Define psychology
The scientific discipline concerned w/ behavior, mental processes, and how they are affected by an organism’s physical state, mental state, and external environment
What is psychology based on?
Empirical evidence
Define pop psych and pseudoscience
When people pretend to be scientific to get money/attention but are not using empirical science
Why do people choose to believe pseudoscience?
Gives them a sense of control and predictability
List the differences between psychology and pseudoscience
- Pseudoscience is vague; psych is exact
- Pseudoscience doesn’t use empirical evidence; psych does
- Pseudoscience is based on feelings and intuition; psych is based off of theories and experiments
Why is psychology a hub science?
It is a central link that influences many other fields of research
Define critical thinking
The ability and willingness to assess claims and make objective judgements based on well-supported reasons and evidence, NOT emotion or anecdote
List some things that critical thinkers do
- Look for flaws in arguments
- Resist claims with no support
- Debate topics
- Are creative and constructive
- Come up with alternate explanations for events
- Apply new knowledge to social and personal problems
What are the five steps to being a good critical thinker?
1 - wonder “why”
2 - define our terms
3 - analyze assumptions and biases
4 - examine the evidence
5 - weigh conclusions
Why is uncertainty important when examining the world and making decisions based on evidence?
Causes us to consider alternate explanations and research more thoroughly, leading to deeper learning and preventing assumptions or bias
What is the aim of psychologists?
To describe, predict, understand, and modify behavior to add to our knowledge and maximize human happiness
When did psych become a formal discipline?
19th century
Define empiricism
the philosophical tenet that knowledge comes through experience
Define determinism
the belief that all events are governed by lawful, cause-&-effect relationships
Define zeitgeist
The general set of beliefs of a particular culture at a specific time in history
Define materialism
The idea that humans and other living things made of only physical matter, with no souls
Why were early attempts at psychology inaccurate?
Did not use empirical methods; relied on anecdotes and individual cases
List two serious errors in psych studies
- phrenology
- lobotomobile
define introspection
a process of “looking within” to describe psych sensations
define structuralism
a method of analyzing conscious experience by breaking it down into basic elements to understand how those elements work together
Who set up the first lab dedicated to studying human behavior?
Wilhelm Wundt (Leipzieg, Germany)
Give an example of structuralism
Apple:
- sweet
- tart
- red
- shiny
- round
- juicy
Who invented structuralism?
Wilhelm Wundt (1932-1920)
Who invented functionalism?
William James (1842-1910)
