Psychology 101: Introduction to Psychology

What is it? It is the study of the brain and all of its capabilities and deficiencies There are many areas of psychology and many aspects associated with its study It is associated with scientific study and research where conclusions are be drawn and shared for greater understanding

Mental (cognitive) processes More specifically…. Psychology is the scientific study of Mental (cognitive) processes Behaviour Psychology is the study of behaviour and mental processes Includes the study of both humans and animals

What do psychologists do? Help people with problems Measure and test Teach SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH Consult for solutions This slide should be pretty self-explanatory. Depending on your audience and your interests, you may choose to expand a little on some of the first three topics in this list, but students should learn that there are many different kinds of psychologists, including psychotherapists, scientific consultants, advertising experts, and high school and university instructors. Nonetheless, you should let your audience know that in this presentation, you are going to emphasizing scientific research.

WHAT ARE MENTAL PROCESSES? Memory Creativity Imagination Belief Reasoning Perception Emotion

WHY IS PSYCHOLOGY IMPORTANT? Personally useful psychological knowledge Ability to think critically about psychological topics IT I feel I may like this course Can improve people’s lives Practically useful knowledge pertaining to people and their mysterious ways Addresses important questions

Some psychological research topics: origins of stereotypes (development of language causes of Alzheimer’s disease accuracy of eyewitness testimony personality & musical preference treatment of eating disorders causes of romantic love Overlap with other disciplines are normal This slide is design to pique your audience’s curiosity and to begin to give them a sense of how broad the field of psychology is. You might wish to select one or two of these specific topics and give a little detail, but remember that you are on a tight schedule. You only have 40-45 minutes to say it all!

The Fields of Psychology Developmental Psychology Physiological Psychology Experimental Psychology Personality Psychology Clinical and Counseling Psychology Social Psychology Industrial and Organizational Psychology

Developmental Psychology Study of physical and mental growth from birth to old age Subfields Child psychology Adolescent psychology Life-span psychology

Physiological Psychology Investigates the biological basis of human behavior Neurotransmitters (messages in the brain) Effects of drugs on the nervous system Development of the nervous system Gender differences in brain structure and function

Experimental Psychology Perform experiments on basic psychological processes Learning Memory Sensation and perception Cognition Motivation Emotion

Personality Psychology Study of how people differ from one another on traits such as Anxiety Sociability Self-esteem Need for achievement Aggressiveness

Clinical and Counseling Psychology Clinical psychologists are concerned with diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders and mental health issues. Counseling psychologists deal with “normal” problems, such as stress caused by career change or marital problems

Social Psychology Study of how people influence one another Topics include: First impressions Interpersonal attraction Attitude formation Prejudice Behavior in a group

Industrial and Organizational Psychology Study of psychological principles in industry and business Examples Selecting and training personnel Productivity improvement Working conditions Impact of automation on workers

Health Psychology Physical and mental health Health psychology Explores relationship between psychological factors and physical ailments or disease

Where do psychologists work? Clinics Schools Colleges Businesses Laboratories Government agencies Nasa CIA/Secret Service If psychologists do so many different jobs, it should come as no surprise that they work in many different places, including, but not limited to, the places listed here. Consider giving at least one personal example of a psychologist you know who works in a really unusual or interesting setting (e.g., “One psychologist I know not only teaches at XYZU but also consults with NASA to help increase our knowledge of the psychological consequences of working in small groups -- for months at a time -- in enclosed spaces.”)

Now, lets see it.. Bobo Doll Milgram Big Bang Theory Conditioning