PG

Module1&2-Thinking Critically with Psychological Science

MODULES 1 & 2: THINKING CRITICALLY WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE

  • Dr. Erica Gelven

  • Psychology 101

Psychology

  • Defined as the science of behavior and mental processes.

Key Concepts in Psychology

  • Behavior: Any action an organism performs.

  • Mind: Internal and subjective experiences inferred from behavior.

  • Scientific Approach: More a methodology for questioning and answering than mere collection of facts.

Research Methods in Psychology

  • Empirical Research: Involves both qualitative and quantitative methods.

  • Empirical Method: A structured approach to data collection.

Historical Perspectives

Prescientific Psychology: Ancient Greece

  • Socrates: Proposed that the mind and body are distinct; self-knowledge is crucial.

  • Plato: Supported a similar view of separation, with mental processes originating in the brain.

  • Aristotle: Suggested that mind and body are closely connected, with mental processes emanating from the heart.

Early Pioneers of Psychology

  • Wilhelm Wundt: Considered the founder of modern psychology.

  • Ivan Pavlov: Known for classical conditioning.

  • Sigmund Freud: Developed psychoanalysis.

  • Jean Piaget: Focused on cognitive development.

  • William James: Offered functionalist perspective.

  • G. Stanley Hall: Early psychologist and educator.

Schools of Thought in Psychology

Major Schools

  • Structuralism: Focused on elements and structure of the mind.

  • Functionalism: Examined how mental processes help organisms adapt.

  • Psychoanalytic: Investigated unconscious processes.

  • Gestalt: Emphasized the whole over parts.

  • Behaviorism: Concentrated on observable behaviors.

  • Humanism: Highlighted personal growth and self-actualization.

  • Cognitive: Researched mental processes like memory and thought.

  • Multicultural: Considered the effects of culture on behavior.

Key Psychological Theories

Structuralism vs Functionalism

  • Structuralism: Used introspection to analyze the mind's structure.

  • Functionalism: Analyzed mental processes in relation to adaptiveness.

Psychoanalysis

  • Developed by Freud, connected the unconscious mind with conscious behavior.

Behaviorism

  • Dominated psychology from 1920-1960, focusing on conditioning and observable behavior.

Humanism

  • A perspective that emphasizes the growth potential and positive qualities of healthy individuals.

Cognitive Psychology

Focus Areas

  • Examines processes of thinking, memory, attention, and creativity.

  • Cognitive Revolution: Established the mind as the focus of scientific inquiry.

Contemporary Psychology

Multicultural and Cross-Cultural Psychology

  • Highlights the importance of culture in psychological processes.

Levels of Analysis

  • Trains perspectives from biological to psychological to social-cultural influences:

    • Biological Influences: Genetics, mutations, evolution and environment's role.

    • Psychological Influences: Learned behaviors, emotional responses, cognitive processing.

    • Social-Cultural Influences: Impact of societal norms, peer groups, and cultural expectations.

Perspectives in Contemporary Psychology

Varied Approaches and Focus

  • Neuroscience: Explores biological bases of emotions and memory.

  • Evolutionary: Discusses natural selection's effects on behavior.

  • Behavior genetics: Investigates genetic and environmental influences on behavior.

  • Psychodynamic: Considers unconscious drives and conflicts.

  • Behavioral: Focuses on learning observable behaviors.

  • Cognitive: Investigates information processing and memory.

  • Social-Cultural: Examines behavior across cultural contexts.

Psychology’s Subfields

Major Areas

  • Basic Research: Increases knowledge base in areas like biopsychology and cognitive psychology.

  • Applied Research: Solves practical problems in areas like industrial/organizational psychology and health psychology.

Clinical Subfields

  • Counseling Psychology: Helps with personal problems.

  • Clinical Psychology: Studies and treats psychological disorders.

  • Psychiatry: Medicine branch focusing on psychological disorders.

  • Community Psychology: Examines interactions in social environments.

Need for Psychological Science

Key Concepts

  • Hindsight Bias: The tendency to believe, post-outcome, that one would have predicted the outcome.

  • Overconfidence: Tendency to overestimate one’s own abilities and knowledge.

The Scientific Method

  • Theory: Framework organizing observations and predicting outcomes.

  • Hypothesis: Testable prediction based on theory.

  • Operational Definitions: Specifies procedures for measuring variables.

  • Replication: Repeating studies to confirm findings.

Research Methodologies

Types of Studies

  • Case Study: In-depth study of a single entity to reveal broader principles; can suggest future research.

  • Naturalistic Observation: Records behavior in natural contexts without manipulation.

  • Survey: Gathers self-reported data on attitudes or behaviors from a representative sample.

Correlation vs Causation

  • Correlation shows relationships between variables but does not infer causation.

  • Examples examining relationships (e.g., mood and smoking) illustrate this.

Experimental Research

Key Concepts

  • Experiment: Method manipulating variables to observe effects on behavior.

  • Double-Blind Procedure: Both participants and researchers are unaware of treatment allocations to reduce bias.

  • Independent Variable: The variable manipulated.

  • Dependent Variable: The outcome measured.

Research Ethics

Guidelines

  • Follow IRB and IACUC standards.

  • Informed consent, debriefing, and ethical practices are essential in research designs.

Unethical Experiments

Important Notes

  • Awareness of ethical standards is critical to prevent unethical research practices.