1. INTRO TO PSYCHOLOGY Why Study Pschology

2. HERE’S THE MAIN IDEA  Through the study of human and animal behavior, people can discover psychological principles that have the potential to enrich the lives of humans.  Section Objective  Describe the range of topics that are covered in an introductory psychology course  Cite the goals and scientific basis of psychology

3. WHY STUDY PSYCHOLOGY  Gaining insight into behavior  Ex: comfort level in groups  Acquiring Practical Information  Ex: system of rewards and punishments

4. OVERVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGY  Psychology: scientific study of behavior that is tested through scientific research  This can involve both animals and humans  Humans: this covers everything people think, feel, and do.  Psychologists differ in how much importance to place on specific types of behavior  Should we study only observable behaviors or are thoughts, feelings, and fantasies important too?  Psychologists agree that the study of behavior must be systematic

5. GOALS OF PSYCHOLOGY  Description: describe or gather information about the behavior being studied and present what is known.  Explanation: why do people or animals behave as they do?  Psychological Principles: valid ideas about behavior  Hypothesis – an assumption or prediction about behavior that is tested through scientific research  Theory – a set of assumptions used to explain phenomena and offered for scientific study  Prediction: as a result of accumulated knowledge, what will organisms do (in the case of humans what will they think or feel in various situations).  Influence: how can psychologists influence behavior in helpful ways?

6. SCIENTIFIC BASIS OF PSYCHOLOGY  Scientific Method: a general approach to gathering information and answering questions so that errors and biases are minimized  Wilhelm Wundt is credited with setting up the first psychology lab in Leipzig Germany in 1879.  Despite the scientific method, many questions regarding psychology remain unanswered, and psychologists are constantly coming up with new theories, generating new questions, and performing new psychological studies