 2, 3 1. What Is Psychology? 2. A History 3. Research Methods

1. Lectures 1, 2, 31. What Is Psychology?2. A History3. Research Methods

2. Learning Outcomes • Define psychology. • Describe the various fields and subfields of psychology.

3. Learning Outcomes • Describe the origins of psychology and identify those who made significant contributions to the field.

4. Learning Outcomes • Describe modern approaches to research and practice – critical thinking, the scientific method, and ethical considerations.

5. 1.Truth or Fiction? Popular Psychology Knowledge • Most people use only about 10% of their brain capacity • All people w/dyslexia see words backward (tac-cat) • In general, it’s better to express anger that to hold it in. • The lie detector (polygraph) test is 90-95 % accurate at detecting falsehoods.

6. 2.Truth or Fiction? • People tend to be romantically attracted to individuals who are opposite to them in personality and attitude • The more people present at an emergency, the more likely it is that at least one of them will help. • All effective psychotherapies require clients to get the root of their problems in childhood

7. 3.Can we always trust our Common Sense? • Birds of a feather flock together • Absence makes the heart grow fonder • Two heads are better than one • Action speak louder than words • Opposite attract • Out of sight, out of mind • Too many cooks spoil the broth • The pen is mightier that the sword

8. Psychology as a Science

9. 4. What is Psychology? • Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes . • Psychology Is an Empirical Science: Psychological science relies on empirical evidence as a way of knowing about how we think, feel, and behave

10. 5. What is a Theory? • A theory is a general set of principles proposed to explain how a number of separate facts are related (map reading example) • A theory allows you to • propose reasons for relationships • derive explanations • make predictions

11. 6. Goals of Psychology • Psychology seeks to • describe • explain • predict, and • influence behavior and mental processes

12. What Psychologists Do

13. 7. What Do Psychologists Do? • Research • Pure research, or basic • Applied research • Practice (clinical, counseling) • Teaching

14. Clinical Counseling School Educational Developmental Personality Social Environmental Experimental Industrial Organizational Human Factors Consumer Health Sport Forensic 8. Fields of Psychology

15. Where Psychology Comes From: A HistoryLecture 2.

16. 1. Ancient Contributors to Psychology • Greek- Aristotle & Plato; Hippocrates, • Roman- Galen • Socrates • Introspection • China- Confucius (551-479) • Muslim scholars- Al Kindi (801-866) - Al- Tabari (838-870)

17. 2. Psychology as a Laboratory Science • John Stuart Mill -- A System of Logic (1843) • Wilhelm Wundt –founded modern experimental psychology • First psychology laboratory (1879)

18. 3. Experimental Psychology begins with Structuralism • Edward Titchener, Wundt’s student • Structuralism breaks conscious experiences into • objective sensations (sight or taste), and • subjective feelings (emotions, memories, dreams) • Mind functions by combining objective and subjective elements of experience

19. 4. Functionalism • William James • Functionalism focused on behavior in addition to mind and consciousness • Used direct observations to supplement introspection • Influenced by Darwin’s theory of evolution or natural selection

20. 5. Behaviorism • John Broadus Watson • Behaviorism focuses on learning observable (measurable) behavior • B.F. Skinner • Learned behavior is behavior that is reinforced • Beyond Freedom and Dignity (1971)

21. 6. Gestalt Psychology • Max Wertheimer, Wolfgang Köhler (1920s) • Gestalt focused on perception and its influence on thinking and problem solving • Perception are more than sum of their parts • Active and purposeful • Insight learning

22. 6. Gestalt Psychology • Max Wertheimer, Wolfgang Köhler • Gestalt focused on perception and its influence on thinking and problem solving • Perception are more than sum of their parts • Active and purposeful • Insight learning

23. The Importance of Context

24. Some Insight Into Insight

25. 10. Psychoanalysis • Sigmund Freud • Psychoanalysis • Influence of unconscious motives and conflicts • Theory of personality • Therapy

26. 11. Cognition Affects Behavior • Tolman- animals could learn by observation (behavioral approach could not make sense any more) • Research on memory • 1957- George Miller launched the cognitive revolution in psychology. • Ulric Neisser - Cognitive Psychology (1967) • C. Ps. is concerned with higher-order mental functions such as intelligence, thinking, language, memory, and decision making • Computers-information processing theories

27. How Psychologists Study Behavior and Mental ProcessesResearch MethodsLecture 3

28. 12. Principles of Critical Thinking • Be skeptical • Insist on evidence (sugar study) (Wolraich, Wilson, and White 1995). • Examine definitions of terms • Examine the assumptions or premises of arguments (example of Mozart effect) • Be cautious in drawing conclusions from evidence

29. 13. Principles of Critical Thinking (continued) • Consider alternative interpretations of research evidence • Do not oversimplify • Do not overgeneralize • Apply critical thinking to all areas of life

30. 14. The Scientific Methodsystematic procedure of observing and measuring phenomena to answer questions about What happens, When it happens, What causes it, and Why? • Formulate a research question • State the hypothesis (People who report poorer self-images also score higher on a depression scale). • Test the hypothesis ( respond to statements: “I’m fun to be with, or I have good ideas’ • Draw conclusions based on findings • Publish research • Replicate study

31. 15. Scientific Method

32. 16. Samples and Populations • Sample (Mozart study-college students) • Segment of population • Population • Entire group targeted for study • Representative samples allow generalization of findings (when can we generalize?)

33. 17. Random and Stratified Sampling • Random sample • Each member of population has equal chance of selection • Stratified sample • Subgroups are represented proportionally • Volunteer bias • Bias represented by studying people who volunteer to participate

34. 18. Methods of Observation • Case Study • Gather information about individuals or small groups • Sometimes used to investigate rarities • Survey • Used to collect information that cannot be observed directly

35. 19. Methods of Observation • Naturalistic Observation • Observe subjects in their natural environment • Unobtrusive measure • Observers bias • Limitations: No cause-effect & wait for event to occur • Laboratory Observation

36. 20. Correlational Method • Mathematical method of determining a relationship between variables • Correlation coefficient • Number between +1.00 and –1.00 • Indicates strength and direction of relationship between variables • Does not prove cause and effect (example)

37. 21. Positive and Negative Correlations

38. 22. Experimental Method • Demonstrates cause and effect through scientific method • Independent variable (IV) (treatment) -manipulated • Dependent variable (DV) (outcomes)- measure of assumed effect of the IV • Lang Study (1975) • Group 1. Expected alcohol, received only tonic • Group 2. Expected alcohol, received alcohol mixed w/tonic • Group 3 . Expected tonic, received alcohol mixed w/tonic • Group 4. Expected tonic , received only tonic

39. 23.Experimental Method • Experimental groups, those that received treatment (alcohol), and expected alcohol, received tonic (3 groups) • Control groups, expected tonic, received tonic • Placebos , expected alcohol, but received tonic, expected tonic, but received alcohol • Blind (all groups) • Double-blind study (when neither researcher nor participants do not know who received treatment)

40. 24. Experimental Conditions in the Lang Study

41. 25. Ethics of Research with Humans • Ethical review committee and ethical standards • Promote individual dignity, human welfare and scientific integrity • Ensure no harm will come to subjects • Informed consent • Confidentiality • Deception • Debriefing

42. 26. Ethics of Research with Animals • Animals are used when research cannot be carried out with humans • Animals may be harmed, when • there is no alternative, and • benefits of the research justify the harm

43. Video Connections: Facial Analysis -The Scientific Method in Action • What might be some real-world applications of facial applications? • Explain why facial analysis might be a more objective measure of emotions than our own perceptions? • Explain why the use of computers can be so important in research.

44. Facial Analysis PLAY VIDEO