PSY210:GENERAL EDUCATION PSYCHOLOGY.
TOPIC ONE:INTRODUCTION
Psychology:derived from 2 greek words Psych meaning soul, mind or the spirit amd Logos meaning
study or the science.
-psychology refers to science that studies behaviour and mental processes.
Behaviour refers to both overt(observable actions) and covert(internal mental processes) and states
such as perception thru reasoning, problem solving, emotions and feeling.
-Topics which psychologists investigate include;bases of behavior, learning, perception,
consciuosness, memory, social bhavior, language, motivation, emotion, personality, and inteligence.
Aims of Psychology.
1.to explain causes of behavior and answer questions such as why do people act in certan ways.
2.to preduct behaviour-given certain condition a certain type of behavior would be displayed.
3.to control or influence bhavior by controlling those conditions which influence bhavior.
4 . knowledge of human behavior enables us solve social problems once enough has been known
about their causes.
Why Psychology is refered to as a science:
1.it is scientific in naturevbcoz tue methodology used in psy for research is scientific and governed
by laws and principles. Scientific methods used are like naturalistic observation, structured
observation, interviews, Questionare. The laws are the law of cause and effect, law of height in
growth.
2.psy uses most instruments that were developed by engineers and physicists eg thermometers.
3.certain topics of interest in psy have been heviy borrowed from sciences suh as biology this
include study of brain.
Basic factors that determine scientific research.
1.Objectivity-whatever observations are made in any research must b free from personal bias hence
should b accurate and without any personal views.
2.Repeatability-meaninh any other interested researcher on the same topic shld be able to replicate
the study using same variables and procedures of the previuous study and end uo with the
same findings.
,3.systematicity-scientific research shld b orderly following particular steps that r made known 2 other
,
TOPIC ONE:INTRODUCTION
Psychology:derived from 2 greek words Psych meaning soul, mind or the spirit amd Logos meaning
study or the science.
-psychology refers to science that studies behaviour and mental processes.
Behaviour refers to both overt(observable actions) and covert(internal mental processes) and states
such as perception thru reasoning, problem solving, emotions and feeling.
-Topics which psychologists investigate include;bases of behavior, learning, perception,
consciuosness, memory, social bhavior, language, motivation, emotion, personality, and inteligence.
Aims of Psychology.
1.to explain causes of behavior and answer questions such as why do people act in certan ways.
2.to preduct behaviour-given certain condition a certain type of behavior would be displayed.
3.to control or influence bhavior by controlling those conditions which influence bhavior.
4 . knowledge of human behavior enables us solve social problems once enough has been known
about their causes.
Why Psychology is refered to as a science:
1.it is scientific in naturevbcoz tue methodology used in psy for research is scientific and governed
by laws and principles. Scientific methods used are like naturalistic observation, structured
observation, interviews, Questionare. The laws are the law of cause and effect, law of height in
growth.
2.psy uses most instruments that were developed by engineers and physicists eg thermometers.
3.certain topics of interest in psy have been heviy borrowed from sciences suh as biology this
include study of brain.
Basic factors that determine scientific research.
1.Objectivity-whatever observations are made in any research must b free from personal bias hence
should b accurate and without any personal views.
2.Repeatability-meaninh any other interested researcher on the same topic shld be able to replicate
the study using same variables and procedures of the previuous study and end uo with the
same findings.
,3.systematicity-scientific research shld b orderly following particular steps that r made known 2 other
,
