Psychology
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- Date Submitted: 05/28/2010 09:22 AM
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Simply Psychology
Notes
Chapter 1 – What is Psychology?
* The scientific study of behaviour. British Psychological Society defines psychology as “the scientific study of people, the mind and behaviour.”
* Key argument – behaviourists said the best way for psychology to become a science was to focus on behaviour – can be observed and measured.
* Before behaviourism, most psychologists argued that psychology should be based on people’s reports of their thoughts and feelings – introspection. Was dismissed by behaviourists as unscientific because we cannot observe and measure mental processes.
* Most psychologists are interested in the internal processes producing behaviour – not necessarily the behaviour itself.
* E.g. Psychologists studying the extreme reactions of anxious patients to stressful circumstances do not only focus on their patient’s behaviour, mainly interested in understanding WHY anxious patients behave as they do.
* Task of understanding human (and animal) behaviour is a challenging one. Important reason for this is because our behaviour is typically determined by several different things, including the following:
* The specific stimuli presented to us.
* Our genetic endowment, what we have inherited from our parents.
* Our physiological system.
* Our cognitive system (perceptions, thoughts, memories).
* The social environment.
* The cultural environment.
* Our previous life experiences (including childhood).
* Our personal characteristics (intelligence, personality, mental health).
Key Terms
* Psychology – a scientific discipline designed to understand the behaviour of humans and other species.
* Behaviourism – an approach to psychology started in the United States by John Watson, according to which psychologists should focus on observable stimuli and responses.
* Introspection – study of the human mind based on people’s reports of their thoughts and...
Notes
Chapter 1 – What is Psychology?
* The scientific study of behaviour. British Psychological Society defines psychology as “the scientific study of people, the mind and behaviour.”
* Key argument – behaviourists said the best way for psychology to become a science was to focus on behaviour – can be observed and measured.
* Before behaviourism, most psychologists argued that psychology should be based on people’s reports of their thoughts and feelings – introspection. Was dismissed by behaviourists as unscientific because we cannot observe and measure mental processes.
* Most psychologists are interested in the internal processes producing behaviour – not necessarily the behaviour itself.
* E.g. Psychologists studying the extreme reactions of anxious patients to stressful circumstances do not only focus on their patient’s behaviour, mainly interested in understanding WHY anxious patients behave as they do.
* Task of understanding human (and animal) behaviour is a challenging one. Important reason for this is because our behaviour is typically determined by several different things, including the following:
* The specific stimuli presented to us.
* Our genetic endowment, what we have inherited from our parents.
* Our physiological system.
* Our cognitive system (perceptions, thoughts, memories).
* The social environment.
* The cultural environment.
* Our previous life experiences (including childhood).
* Our personal characteristics (intelligence, personality, mental health).
Key Terms
* Psychology – a scientific discipline designed to understand the behaviour of humans and other species.
* Behaviourism – an approach to psychology started in the United States by John Watson, according to which psychologists should focus on observable stimuli and responses.
* Introspection – study of the human mind based on people’s reports of their thoughts and...