Psychology Overview and Research Methods

Definition: Psychology is the scientific study of mental processes like thoughts and feelings, behavior, and brain activity.

Three Steps to Critical Thinking:
1. Consider the Source:
- Assess the credibility of the source:
  - Do they have applicable qualifications?
  - Are they affiliated with a reputable institution?
  - Look for information from scientific journals for credibility.
1. Evaluate Evidence:
- Determine if there is strong empirical evidence to support claims rather than relying solely on intuition or belief.
1. Check Consensus among Sources:
- Investigate if other reliable sources agree or disagree with the claim to help discern its believability.
Outcome:
- Critical thinking helps distinguish truth from opinion, allowing for informed conclusions.

Purpose of IRBs:
- To ensure ethical standards in research involving human participants.
Ethical Standards:
1. Privacy: Must respect participant consent for observation.
2. Confidentiality: Personal information must remain undisclosed.
3. Informed Consent: Participants must agree to partake after being fully informed.
4. Protection from Harm: Assess and mitigate potential risks to participants.

Four Scientific Goals:
1. Describing: Observing what happens.
2. Predicting: Anticipating when it occurs.
3. Controlling: Understanding causes to prevent or alter events.
4. Explaining: Understanding the reasoning behind occurrences.
Scientific Method:
- Five Steps:
1. Theory Development: Framework based on existing research.
2. Hypothesis Generation: Make a testable prediction.
3. Research Method Testing: Choose an appropriate method for experimentation.
4. Data Analysis: Utilize statistical methods to evaluate results.
5. Reporting Findings: Share all results, avoiding cherry-picking data.

Descriptive Methods: Used to describe behavior and events.
- Subtypes:
  A. Case Studies: In-depth examination of individuals or groups.
  B. Observational Studies: Watching behavior in natural settings, with potential biases.
  C. Self-reports: Gathering data through surveys/questionnaires, with advantages and disadvantages.
Correlational Methods: Assessing relationships between multiple variables.
Experimental Methods: Establishing causality by manipulating variables.

Six Strategies for Improving Learning:
1. Improving: Adopt a growth mindset to work hard towards change.
2. Monitoring: Self-regulate learning by goal-setting and strategy-planning.
3. Practicing: Use repeated practice to enhance performance.
4. Attending: Focus on necessary study materials, minimizing distractions.
5. Connecting: Relate new knowledge to existing knowledge for better retention.

Five Domains:
1. Biological Domain: Connection between brain activity and thoughts/actions.
2. Cognitive Domain: How mental processes influence behavior.
3. Developmental Domain: Changes through the life span in terms of mental processes.
4. Social and Personality Domain: Impact of social factors and characteristics on behavior.
5. Health Domain: Understanding of mental and physical health factors and behaviors.

William Wundt: Established psychology as a distinct discipline in 1879.
Edward Titchener: Expanded on Wundt’s thoughts, focusing on structuralism.
William James: Introduced functionalism and the importance of consciousness in survival.
Sigmund Freud: Developed psychoanalysis, focusing on unconscious processes, with the id, ego, and superego concepts.
Ivan Pavlov: Known for classical conditioning; association of stimuli.
B.F. Skinner: Pioneered operant conditioning, emphasizing the role of rewards and punishments.

Random Assignment vs Random Sampling:
- Random Assignment: Each participant has an equal chance of being placed in any condition of an experiment.
- Random Sampling: Participants are randomly selected from a population to represent that population fairly.