PSY 1000

1. PSY 1000 Introduction to Psychology

2. Psychology’s Roots • Early History • Trephining : chipping a • hole in a patient's skull. • Evil sprits could then escape! • Wilhelm Wundt • Established the first experimental laboratory devoted to psychology. • Structuralism • Focused on the basic building blocks of perception, consciousness, thinking, and emotions • - Introspection

3. Psychology’s Roots • Functionalism • Moved from structure to the role behaviour plays in allowing people to adapt to their environments • William James • Gestalt Psychology “the whole is different from the sum of its parts” • Ebbinghaus

4. Gestalt psychology

5. Activity Schools of Thought Worksheet

6. Psychology as a science • Psychology uses the scientific method to find answers to our questions

7. What is a theory? • List some famous theories • Theory of Relativity (E=mc2) - Einstein • Evolutionary Theory – Darwin • Theory of Gravity – Newton • Quantum Mechanics • Big Bang Theory • Structural Theory – Wundt • Functional Theory – James • Gestalt Theory – Kohler • Behavioural Theory – Skinner • Psychoanalytic Theory – Freud • Humanistic Theory – Maslow • Cognitive Theory – Piaget, Bandura (CANADIAN!)

8. What is a Theory? • A principle or set of rules that are created to explain why and how events occur • Organizes facts • Guides research • A theory needs to be falsifiable • This means that can be tested and rejected if the theory does not stand true • Remember that a theory is not a certainty… it cannot be completely proven or disproven

9. To create a theory, we need to do research!

10. Types of research • There are two ways to conduct research: basic and applied • Basic research investigates topics to seek new knowledge and to explore general science and understanding • Applied research solves practical problems; focused on influencing behaviours

11. Research methods • Descriptive Research Methods: • Naturalistic observation • Laboratory observation • Case study • Survey • Experimental Method • Correlational Method • Psychological Tests

12. Descriptive research methods • Naturalistic Observation: the researcher observes and records behaviours in a natural setting; participants may or may not know they are being observed • Researcher watching students play at recess • Laboratory Observation: the researcher observes and records behaviours in a controlled environment; participants usually know they are being observed • Observation in a play area • Case Study: an in-depth study, usually long-term, of a participant using observation, interviews, or psychological testing • The study of Genie – “feral girl” • Survey: interviews or questionnaires used to gather information about behaviours, beliefs, etc • Stress questionnaires

13. Experimental method • Using manipulation of variables (independent and dependent), and random assignment of participants into groups; results are measured • Independent variable: The variable that is manipulated by an experimenter • Dependent variable: The variable that is measured and is expected to change as a result of the IV • A psychologist wants to determine whether caffeine has an effect on grades. He gives the experimental group of students coffee and the control group receives no coffee, he then gives both groups of students a test. What is the DV? IV?

14. Correlational method • Determines whether a relationship exists between two variables (events, characteristics, behaviours) • Does not rule causation • Can have a strong, weak, positive or negative relationship

15. Psychological tests • Tests which are taken by participants that can measure certain variables (intelligence, stress level, personality traits, aptitudes, etc)

16. Activity – Research Methods Worksheet

17. Avoiding Experimental Bloopers • Experimenter Bias • Experimenter Expectations • Participant Expectations

18. Experimenter Bias

19. Thought experiment • You are a College Professor conducting research on the effects of caffeine on your dreams. You have a limited budget to conduct this study. What research method would you choose? Why?

20. Thought experiment con’t • After you have decided which research method to use, who will you be conducting your research on? Who will be your participants? Remember you want to be able to generalize your findings to the general public and you have limited funds.

21. Participants in research • In a perfect world, participants should be a group of people that represent the general population – they should represent different races, religions, genders, ages, opinions, SES, etc. (Unless the study calls for specific participants) • However, many variables limit this (funding, availability, etc.)

22. So where do we get our participants? • Participants are usually college/university students who are encouraged to participate in the study by their Professors • There is usually a payment for participation or the student will receive a bonus mark in the course • There tends to be an over-representation of males, and Caucasians

23. What can we do to make our study generalizable?

24. Animal studies

25. Animal studies… bittersweet • Animal studies have been very useful in psychological studies • The use of animals have allowed psychologists to understand and develop vital theories • Today, animal rights are protected by the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists and the Canadian Council on Animal Care • However, it has not always been this way…

26. Ethics • To protect the rights of both humans and animals ethical standards must be in place • Studies must be approved by an ethics committee, using the guidelines provided by the Canadian Psychological Association • It is very important that these guidelines are followed as people have different views on what they deem as ethical behaviour