Goals of Psychology!

What is Psychology? Psychology is the systematic and scientific study of behavior and mental processes

What are the Goals of Psychology?

Goals of Psychology Description Explanation Prediction Influence

Goals of Psychology 1. Description: Describe or gather information about the behavior being studied

Goals of Psychology 2. Explanation: Explain why people behave as they do -As hypothesis are tested, more complex explanations can be formed -Theories formed after extensive testing of hypothesis -Theories change as new data improves our understanding -Good theories cause us to validate or alter principles that help explain and predict observed behavior

Goals of Psychology 3. Prediction: Predict what organisms will do or what they will think and feel in various situations. -Predict future behaviors by studying descriptive and theoretical accounts of past behaviors

Goals of Psychology 4. Influence: Influence behavior in positive ways. -Basic Science: Conducting research to find out more about human behavior (find the problem) -Applied Science: Using principles to solve more immediate problems (correct the problem)

Scientific Basis for Psychology Scientific method: identify problem, hypothesize, collect data (observe & experiment) & analyze data. Hypothesis: stating what you expect to find in a way that can be proved or disproved. Example: people who have similar opinions on important issues are likely to be attracted to one another.

Application Activity Apply the four goals of Psychology to explain how a psychologist might approach the following question: Why are you sitting in psychology class when there are other things you could be doing?