HOSA Chapter 1

At what ratio can most people detect sugar in water? (sugar:water)

1:200

At what ratio can most people detect bitterness in water? (bitterness:water)

1:2,000,000

What is introspection?

personal observation of our own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors

What is psychology? + (two Greek roots)

The objective study of the mind (psyche/logos)

What is the mind?

Thoughts, emotion, and behavior

What is the thinking mind, and what is the troubled mind?

cognitive, abnormal

What is behavior?

any action that can be observed

How many undergraduates in the US enroll in an introductory psychology course every year?

1.2-1.8 million

How many high school graduates have already completed a psychology course?

30%

What is the evolution of the percentage of American psychologists from the 1980s to the current day?

80% → 20-24%

What do people do when personal space is invaded? Provide a common example.

They pretend the other person is not there. This is why people face the elevator doors staring at the numbers when it is packed.

What are ten common myths about human behavior?

People only use 10% of their brains, people are left/right brained, playing Mozart to infants makes them more intelligent, hypnosis improves memory, Students learn better when instruction matches their individual learning styles, Lie detector (polygraph) tests are accurate, Low self-esteem is a major source of personal and societal problems, The teen years are typically disruptive, Memory for traumatic events is usually poor, in romantic relationships- opposites attract.

What decade does psychology date back to?

1870s

When did people begin to describe their dreams, and who?

6000-5000 bce → assyrians

What are the two roots of psychology?

philosophy and natural sciences

What kind of questions do psychologists answer and how?

Psychologists answer questions traditionally posed by philosophers using scientific research methods of the natural sciences

What is philosophy?

the discipline that systematically examines basic concepts, including the source of knowledge

What are natural sciences?

sciences that study the physical and biological events that occur in nature

Interpret this image.

chased: 90%, physically attacked: 45%, trying again and again: 60%, being frozen with fright: 45%, eating delicious food: 35%, arriving too late: 65%, swimming: 40%, being locked up: 25%, seeing snakes: 25%, finding money: 30%

Did Aristotle believe in nature or nurture? What about Plato?

Aristotle- nurture, Plato- nature

When did the idea of nature vs. nature first flourish, and with what school of thought?

17th century, empiricism

What do contemporary psychologists believe about nature vs nurture?

Nurture builds on what nature provides