Laypersons Psychology

Before this course, what were your impressions of psychology?

Whos Interested In Psychological Processes?

Not just psychologists Most (if not all) people are interested in basic psychological processes.
Understanding
What

Ourselves Others

makes us happy? Successful?

how people will act/feel.

Understanding
Predicting

The social nature of human beings.

What is psychology (as a field)?

The scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

Psychology Definition, Field, & Methods

Definition Psychology is the scientific Study of behavior and mental processes behavior (what people do as actions and reactions to stimuli) mental processes( think, feel, perceive, reason, remember and biological
activities)

and how they are affected by: 1- an organisms :

1.1 physical state, 1.2 affective state, 1.3 and mental state, 2- and external environment.

Psychology Scientifically describes, predicts and explains human behavior and mental processes It aims at changing and improving Peoples lives.

Psychology: Subfields or Branches (what psychologists do)

Psychologists seek knowledge as

basic psychology is the study of psychological issues to find out about rules and principles governing behavior. Applied Psychology is the study of psychological issues that have direct practical significance and the application of psychological findings.

Psychologists usually fall into three categories: 1) academic & research, 2) Psychological practice, and 3) community psychology.

Academic / research psychologists

Specialize in areas of pure or applied research
Developmental Psychometric Health Educational Social Industrial/organizational Consumer Physiological Perception and sensation

clinical
Work in one or combination of
Private practice Mental health clinics / services Hospitals Research teaching

Psychologists in industry, law, or other settings

Do research or consult to institutions in the community
Sports Consumer issues Advertising Environmental issues Public policy analysis Survey research / opinion polls

Psychology: Subfields or Branches (what psychologists do)

Area of Study of Behavior

Biological Foundation of Behavior Perception sensation of our world Change and stability in life span Psychological factors on physical & Mental Health

Related Subfield
Neuropsychology Experimental Psychology Developmental Psychology Health Psychology Clinical Psychology Counseling Psychology School Psychology Educational Psychology Social Psychology Cross-cultural Psychology Organizational Psychology Evolution Psychology Behavioral genetics Clinical Neuropsychology

Effects of Social Networks on Behavior Psychology expanded

Psychology: Subfields or Branches (what psychologists do)

Experimental psychologists: conduct laboratory studies of learning , motivation, emotions, sensation and perception, physiology, human performance, and cognition. Health Psychologists: help people to deal with health problems due to psychological factors. (blood pressures, heart problems, ulcers etc.) Clinical Psychologists: diagnose, treat and study mental or emotional problems and disabilities. Counseling Psychologists: help people deal with everyday life problems.

Psychology: Subfields or Branches (what psychologists do)

Educational psychologists: study psychological principles that explain learning and search for ways to improve learning in educational systems. Their interests range from the application of findings on memory and thinking to the uses of rewards to encourage achievement. School psychology: work with parents, teachers, and students to enhance students performance and emotional development. Developmental psychologists: study how people change and grow over time, physically, mentally, ,and socially.

Psychology: Subfields or Branches (what psychologists do)

Psychometric psychologists: design and evaluate

tests of mental abilities, attitudes, interests, and personality

Social psychologists: study how groups, institutions,

and the social context influence individuals and vice versa. Among their interests are conformity, obedience, competition, cooperation, leadership styles, group decision making, and prejudice.

Industrial / organizational psychologist: study behavior in the work place. They are concerned with
group decision making, employee morale, work motivation, productivity, job stress, job satisfaction, personnel selection, marketing strategies, and equipment design, and many other issues.

A science Evolves: The past, The Present, and the Future : Origins of Development

Thinkers and philosophers in the past have tried to understand peoples behavior and mental processes. They did not however use empirical evidence. Empirical: relying on or derived from observation, experimentation, or measurement. Many pioneers contributed to psychology (such as John Locke, in England). Wilhem Wundt (1832-1929) established the first laboratory in Leipzig, Germany. He studied sensation, perception, reaction times, imagery, and attention.

He used a method called introspection.

Introspection is a form of self-observation in which individuals examine and report the contents of their own consciousness.

Psychology: Early Developments

Structuralism ( Developed by Tichener (1867-1927), a student of Wundt). - An early psychological approach that stressed analysis of immediate experience into basic elements (of behavior). - The approach relied heavily on introspection.

Functionalism: An early psychological approach that stressed the function or purpose of behavior and consciousness (W. James), & what psychologists benefited from C. Darwin). Gestalt approach opposed to structuralism the perception and thinking are organized as a whole rather than individual elements

Todays Perspectives 1
Perspectives refer to different kinds of explanations, assumptions, and questions asked about human behavior.

Neuroscience perspective: views behavior from the perspective of the brain, the nervous system, and other biological functions (Pioneer: Wilhelm Wundt ). It emphasizes body events and changes associated with actions, feelings, and thoughts.

The Psychodynamic perspective approaches that emphasize unconscious dynamics within the individual, such as inner forces, conflicts, or the movement of instinctual energy. (Freud is the creator
of this approach).

Behavioral Perspective: emphasizes the study of observable behavior and the role of the environment as a determinant of behavior. (pioneers: J. Watson, E. Pavlov &
B.F. Skinner).

Psychology: Perspectives 2

Social Learning theory (or cognitive social learning theory): propagates the idea that behavior is learned and maintained through observation and imitation of others, position consequences, and cognitive processes such as plans and expectations. (proponent R. Bandura). The cognitive Perspective: emphasizes mental processes in perception, memory, language, problem solving, and other areas of behavior. How people think, understand, and know about the world. (pioneers :Ellis,
Neisser, Piaget Bruner, Chomsky ).

The Humanistic Perspective: believe in the will power of

humans. All individuals naturally strive to grow, develop and be in control of their lives and behavior. (Abraham Maslow)

Todays Perspectives Compared on controversial issues

What can Psychology do for you?

make you a more informed person: as it plays a large role in our culture. We Know about ourselves and others in many aspects of our behavior. Satisfies your curiosity about human nature: It helps you to understand yourself and others Helps you control your life: you can apply psychological findings to your own life. It offers techniques which help you solve your problems, mange your feelings, improve your memory deal properly with others, etc. Help you on the job: the degree helps you get a job. It also helps in other jobs: especially those which involve interaction with others (teachers, doctors etc What can you benefit from psychology in your field of specialization?). Give you insights into political and social issues: psychology can help you make informed judgments about issues such as crime, prejudice, discrimination etc..

What cant Psychology do for you?

It cant tell you the meaning of life: A philosophy about the purpose of life requires not only the acquisition of knowledge but also reflection and a willingness to learn from lifes experiences. It wont relieve you of responsibility for life actions: it is one thing to understand the origins of offensive or antisocial behavior and another thing to excuse it. It doesnt provide simple answers to complex questions: as psychologists disagree (perspectives), one note answer to any question is somehow not possible. The solution is integrating the best contribution of each perspective.

How Psychologists Know What They Know

Research in Psychology

Definition of Scientific Method:

The approach used by psychologists to systematically acquire knowledge and understanding about behavior and other phenomena of interest.

It is done in steps:
1. 2. 3. 4.

Identifying questions of interest Formulating an explanation (s). Hypotheses & Theories, Carry research to support or refute the explanation(s). Communication of the findings.

How Psychologists Know What They Know Research in Psychology

characteristics of science
1. Precision: Scientists use specific precise ways to prove or explain a phenomenon. They formulate explanations that can be tested. These are called Hypotheses. They are derived from theories or observations.
A Theory: is an organized system of assumptions and principles that purports to explain a specified set of phenomena and their interrelationships. A Hypothesis: is a statement put into specific terms. It attempts to describe or explain behavior. It is a statement that attempts to predict or to account for a set of phenomena. Scientific hypotheses specify relationships among events or variables. Operational definition: A precise definition of a term in a hypothesis, which specifies the operations for observing and measuring the process or phenomenon being defined.

2- Skepticism: means accepting new or old conclusions with caution. 3. Reliance on empirical evidence: scientific theories and hypotheses are judged to be true or acceptable if they are backed (supported) by evidence. The evidence for a scientific idea must be empirical, that is, based on systematic observation. 4- Willingness to make risky predictions: the scientist must state an idea in such a way that it can be refuted, or disproved by use of the principle of falsifiability, It means that a scientific theory must make predictions that are specific enough to expose the theory to the possibility of disconfirmation 5. Openness: Scientists must be willing to tell others where they got their ideas, how they tested them, and what the results were. They must do this clearly and in detail so that other scientists can repeat, or replicate, their studies and verify the findings.

Methods of Research

Descriptive Research

Description methods give descriptions of behavior to explain behavior without intervening. Archival Research: The psychologist looks into existing data, documents, census, records (medical, school, newspapers etc..) to test hypotheses. Naturalistic Observation (Observational Studies): the researcher carefully and systematically observes and records behavior without interfering with it (does not make any change in the situation). Survey Research: Asking a representative sample of people questions about their behavior, thoughts, and attitudes. Case Studies: is in-depth study (a detailed description) of an individual: studying anything that will increase insight in the individuals behavior. by observation or formal psychological testing. Correlational Research: Looks at the relationship between two variables (how one changes as the other does). The correclation could be positive or negative. Variable behavioral events or characteristics that vary in some way.

Tests: are procedures used to measure and evaluate personality traits, emotional state, aptitudes, interests, abilities and values.

Methods of Research

Experimetal Research

This research tries to find explanations by controlling the situation by experimental manipulation. The experimenter deliberately changes one variable to observe the effects on another variable.

Elements of Experimentation:

Treatment: the manipulation don by the experimenter. Experimental Group: The group which receives the treatment in the
experiment.

Control Group: the one does not receive the treatment. Independent Variable: The one manipulated by the experimenter
to effect another.

Dependent Variable: the one that is affected (change as a

consequence) to another (independent).