Module 1
Which of the following is not an attitude needed for scientific thinking, according to your textbook? A. Curiosity B. authority C. humility D. skepticism
Authority
How did psychology continue to develop from the 1920s through today?
Early researchers defined psychology as "the science of mental life." In the 1920s, under the influence of John B. Watson and the behaviorists, the field's focus changed to the "scientific study of observable behavior." Behaviorism became one of psychology's two major forces well into the 1960s. However, the second major force of Freudian psychology, along with the influences of humanistic psychology and cognitive psychology, revived interest in the study of mental processes. Psychology is now defined as the science of behavior and mental processes.
William James would be considered a _________. Wilhelm Wundt and Edward Titchener would be considered __________ .
Functionalist; structuralist
In the early twentieth century, ________ redefined psychology as "the science of observable behavior."
John B. Watson
A psychologist conducting basic research to expand psychology's knowledge base would be most likely to A: design a computer screen with limited glare and assess the effect on computer operators' eyes after a day's work B: trat older people who are overcome by depression C: Observe 3 and 6 year olds solving puzzles analyze differences in their abilities D: interview children with behavioral problems and suggest treatments
Observe 3-6 year olds
How has our understanding of biology and experience, culture and gender, and human flourishing shaped contemporary psychology?
Our growing understanding of biology and experience has fed psychology's most enduring debate. The nature-nurture issue centers on the relative contributions of genes and experience, and their interaction in specific environments. Charles Darwin's view that natural selection shapes behaviors as well as bodies led to evolutionary psychology's study of our similarities because of our common biology and evolutionary history, and behavior genetics' focus on the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior. Cross-cultural and gender studies have diversified psychology's assumptions while also reminding us of our similarities. Attitudes and behaviors may vary somewhat by gender or across cultures, but because of our shared human kinship, the underlying processes and principles are more similar than different. Psychology's traditional focus on understanding and treating troubles has expanded with positive psychology's call for more research on human flourishing and its attempt to discover and promote traits that help people to thrive.
What are psychology's levels of analysis and related perspectives?
The biopsychosocial approach integrates information from three differing but complementary levels of analysis: biological, psychological, and social-cultural. This approach offers a more complete understanding than could usually be reached by relying on only one of psychology's current perspectives (neuroscience, evolutionary, behavior genetics, psychodynamic, behavioral, cognitive, and social-cultural).
How do the scientific attitude's three main components relate to critical thinking?
The scientific attitude equips us to be curious, skeptical, and humble in scrutinizing competing ideas or our own observations. This attitude carries into everyday life as critical thinking, which puts ideas to the test by examining assumptions, appraising the source, discerning hidden biases, evaluating evidence, and assessing conclusions.
1. In 1879, in psychology's first experiment, ______ and his students measured the time lag between hearing a ball hit a platform and pressing a key.
Wilhelm Wundt
What were some important milestones in psychology's early development?
Wilhelm Wundt established the first psychological laboratory in 1879 in Germany. Two early schools were structuralism and functionalism.
what are psychology's main subfields?
Within the science of psychology, researchers may conduct basic research to increase the field's knowledge base (often in biological, developmental, cognitive, personality, and social psychology) or applied research to solve practical problems (in industrial-organizational psychology and other areas). Those who engage in psychology as a helping profession may assist people as counseling psychologists, helping people with problems in living or achieving greater well-being, or as clinical psychologists, studying and assessing people with psychological disorders and treating them with psychotherapy. (Psychiatrists also study, assess, and treat people with disorders, but as medical doctors, they may prescribe drugs in addition to psychotherapy.) Community psychologists work to create healthy social and physical environments (in schools, for example).
psychiatry
a branch of medicine dealing with psychological disorders; practiced by physicians who sometimes provide medical (for example, drug) treatments as well as psychological therapy.
counseling psychology
a branch of psychology that assists people with problems in living (often related to school, work, or marriage) and in achieving greater well-being.
community psychology
a branch of psychology that studies how people interact with their social environments and how social institutions affect individuals and groups
clinical psychology
a branch of psychology that studies, assesses and treats people with psychological disorders
biopsychosocial approach
an integrated approach that incorperates biological, psychological and social-cultural levels of analysis
Nature is to nurture as
biology is to experience
A psychologist treating emotionally troubled adolescents at a local mental health agency is most likely to be a(n)
clinical psychologist
People who engage in _____ do not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Instead, they analyze assumptions, look into hidden values, and try to determine if conclusions are warranted. functionalist thinking critical thinking basic research applied research
critical thinking
functionalism
early school of thought promoted by James and influenced by Darwin; explored how mental and behavioral processes function—how they enable the organism to adapt, survive, and flourish
structuralism
early school of thought promoted by Wundt and Titchener; used introspection to reveal the structure of the human mind.
humanistic psychology
historically significant perspective that emphasized human growth potential
social-cultural
how behavior and thinking vary across situations and culture
psychodynamic
how behavior springs from unconscious drives and conflicts
behavior genetics
how much our genes and our environment influence our individual differences
neuroscience
how the body and brain enable emotions, memory and sensory experience
evolutionary
how the natural selection of traits promotes the perpetuation of ones genes
cognitive
how we encode, process, store and retrieve information
behavioral
how we learn observable responses
A scientist who maintains an awareness of her own vulnerability to error and openness to surprises and new perspectives is exemplifying which scientific attitude? skepticism inquisitiveness humility curiosity
humility
A mental health profession with a medical degree who can prescribe medication is a
psychiatrist
basic research
pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base
applied research
scientific study that aims to solve practical problems
A scientist who begins by doubting, and who analyzes all scientific claims while asking "how does it work?" is exemplifying which scientific attitude? curiosity humility openness skepticism
skepticism
levels of analysis
the differing complementary views, from biological to psychological to social-cultural, for analyzing any given phenomenon.s
culture
the enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next.
cognitive neuroscience
the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language).
nature-nurture issue
the longstanding controversy over the relative contributions that genes and experience make to the development of psychological traits and behaviors. Today's science sees traits and behaviors arising from the interaction of nature and nurture.
natural selection
the principle that those chance inherited traits that better enable an organism to survive and reproduce in a particular environment will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations.
psychology
the science of behavior and mental processes
positive psychology
the scientific study of human flourishing, with the goals of discovering and promoting strengths and virtues that help individuals and communities to thrive.
evolutionary psychology
the study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection
behavior genetics
the study of the relative power and limits to genetic and environmental influences on behavior
behaviorism
the view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes. Most psychologists today agree with (1) but not with (2).
critical thinking
thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions, appraises the source, discerns hidden biases, evaluated evidence and assesses conclusions.