1. What is Psychology?
Chpt 1

2. Know…
Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental process
Behavior is any action that other people can observe or measure

3. Know Cognitive activities are mental processes:
Dreams, memories
Emotions, feelings
Thoughts
Psychological constructs —theoretical ideas that allow us to talk about/ something we cannot see, touch or measure directly understand

4. Goals of Psychology
Scientists choose events/people to study behavior by Observing Describing Explaining Predicting controlling So that they may better understand behaviors as they happen in society. They use this information to help people control their destiny.

5. Psychology as a science
Social Science
Natural Science
History, anthropology, economics, political science and sociology
Deals with human society and how the people within that society interact.
These behaviors and mental processes are the main focus of psychology
Biology, chemistry, physics
Concerns itself with the natural world.
Scientists study the function of the brain.

6. How do psychologists gain their knowledge or expertise?
Asking questions
Involved research
Surveys
Experiments,
collecting and analyzing data,
Drawing conclusions
Two main ways: surveys and experimentation

7. Animal Behavior is also studied
Some believe findings with certain animals can be applied to humans
Others disagree
Research on animals can lead to physiological findings or if methods can work
Bottom line: Humans have uniquely qualities and only by studying humans can you totally understand humans

8. Theories are formulated from the research…
Theory—a statement made to explain why things are the way they are and happen the way they do
Principle is a rule or law (such as studying will lead to good grades)
Theories are useful in predicting behavior—if they don’t prove true, psychologists
reformulate them.

9. Psychological Theories
Statements about behavior (aggression/sleeping etc)
Statements about the mental processes (memories or mental images)
Biological processes (the affect of chemical on the brains )

10. Psychology is ever-changing
Old “truths” fail or become inadequate
New studies are conducted
More knowledge is acquired
New theories emerge and the process continues.

11. Psychology can give you a new way to look at and interpret the world.
What benefits would you like to gain from studying psychology?
What are some behaviors in people you would like to understand?