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Module 1: Discovering Psychology

General Psych. Module 1: Discovering Psychology. Definition of Psychology. Systematic, scientific study of behaviors and mental processes Behaviors = observable actions or responses (running) Mental Processes = not observable (thinking). Goals of Psychology.

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Module 1: Discovering Psychology

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  1. General Psych Module 1: Discovering Psychology

  2. Definition of Psychology • Systematic, scientific study of behaviors and mental processes • Behaviors = observable actions or responses (running) • Mental Processes = not observable (thinking)

  3. Goals of Psychology • Describedifferent ways organisms behave • Explainthe causes of behavior • Predicthow organisms will behave • Controlan organism’s behavior

  4. Donna Williams -Describe: Tapping & Twirling fingers to escape reality • Explain:genetic and biological factors (Autism) • Predict: Autistic children usually have difficulty • learning in school: easily overwhelmed -Control: rule to only meet one person at a time, to avoid being overwhelmed

  5. Modern Approaches to Psychology • Biological • Cognitive • Behavioral • Psychoanalytic • Humanistic • Cross-Cultural

  6. Biological Approach Donna: Autistic brain uses the same area to process both objects and human faces; may have trouble distinguishing the two from each other. • Focuses on how our genes, hormones, and nervous system interact w/ our environments to influence learning, personality, memory, motivation, emotions, and coping techniques

  7. Cognitive Approach • Focuses on how we process, store, and use information and how this information influences what we attend to, perceive, learn, remember, believe, and feel • Donna: “Autism stops me from using my own words when I want to. Or makes me say silly things I do not want to say.”

  8. Behavioral Approach • Donna: no soap suds, no making the fruit in the bowl symmetrical, no lining feet up with furniture, etc… • Analyzes how organisms learn new behaviors or modify existing ones, depending on whether events in their environments reward or punish these behaviors.

  9. Psychoanalytic Approach • Childhood experiences greatly influence development of later personality traits and psychological problems—also unconscious, fears, desires, and motivations. Donna: alcoholic and abusive mother, absent father which led to “Willie” and “Carol”

  10. Humanistic Approach • Emphasizes that each individual has great freedom in directing his or her future. Donna: “I CAN FIGHT AUTISM…I WILL CONTROL IT…IT WILL NOT CONTROL ME”

  11. Cross-Cultural Approach • Studies the influence of cultural and ethnic similarities and differences on psychological and social functioning.

  12. Historical Approaches to Psychology • Structuralism: elements of the mind • Wilhelm Wundt; introspection • Functionalism: Functions of the mind • William James; angry wolf • Behaviorism: Observable Behaviors • John B. Watson; guarantee • Gestalt Approach: sensations vs. Perception • Max Wertheimer; blinking lights

  13. Women & Minorities in Psychology • Ruth Howard • First African-American woman to receive a Ph.D. in psychology (1934) • Margaret Washburn • 1st woman to earn a Ph.D. in psychology (1908) • Mary Calkins • Although she completed all of the requirements for a Ph.D., she was denied a doctorate by the Harvard administration because she was a woman -Between 1920 and 1966, only 8 Ph.D.s were awarded to Black students, compared to 3,767 doctorates to Whites -From 1892 to 1990, the cumulative membership of the APA was 128,000; 700 African American, 700 Latino, and 70 Native American • Today, women earn more Ph.D.s in psychology than men, however, in 1991 there were more male full-time psychologists than women

  14. Areas of Specialization • Social & Personality • Social psychology involves the study of social interactions, stereotypes, prejudices, attitudes, conformity, group behaviors, and aggression • Personality psychology involves the study of personality development, personality change, assessment, and abnormal behaviors • Developmental • Examines moral, social, emotional, and cognitive development throughout a person’s life span • Experimental • Includes areas of sensation, perception, learning, human performance, motivation, and emotion • Biological • Involves research on the physical & chemical changes that occur during stress, learning, and emotions • Cognitive • -Involves how we process, store, and retrieve information and how cognitive processes influence our behaviors • Psychometrics • -Focuses on the measurement of people’s abilities, skills, intelligence, personality, and abnormal behaviors

  15. Module 2: Psychology & Science

  16. Research Method • Tool for answering questions • 3 Types • Survey • Case study • Experiment

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