HUMAN BEHAVIOUR WK1 CH1

Psychology

The scientific study of mental processes (thinking, remembering, and feeling) and behavior.

Mental Processes

Thinking, remembering, feeling.

Behavior

Observable actions.

Holistic Approach

Integrates biology, psychology, and culture.

Biopsychology

Examines the physical basis of motivation, emotion, and stress.

Sociocultural Perspective

Emphasizes social interaction and cultural determinants.

Cultural Psychology

Focuses on the content and context of culture.

Cross-Cultural Psychology

Compares and contrasts psychological phenomena across different cultures.

Free Will vs. Determinism

Do we choose our actions, or are they determined by factors beyond our control?

Mind-Body Problem

How do mental and physical events interact?

Wilhelm Wundt

Founded the first psychological laboratory in 1879.

Structuralism

Uncovering the basic elements of consciousness through introspection (Edward Titchener).

Functionalism

Explaining psychological processes in terms of their role or function (William James).

Paradigm

A broad system of theoretical assumptions used by a scientific community.

Psychodynamic Perspective

Emphasizes unconscious mental forces (Sigmund Freud).

Humanistic Perspective

Focuses on the uniqueness of the individual.

Behaviorist Perspective

Focuses on how environmental events control behavior through learning (B.F. Skinner, John Watson, Ivan Pavlov).

Cognitive Perspective

Focuses on how people perceive, process, and retrieve information.

Evolutionary Perspective

Argues that behavioral tendencies evolved because they helped ancestors survive and reproduce (Charles Darwin).

Educational Requirements (Australia)

Minimum of six years of study in an APS-accredited program.

Registration (Australia)

Required with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and the Psychology Board of Australia.

Registration (New Zealand)

Required with the New Zealand Psychologists Board.

Professional Associations

Australian Psychological Society (APS) and New Zealand Psychological Society (NZPSS).

Major Subdisciplines

Developmental, social, clinical, cognitive, health, forensic, community, cultural and cross-cultural, Indigenous, and sport psychology.

Positive Psychology

Focuses on strengths-based approaches to maintain mental health and wellbeing.

Work Settings

Private practice, government, and private sector organizations.

Employment Growth

Predicted strong employment growth in the next five years.

Free Will

Human action follows from intention (René Descartes).

Determinism

Behavior follows lawful patterns (Democritus).

Nature vs. Nurture

To what extent do psychological processes reflect biological or environmental influences?

Rationalism vs. Empiricism

To what extent does knowledge come from observation/experience or logic/reasoning?

Reason vs. Emotion

To what extent are people guided by knowledge or feelings?

Continuity vs. Discontinuity with Other Animals

To what extent are humans similar to other animals?

Individualism vs. Relationality

To what extent are humans self-interested or oriented towards helping others?

Conscious vs. Unconscious

To what extent are people aware of their mental contents and the causes of their behavior?

Mental vs. Physical

To what extent can we understand psychological events independent of their neural basis?

Pseudoscience

Claims that appear scientific but do not follow the scientific method.

Hypnosis improves memory accuracy

Misconception about hypnosis.

Subliminal persuasion

Misconception that it is widely used.

Brain activity during sleep

Misconception that most brain activity stops during sleep.

Punishment and behavior change

Misconception that punishment is the most effective way to change behavior.

Personalities by age 30

Misconception that personalities are set in stone by age 30.

Cramming

Misconception that cramming is the best way to learn.

Vaccination and autism

Misconception that vaccination causes autism.

Polygraph tests

Misconception that polygraph tests reliably detect lies.

Violent offenders and mental illness

Misconception that violent offenders have mental illness.

Schizophrenia and multiple personalities

Misconception that people with schizophrenia have multiple personalities.

Opposites attract

Misconception that opposites attract.

Bystander effect

Misconception that more people present in an emergency means more help.

Psychoanalysis

Freud's theory of mental life and behavior.

Key Premises of Psychoanalysis

Actions are determined by interconnected thoughts, feelings, and wishes.

Mental processes and awareness

Many mental events occur outside conscious awareness.

Mental process conflicts

Mental processes may conflict, leading to compromises.

Origins of Psychoanalysis

Freud's work with patients whose symptoms lacked a physical basis.

Methods and Data in Psychoanalysis

Case studies, observation of dreams, fantasies, and subtle behaviors.

Key Propositions of Psychoanalysis

Personality emerges in childhood.

Personality development

Personality development involves regulating feelings and moving towards independence.

Criticisms of Psychoanalysis

Lack of scientific grounding, violation of falsifiability, reliance on retrospective accounts.

Arguments in Defense of Psychoanalysis

Focus on the complexity of human experience, study of phenomena not amenable to traditional methods.

Behaviorist Perspective

Focuses on how environmental events (stimuli) control behavior through learning.

Learning

Changes in behavior based on experience.

Stimuli

Objects or events in the environment.

Origins of Behaviorism

Pavlov's experiments on classical conditioning.

Counter to Cartesian Dualism

Demonstrating that human conduct follows laws of behavior.

Tabula Rasa

The mind is a blank slate at birth (John Locke).

Methods and Data in Behaviorism

Experimental method, rigorous application of the scientific method.

Observation in Behaviorism

Observation of observable behaviors and environmental events.

Reinforcement

Environmental consequences that increase the likelihood of a behavior.

Punishment

Environmental consequences that decrease the likelihood of a behavior.

Biofeedback

Giving people feedback on their biological processes to help them learn control.

Metaphors

Humans and animals are like machines; the mind is a 'black box.'

Self-Actualization

Reaching one's full potential.

Free Will

The freedom to make choices.

Client-Centered Therapy

Emphasizes conscious, goal-directed choices.

Cognitive Revolution

Shift towards studying cognition in the 1950s-1960s.

Information Processing

Thinking is like a computer processing inputs, transforming, storing, and retrieving information.

Memory Systems

Encode information for storage and retrieval.

Response Time

A measure of memory; frequently used information is accessed faster.

Natural Selection

Adaptive behavioral traits are those that helped ancestors adjust and survive.

Theoretical Perspectives

Different lenses through which psychologists understand and interpret behavior and mental processes.

Cognitive Perspective

Focuses on mental processes such as memory, decision-making, and problem-solving.

Behaviorist Perspective

Emphasizes the role of learning and environmental factors in shaping behavior.

Evolutionary Perspective

Examines how behavioral tendencies have evolved to promote survival and reproduction.

Biopsychosocial Model

An integrative approach that considers biological, psychological, and social factors as interrelated influences on behavior and mental processes.

Facts vs. Theory

The interplay between empirical observations and theoretical frameworks in psychological research.

Attributes

Characteristics or features that individuals consider when making decisions (e.g., smooth ride, fuel economy when buying a car).

Linguistic Knowledge

Stored knowledge of language, including vocabulary, grammar, and connotations.

Connotation

The implied or associative meaning of a word or phrase.

Explicit Processes

Conscious and deliberate mental activities.

Implicit Processes

Unconscious and automatic mental activities.

Behaviorist Explanation

Focuses on learning history and environmental influences.

Cognitive Explanation

Focuses on mental processes and knowledge.

Rationalism

The philosophical view that emphasizes the role of reason in creating knowledge (Descartes).

Empiricism

The philosophical view that emphasizes the role of experience in generating knowledge (Locke).

Abstract Concepts

Concepts that are derived from experience but differ from any particular instance (e.g., the concept of 'dog').

Natural Selection

The process by which adaptive traits are selected and passed on to offspring.

Adaptive Traits

Characteristics that help organisms adjust and survive in their environment.

Reproductive Success

The capacity to survive and produce offspring.

Behaviorist Perspective

The four-year-old's behavior could be explained by a history of positive reinforcement associated with eating lollies.

Cognitive Perspective

The four-year-old's behavior is driven by the expectation that the lolly wrapper contains something tasty, based on past experiences and associations.