Chapter 1 What is Psychology Pages 2-23

Activity Sometimes we have misconceptions about psychology, as a science, and its place in the social sciences. I would like you to answer the following questions on paper: 1) What is psychology? 2) What types of work do psychologists do? 3) What types of things do psychologists study? 4) Why is the study of psychology important?

Section 1 Why Study Psychology? Pages 2-7

Activity Reading “ A Day in the Life,” relates the information discussed in the chapter to the everyday events in the lives of a group of high school students. Examine the photo on page 2 and describe what you see. Review the questions on page 3.

Section 1 Objectives Identify the goals of psychology, and explain how psychology is a science.

Behavior and Mental Processes Psychology-scientific study of behavior and mental processes. Behavior- any action that other people can observe or measure. Behavior is about walking, talking, and even includes automatic body functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, and brain activity. Cognitive Activities-mental processes. These type of activities include dreaming, perceptions, thought, and memories. Psychological constructs – researchers utilize this method to learn more about human behavior. Constructs are used to talk about something we cannot see, touch, or measure directly.

Goals of Psychology – Observe – Describe – Explain – Predict – Control the events they study- positive visualization.

Psychology as a Science Psychology is a social science, but its foundation are in the natural sciences. The social sciences which include history, anthropology, economics, political science, and sociology, deal with the structure of human society and the nature and interactions of the individuals who make up society.

Science continued Natural sciences which include biology, chemistry, and physics, which are concerned with the nature of the physical world. Research – Psychology test ideas through various research methods. – Two methods used are surveys and experimentation.

Science continued – Surveys include collecting data that usually involves asking questions of people in a particular group. – Psychologists are interested mainly in human behavior, some choose to study animal behavior. – Studying people can give psychologists the ability to learn about uniquely human qualities such as morality, value, and love.

Psychological Theories Psychologists organize their research about behavior and mental processes into theories. – Theory- a statement that attempts to explain why things are the way they are and happen the way they do. – Principle- rule or law, such as the principle that you will probably get better grades if you study more. – Behavior-sleeping or aggression, mental processes- such as memories and mental images, biological processes-such as the effect of chemicals in the brain.

Case Studies One of the major arguments against the claims of astrology is that people who believe in it cannot scientifically prove its existence. Write a short paper analyzing for or against the existence of astrology as a valid science.