PSYC002 Introduction/Myths (copy)

Introduction to Psychological Science

Myths and Reality Counters

1. Myth 1: Humans only use $10\%$ of their brain power.

   • Reality: Brain imaging (fMRI/PET) shows that nearly all parts of the brain are active at almost all times. Evolutionary biology suggests that a largely unused organ would not be maintained due to high metabolic costs.

2. Myth 2: Simplistic binary personality traits (e.g., Left-Brained vs. Right-Brained).

   • Reality: While lateralization of function exists (e.g., language processing), the two hemispheres are highly interconnected by the corpus callosum and work together in nearly every complex task.

3. Memory Accuracy: The myth that memory is like a video recorder.

   • Reality: Memory is reconstructive; every time we recall an event, we may inadvertently alter it based on new information or current emotions.

Learning Outcomes and Definitions

Core Mastery Goals

• Define Psychology: Moving beyond "common sense" to understand the scientific rigor of the field.

• Subfield Identification: Categorizing research questions into biological, cognitive, or social domains.

• Critical Thinking Application: Learning to distrust "intuitive" psychology in favor of empirical evidence.

Defining Psychology

• Science of Mind and Behavior:

  • Mind: Private inner experiences (perceptions, thoughts, memories).

  • Behavior: Observable actions of human and non-human animals.

• Etymology: Derived from the Greek "Psyche" (breath/soul) and "Logos" (reason/study).

Psychological Subfields and Research Scenarios

• Biological Psychology: Studies the link between biological processes and behavior.

  • Question: How do neurotransmitters like serotonin affect mood regulation?

• Cognitive Psychology: Investigates mental processes like reasoning and decision-making.

  • Question: What are the limits of working memory when multitasking?

• Developmental Psychology: Focuses on psychological change from infancy to old age.

  • Question*: At what age do children develop "Theory of Mind"?

• Social/Cultural Psychology: Analysis of individuals in a social context.

  • Question: How does the presence of others influence the likelihood of a bystander intervening in an emergency?

The Four Goals of Psychology

1. Description: What is happening? Observing a behavior and noting everything about it.

2. Explanation: Why is it happening? Forming theories to understand the cause of described behaviors.

3. Prediction: When will it happen again? Using theories to forecast future behavior ($H<em>0$ vs. $H</em>a$).

4. Control/Change: How can it be changed? Applying knowledge to influence behavior for beneficial outcomes.

Framework for Critical Thinking

• Summative: It is not about one "breakthrough" study; it evaluates the totality of evidence.

• Provisional: Today's "fact" may be tomorrow's debunked myth as science progres

- ex: bobo doll experiment

• Probabilistic: Findings describe what is likely for groups, not guaranteed for every specific individual.

• Critical Skepticism: Asking "What is the evidence for this?" and "Are there alternative explanations?" for every psychological claim.

• A change in brain chemistry (biological)

• A learned behavior (cognitive)

• An adaptive response (evolutionary)

• A product of unresolved feelings

(psychodynamic/clinical)

• Rooted in a dissatisfaction with oneself

(humanistic/emotional/positive)

An essential element of psychological literacy

• Three key critical-thinking questions:

o What SCIENTIFIC evidence supports this claim?

o Has this topic been studied EMPIRICALLY (using the

scientific method)?

o Am I listening to (or reading) someone else’s opinion, or is

this information based on facts that are accepted by

unbiased experts?