Summary Introduction to First Year University Psychology: Study notes

​ SYCH 104-LEC A6 Fall Term Lecture Notes​
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​Module 1: Introduction to Psychology 11-18, 2025​




​Outcome:​
​Why complex human behaviours can rarely can be explained by one casual factor​
​What is wrong with pseudoscience​
​Correlation vs. causation​

​ seudoscience :​​science imposters (looks like science​​without the credible evidence to back it​
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​up)​

​ ultifaceted Levels of Psychology​
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​Psychology spans multiple levels of analysis->considering multiple factors is essential for a​
​complete understanding​
​Social/Cultural Influences​ ​Psychological​ ​Biological​

I​nvolves relationships with​ I​nvolves thoughts, feelings,​ I​nvolves molecules and brain​
​others and personal​ ​and emotions​ ​structures​
​relationships​
​Environment (included social​
​norms)​


​Correlation Vs. Causation​


​ orrelation:​​means 2 variables are related or change​​together - statistical relationship​
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​between 2 variables​
​●​ ​Positive correlation: if both variables go up​
​●​ ​Negative correlation: one variable goes up and the other goes down​
​●​ ​Correlation​​only shows a relationship, not a cause/reason​
​●​ ​Example: Ice cream sales increasing along with drowning deaths​
​○​ ​Ice cream is not causing people to drown​
​○​ ​Need to turn to science to understand the reason behind the correlation of​
​these 2 separate things​
​■​ ​Creating theories and testing them using the scientific method​



​Causation:​​one causes the other - one variable directly​​causes the other variable​
​●​ ​To be able to claim causation, 3 key steps​
​(1)​ ​The cause comes before the effect​
​(2)​ ​There is a direct mechanism​
​(3)​ ​Other explanations are ruled out​
​●​ ​Example: smoking and lung cancer​
​○​ ​There is biological and controlled evidence that shows smoking causes​
​increased probability of getting cancer​

, ​ SYCH 104-LEC A6 Fall Term Lecture Notes​
P
​Module 1: Introduction to Psychology 11-18, 2025​




​ he Third Variable:​ ​a hidden factor that influences both variables and makes it appear as if​
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​there is a causation between two variables (creating a false impression of causation)​
​●​ ​Bringing back example of icecream sales and drowning​
​○​ ​Ice cream does not cause drowning​
​○​ ​The third variable here is the hot weather​
​■​ ​In hot weather, people are more likely to buy ice cream​
​■​ ​In hot weather, more people going out to swim, more chances of​
​someone drowning​




​ SYCH 104-LEC A6 Fall Term Lecture Notes​
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​Module 2: Research Methods-September 11-18, 2025​
​Outcomes​
​Identify Different Research Designs​
​Interpreting the correlation coefficient​
​Dependent vs. Independent variables​
​Measures of central tendency and dispersion​

​Science is NOT an area of study BUT rather an approach to asking questions​
​-​ ​Open minded attitude​​regardless of preconceptions​
​-​ ​Acceptance of evidence that is against own biases​

​The Bystander Effect​​-The Case of Kitty Genovese​
​-​ ​Case study: Woman brutally stabbed to death with 38 bystanders who witnessed the​
​murder​
​-​ ​Question developed as to why there was a lack of social responsibility on the​
​bystanders​
​-​ ​Application of science to this:​​IDENTIFY, GATHER,​​TEST, ANALYZE, BUILD​
​-​ ​(IDENTIFY)​​Curiosity as to why 38 people ignored a​​murder​
​-​ ​(GATHER​​)​​A diffusion of responsibility may have occurred​​->hypothesis​
​developed: If multiple bystanders are present then the principle of “diffusion of​
​responsibility” will decrease each bystanders likelihood of intervening​
​-​ ​(TEST)​​Create an emergency in a controlled setting​​utilizing variables​
​-​ ​Variable: anything that can be measured; anything that varies between​
​environments/individuals​
​-​ ​Expect​​independent variable (manipulation) to have​​an effect on our​
​dependent variable (measurement)​
​-​ ​Independent variable (manipulation):​​# of people in​​the room​
​-​ ​Dependent variable (measurement):​​time to notice smoke/report​
​emergency​