Psychology Foundations: Definition, Empiricism, Normative vs Abnormal, and Memory Example

Psychology is defined in most textbooks as the scientific study of human behavior and mental processes.
Behavior = observable actions we can see with our eyes.
Mental processes = the person’s subjective experiences, such as feelings, emotions, memories, thoughts, and related inner experiences.
When we say psychology is the scientific study of these two areas, we mean it is an empirical discipline.
Empirical discipline = conclusions are based on concrete evidence, not personal beliefs.
In psychology, subjective claims like “I think X,” “I believe Y,” or “I feel Z” are not sufficient for conclusions; evidence-based reasoning is required.
Data come from systematic observations and data collection, which are then used to form conclusions about how people think and behave.
The data-driven mindset is summarized by the idea of keeping your eyeballs on the data.
The empirical method is not perfect and can lead to mistakes, but it is generally far better than making up conclusions without data.

Behavior: observable actions by which we can measure and study individuals.
Mental processes: internal experiences like thoughts, memories, feelings, and emotions that are not directly observable.
Psychology studies both normative and abnormal aspects of these components (see below).

Psychology is empirical: relies on observable data and evidence to draw conclusions.
Data collection methods include systematic observations and other evidence-gathering techniques.
Conclusions are restricted to what the data support; psychologists avoid overgeneralization beyond the data.
Everyday intuition or personal belief is not sufficient in scientific psychology.
The phrase "keep your eyeballs on the data" emphasizes staying close to the evidence.

The empirical method is not infallible; mistakes can happen.
Despite limitations, empirical work is preferable to speculation or untested beliefs.
Acknowledges the possibility of error, which motivates careful design, replication, and scrutiny in research.

Psychology covers both normative (normal) and abnormal (non-normal) aspects of the mind and behavior.
Normative psychology = study of behaviors and mental processes that most humans do on a fairly regular basis.
Abnormal psychology = study of things that are out of the ordinary and experienced by a small portion of people.
Abnormal is defined in part by statistical rarity (out of the ordinary) rather than moral judgment alone.

A memory study could focus on normative memory or abnormal memory:
- Abnormal memory: examples include severe memory impairment or amnesia, which is forgetting due to brain injury.
- Amnesia example: forgetting that occurs after brain injury; amnesia is not common in the general population.
- Normative memory: understanding how memory works in the general population, such as how many words an average person can remember.
This illustrates how the same cognitive domain (memory) can be studied from two complementary angles: how it normally operates in most people and how it can go awry in abnormal cases.

Amnesia is a form of forgetting caused by brain injury.
It represents an abnormal aspect of memory, illustrating how psychology distinguishes between typical and atypical functioning.

Normative memory research helps establish baseline expectations about memory performance in the general population.
It provides a comparative framework for identifying deviations or impairments and for understanding normal cognitive aging, education, and memory strategies.

Empiricism in psychology emphasizes evidence over belief, supporting evidence-based practice and research.
Relying on data helps avoid unfounded claims and improves the reliability and reproducibility of findings.
A broader scope (normative and abnormal) promotes a nuanced view of human cognition, not just clinical pathology.
Defining abnormality via statistical rarity has practical implications for diagnosis, treatment considerations, and stigma; researchers must be mindful of how these labels affect people.
The distinction between normal and abnormal memory has real-world relevance for education, clinical assessment, and cognitive rehabilitation strategies.

Empiricism: knowledge comes from systematic observation and data collection.
Objectivity: conclusions should be based on facts, not personal opinions.
Measurement and data-driven reasoning: essential for forming reliable theories about behavior and mental processes.
The balance between studying typical functioning and pathological deviations informs a comprehensive understanding of psychology.

A break is coming, and the next video will cover the history of psychology.
We will discuss important historical figures and the shifts in thinking they brought about.
This historical perspective helps explain why psychology is defined and studied the way it is today.

(Note: The transcript does not provide explicit numerical values, statistics, or formulas. All concepts reflect the ideas discussed in the material.)