Psych 1.1.1: What is Psychology?

Which of the following is the most accurate definition of behavior?

C. Behavior is an action that can be observed and measured.

A psychologist has to obtain a medical degree to diagnose and treat people with disorders.

False

Astrology is considered a science because it is grounded in scientific research.

False

Blood pressure is a cognitive process because it is observable with lab equipment.

False

Which of the following best describes cognitive processes?

A. Cognitive processes are private and un-observable.

Karl Popper, a 20th-century philosopher, claimed that genuine scientific theories are __________.

A. falsifiable

Social science is a branch of science that deals with the nature of __________.

A. human society

The main difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist is that a psychiatrist can typically __________ and most psychologists cannot.

A. prescribe medication

Which of the following is not a cognitive process?

B. creativity

Which of the following is not considered a natural science?

B. psychology

Unlike psychology, the primary focus in sociology is to study how __________ affect behavior.

B. social influences

All of the following are examples of behaviors except __________.

C. dreaming

Which of the following statements about psychological constructs is true?

B. Psychological constructs represent concepts that cannot be observed or measured directly.

Which of the following is not considered a behavior?

B. thinking

All of the following are goals of psychology except __________.

C. curing

Psychology is considered a __________ science because it deals with human society and the nature and interactions of the individuals who make up society.

C. social

__________ is a systematic way of learning about the world through observations and experiments that lead to a pool of knowledge.

D. Science

psychiatry

Definition: A branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. Usage: In the field of psychiatry, doctors diagnose and prescribe medication to treat people with varying disorders.

social science

Definition: A branch of science that deals with human society and the nature and interactions of individuals who make up society. Usage: Anthropology is the social science that studies the origin of humans and their social and cultural development.

One of the goals of psychology is to compile a list of characteristics about the behavior being studied.

False

pseudoscience

Definition: A set of theories, methods, or assumptions claimed to be scientific yet remaining unsubstantiated by empirical support. Usage: Astrology is a pseudoscience because its theories are not grounded in scientific research.

science

Definition: A systematic way of learning about the world through observations and experiments that leads to a pool of knowledge. Usage: Biology is a science that uses experiments and observations to learn about living organisms.

behavior

Definition: An action that can be observed or measured. Usage: Sleeping is a behavior because it can be directly observed or measured.

natural science

Definition: Branch of science that deals with the nature of the physical world. Usage: Chemistry is the natural science that studies the composition and properties of substances in the physical world.

constructs

Definition: Complex theoretical concepts used to discuss something that can't be observed, touched, or measured directly. Usage: Love is a psychological construct because it can't be seen, touched, or directly measured.

In a paragraph, explain three differences between a science and a pseudoscience.

In science, scientific theories are falsifiable, reproducible results are demanded, and the scientist searches for failures and closely studies them. However, in pseudoscience scientific theories are not falsifiable, results cannot be reproduced, and the scientist ignores, hides, or excuses failures. In science, theories are falsifiable and results must be reproducible. In a pseudoscience, scientific theories are not falsifiable and results cannot be reproduced. Additionally, in a science, failures are searched for and closely studied, and theories are discarded or revised if refuting evidence is found. In a pseudoscience, failures are ignored or excused, and refuting information is disregarded or ignored. Lastly, science attempts to develop solutions to problems, whereas few attempts are made in pseudoscience.

Love, which can't be observed or measured directly, is an example of a psychological construct.

True

In a paragraph, compare and contrast psychologists and psychiatrists.

Both psychologists and psychiatrists treat people with varying problems and disorders, can diagnose, and practice psychotherapy. However, while psychiatrists can prescribe medicine, psychologists cannot. Psychologists and psychiatrists have several similarities. Both diagnose abnormal behaviors, treat people with varying problems and disorders, and practice psychotherapy to help their patients. As for their differences, psychologists obtain a doctoral degree and are generally unable to prescribe medicine, whereas psychiatrists obtain a medical degree and are able to prescribe medicine.

One of the goals of psychology is to predict future behavior or mental processes. Which of the following scenarios best illustrates this goal?

C. The psychologist tells Michael that his basketball performance will improve when his anxiety levels are moderated.

All but one of the following are studies done in sociology. Which one best illustrates a study done in psychology?

C. a study that shows how Katrina's stress levels contribute to her obsessive exercise habits

cognitive processes

Definition: Private, un-observable mental processes. Usage: Thinking and dreaming are cognitive processes because they are private and un-observable.

psychology

Definition: Study of behavior and cognitive processes. Usage: Julie is studying psychology so that she can understand why people act, think, and feel the way they do.

Psychology is considered a social science, yet it has foundations in the natural sciences.

True

Summarize how psychology is considered a science.

Psychology is considered a social science because it deals with human society and the nature and interactions of people who make up the society. Psychology is considered a science because it uses a systematic method of learning about behavior and cognitive processes. That is, its results are reproducible, its theories are falsifiable, its failures are studied closely, it discards or revises theories, and it attempts to develop solutions to problems.

In your own words, define psychology.

Psychology is the study of the way people act and the thoughts going through their head. Psychology is a science that studies how people act, think, and feel. Psychologists study behavior and cognitive processes. Psychologists also study emotions, which can affect our behavior and cognitive processes.

What are the main purposes of the American Psychological Association? What is one way in which it fulfills its purposes? (Site 1)

the American Psychological Association's mission is to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people's lives. The APA fulfills this purpose by encouraging the development and application of psychology in the broadest manner, promoting research in psychology, the improvement of research methods and conditions and the application of research findings, improving the qualifications and usefulness of psychologists by establishing high standards of ethics, conduct, education and achievement, and increasing and disseminating psychological knowledge through meetings, professional contacts, reports, papers, discussions and publications.