INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY UNIT 1 STUDY GUIDE 1 |CHAPTER 1-8|
100% VERRIFIED
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY
Objective 1.1
Define psychology: The study of behavior and mental process.
Key Terms
Psychology: The science that studies behavior and the psychological and cognitive processes that underlie it, and the profession
that applies the accumulated knowledge of this science to practical problems.
Exercises
1. Put a check mark by each statement that is true regarding psychology.
X Psychologists study human behavior.
X Psychologists study animal behavior.
X Psychologists study emotions and mental processes.
Psychology and "common sense" lead to the same conclusions about behavior and mental processes.
Psychology is not a science.
Objective 1.2
Define the scientific method, and explain how it is used in psychology.
Key Terms
Scientific Method: The orderly systematic procedure that researchers follow as they identify a research problem, design a
study, to investigate the problem, collect and analyze data, draw conclusions, and communicate their findings.
Step 1: Observe &Theorize
• A theory is an explanation that organizes separate pieces of information in a coherent way. Researchers generally
develop a theory only after they have collected a lot of evidence and made sure their research results can be
reproduced by others.
Step 2: Formulate a Hypothesis
• A hypothesis is a testable prediction of what will happen given a certain set of conditions. Psychologists test
a hypothesis by using a specific research method, such as naturalistic observation, a case study, a survey,
or
an experiment.
Step 3: Design a Study
Step 4: Collect Data
Step 5: Apply Results to the Hypothesis
• Research is replicable when others can repeat it and get the same results. When psychologists report what they have
found through their research, they also describe in detail how they made their discoveries. This way, other
psychologists can repeat the research to see if they can replicate the findings.
Exercises
1. What is the main purpose of the scientific method?
1
,The scientific method is a standardized way of making observations, gathering data, forming theories, testing predictions, and
interpreting results. Researchers make observations to describe and measure behavior.
2
, 2. The steps of the scientific method are (1) identify a problem or research question, (2) design a study, (3) collect data,
(4) analyze data, (5) draw conclusions, and (6) communicate findings. Identify the step associated with each of the
following activities:
3 Dr. Lopez noted "absent" or "present" by each student's name on his class roll at each class meeting. He recorded students'
exam scores on his roll sheet as well.
5 Dr. Lopez hypothesized that students who consistently attend class get higher grades than those who are absent more often.
6 Dr. Lopez published the results of his study in the Journal of Community College Teaching.
4_ Dr. Lopez calculated the correlation between his students' rates of absence and their exam scores and found that the two
variables were positively associated.
1_ Dr. Lopez planned to track students' attendance and exam scores and to correlate these two variables at the end of the
semester.
2_ Dr. Lopez inferred that the data he collected supported his hypothesis regarding the relationship between attendance and
exam scores.
Objective 1.3
Describe the major schools of thought and theoretical perspectives in psychology.
Key Terms
Behaviorism: The school of psychology that views observerable, measurable behavior as the appropriate subject matter for
psychology and emphasizes the key role of environment as a determinant of behavior.
• The view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to
mental processes. Most research psychologists today agree with (1) but not (2).
Psychoanalysis: Freud's theory of personality that attributes our thoughts and actions to unconscious motives and conflicts, the
techniques used in treating psychological disorders by seeking to expose and interpret unconscious tensions.
Humanistic psychology: A theoretical orientation that emphasizes the unique qualities of humans, especially their person
(psychological health.) and their potential for personal growth.
• Positive Psychology - The scientific study of psychological characteristics that enable individuals and communities
to thrive in the face of adversity.
Cognitive Psychology: The branch of psychology that sees humans as active participants in their environment and is concerned
with the scientific study of the mental processes involved in perception, attention, memory, language, problem solving,
reasoning, and decision making.
In short, cognitive psychology is concerned with the scientific study of the mind and mental processes.
• Gestalt Psychology - The school of psychology that emphasizes that individuals perceive objects and patterns as
whole units and that the perceived whole is more than the sum of its parts.
• Information-Processing Theory - An approach to the study of mental structures and processes that uses the
computer as a model for human thinking.
Evolutionary psychology: The school of psychology that studies how human behaviors required for survival have adapted in
the face of environmental pressures over the long course of evolution.
Biological psychology: The school of psychology that looks for links between specific behaviors and equally specific biological
processes that often help explain individual differences.
• Neuroscience - An interdisciplinary field that combines the work of psychologists, biologists, biochemists,
medical researchers, and others in the study of the structure and function of the nervous system.
Sociocultural Approach: The view that social and cultural factors may be just as powerful as evolutionary and physiological
factors in affecting behavior and mental processing and that these factors must be understood when interpreting the behavior of
others.
3
, Exercises
1. Fill in the chart below.
School of Important Theorist(s) Main Ideas
Thought
Behaviorism John b Watson, Ivan Reason founded: Deemed introspection as
Pavlov, B F Skinner, unscientific
Bandura Modern Concept: The role of environment in
shaping and controlling behavior
Founder: John Watson & (Environmental factors)
Ivan Pavlov Impact on modern psychology: helped make
psychology a natural science, rather than a
branch of philosophy
Psychoanalysi Sigmund Freud Main Idea:
s Tries to bring unconscious thoughts and
emotions to consciousness. It is therefore an
"insight-oriented therapy."
Modern Concept: The role of unconscious
motivation and early childhood experiences
in determining behavior and thought.
(Emotions, unconscious motivations, early
childhood experiences)
Humanistic Abraham Maslow & Carl Main Idea: Humans are basically good and
psychology Rogers inherently motivated to self-actualize
Modern Concept:
The importance of an individual’s subjective
experience as a key to understanding his or her
behavior.
(Subjective experiences, intrinsic motivation
to achieve self-actualization)
Cognitive Jean Piaget Main Idea: School of thought that focuses on
psychology Gestalt: Gestalt, Max how we take in, process, store, and retrieve
Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka, information.
Wolfgang Kohler Modern Concept:
The role of mental processes—perception,
thinking, and memory—that underlie behavior
(Mental processes)
Gestalt Psychology: Emphasizes that
individuals perceive objects and patterns as
whole units and that the whole is greater than
the sum of its parts.
Information processing approach:
-Mental processes are similar to a computer
-Information processes through our cognitive
system in a series of stages, one at a time.
Evolutionary Charles Darwin, Leda Main Idea: The discipline that considers
psychology Cosmides, John, Tooby, psychological and behavioral phenomena as
David Buss products of natural selection. Explores the
implications of Darwinian theory for explaining
behavior.
Modern Concept:
The roles of inherited tendencies that have
proven adaptive in humans
(Inherited traits that enhance adaptability)
4
100% VERRIFIED
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY
Objective 1.1
Define psychology: The study of behavior and mental process.
Key Terms
Psychology: The science that studies behavior and the psychological and cognitive processes that underlie it, and the profession
that applies the accumulated knowledge of this science to practical problems.
Exercises
1. Put a check mark by each statement that is true regarding psychology.
X Psychologists study human behavior.
X Psychologists study animal behavior.
X Psychologists study emotions and mental processes.
Psychology and "common sense" lead to the same conclusions about behavior and mental processes.
Psychology is not a science.
Objective 1.2
Define the scientific method, and explain how it is used in psychology.
Key Terms
Scientific Method: The orderly systematic procedure that researchers follow as they identify a research problem, design a
study, to investigate the problem, collect and analyze data, draw conclusions, and communicate their findings.
Step 1: Observe &Theorize
• A theory is an explanation that organizes separate pieces of information in a coherent way. Researchers generally
develop a theory only after they have collected a lot of evidence and made sure their research results can be
reproduced by others.
Step 2: Formulate a Hypothesis
• A hypothesis is a testable prediction of what will happen given a certain set of conditions. Psychologists test
a hypothesis by using a specific research method, such as naturalistic observation, a case study, a survey,
or
an experiment.
Step 3: Design a Study
Step 4: Collect Data
Step 5: Apply Results to the Hypothesis
• Research is replicable when others can repeat it and get the same results. When psychologists report what they have
found through their research, they also describe in detail how they made their discoveries. This way, other
psychologists can repeat the research to see if they can replicate the findings.
Exercises
1. What is the main purpose of the scientific method?
1
,The scientific method is a standardized way of making observations, gathering data, forming theories, testing predictions, and
interpreting results. Researchers make observations to describe and measure behavior.
2
, 2. The steps of the scientific method are (1) identify a problem or research question, (2) design a study, (3) collect data,
(4) analyze data, (5) draw conclusions, and (6) communicate findings. Identify the step associated with each of the
following activities:
3 Dr. Lopez noted "absent" or "present" by each student's name on his class roll at each class meeting. He recorded students'
exam scores on his roll sheet as well.
5 Dr. Lopez hypothesized that students who consistently attend class get higher grades than those who are absent more often.
6 Dr. Lopez published the results of his study in the Journal of Community College Teaching.
4_ Dr. Lopez calculated the correlation between his students' rates of absence and their exam scores and found that the two
variables were positively associated.
1_ Dr. Lopez planned to track students' attendance and exam scores and to correlate these two variables at the end of the
semester.
2_ Dr. Lopez inferred that the data he collected supported his hypothesis regarding the relationship between attendance and
exam scores.
Objective 1.3
Describe the major schools of thought and theoretical perspectives in psychology.
Key Terms
Behaviorism: The school of psychology that views observerable, measurable behavior as the appropriate subject matter for
psychology and emphasizes the key role of environment as a determinant of behavior.
• The view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to
mental processes. Most research psychologists today agree with (1) but not (2).
Psychoanalysis: Freud's theory of personality that attributes our thoughts and actions to unconscious motives and conflicts, the
techniques used in treating psychological disorders by seeking to expose and interpret unconscious tensions.
Humanistic psychology: A theoretical orientation that emphasizes the unique qualities of humans, especially their person
(psychological health.) and their potential for personal growth.
• Positive Psychology - The scientific study of psychological characteristics that enable individuals and communities
to thrive in the face of adversity.
Cognitive Psychology: The branch of psychology that sees humans as active participants in their environment and is concerned
with the scientific study of the mental processes involved in perception, attention, memory, language, problem solving,
reasoning, and decision making.
In short, cognitive psychology is concerned with the scientific study of the mind and mental processes.
• Gestalt Psychology - The school of psychology that emphasizes that individuals perceive objects and patterns as
whole units and that the perceived whole is more than the sum of its parts.
• Information-Processing Theory - An approach to the study of mental structures and processes that uses the
computer as a model for human thinking.
Evolutionary psychology: The school of psychology that studies how human behaviors required for survival have adapted in
the face of environmental pressures over the long course of evolution.
Biological psychology: The school of psychology that looks for links between specific behaviors and equally specific biological
processes that often help explain individual differences.
• Neuroscience - An interdisciplinary field that combines the work of psychologists, biologists, biochemists,
medical researchers, and others in the study of the structure and function of the nervous system.
Sociocultural Approach: The view that social and cultural factors may be just as powerful as evolutionary and physiological
factors in affecting behavior and mental processing and that these factors must be understood when interpreting the behavior of
others.
3
, Exercises
1. Fill in the chart below.
School of Important Theorist(s) Main Ideas
Thought
Behaviorism John b Watson, Ivan Reason founded: Deemed introspection as
Pavlov, B F Skinner, unscientific
Bandura Modern Concept: The role of environment in
shaping and controlling behavior
Founder: John Watson & (Environmental factors)
Ivan Pavlov Impact on modern psychology: helped make
psychology a natural science, rather than a
branch of philosophy
Psychoanalysi Sigmund Freud Main Idea:
s Tries to bring unconscious thoughts and
emotions to consciousness. It is therefore an
"insight-oriented therapy."
Modern Concept: The role of unconscious
motivation and early childhood experiences
in determining behavior and thought.
(Emotions, unconscious motivations, early
childhood experiences)
Humanistic Abraham Maslow & Carl Main Idea: Humans are basically good and
psychology Rogers inherently motivated to self-actualize
Modern Concept:
The importance of an individual’s subjective
experience as a key to understanding his or her
behavior.
(Subjective experiences, intrinsic motivation
to achieve self-actualization)
Cognitive Jean Piaget Main Idea: School of thought that focuses on
psychology Gestalt: Gestalt, Max how we take in, process, store, and retrieve
Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka, information.
Wolfgang Kohler Modern Concept:
The role of mental processes—perception,
thinking, and memory—that underlie behavior
(Mental processes)
Gestalt Psychology: Emphasizes that
individuals perceive objects and patterns as
whole units and that the whole is greater than
the sum of its parts.
Information processing approach:
-Mental processes are similar to a computer
-Information processes through our cognitive
system in a series of stages, one at a time.
Evolutionary Charles Darwin, Leda Main Idea: The discipline that considers
psychology Cosmides, John, Tooby, psychological and behavioral phenomena as
David Buss products of natural selection. Explores the
implications of Darwinian theory for explaining
behavior.
Modern Concept:
The roles of inherited tendencies that have
proven adaptive in humans
(Inherited traits that enhance adaptability)
4
