Lectures 1-3

Question 1

*Definition of psychology

Answer 1

Scientific study of mental processes and behavior

Question 2

*What makes it a natural science?

Answer 2

Use of scientific method

Question 3

Did Freud study psych as a nat. sci? Why?

Answer 3

No, he didn’t use the scientific method. He’s been called a philosopher

Question 4

Father of Psychology?

Answer 4

Wilhelm Wundt

Question 5

Father of American Psychology?

Answer 5

William James

Question 6

Father of Psychoanalysis?

Answer 6

Sigmund Freud

Question 7

Father of Behaviorism?

Answer 7

John Watson

Question 8

Father of the Humanistic Movement?

Answer 8

Carl Rogers

Question 9

Father of Structuralism?

Answer 9

Wilhelm Wundt

Question 10

*What is structuralism?

Answer 10

• Practiced self-examination
• Identifies structures of consciousness, links within consciousness
• Analyzed how an experience made a person feel
• basic components of consciousness
• Wundt

Question 11

*What is functionalism?

Answer 11

• Opposite to structuralism
• Rather than focus on the elements of consciousness, he focused on its functions (functions of the mind)
• Look at consciousness as a whole, rather than individual pieces
• James

Question 12

Behaviorism?

Answer 12

• based on observations, behavior
• consequences of behavior
  –> reinforcement vs. punishment
• Watson

Question 13

Psychoanalysis?

Answer 13

• Behavior driven by inner forces (instincts, biological drives)
• human nature is not always rational
• actions can be driven by the unconscious
• Freud

Question 14

Humanism

Answer 14

• alternative to behaviorism and psychoanalysis
• unconditional positive regard
  –> acceptance of a person regardless of what they say or do, used in talk therapy
• behaviors are not controlled
• we have free will

Question 15

Cognitive perspective

Answer 15

• focus on human thought and the process of knowing
• memory, language, problem solving

Question 16

Biological perspective

Answer 16

• causes of behavior in genes, brain, nervous system, endocrine system

Question 17

4 goals of psych as a nat. sci?

Answer 17

1. Describe
2. Predict
3. Control
4. Explain

Question 18

*Theory

Answer 18

• explanation and prediction of natural phenomenon
• based on and supported by data
• must be falsifiable
• parsimony

Question 19

*Falsifiable?

Answer 19

• one of the possible outcomes of a designed experiment must be an answer that would disprove the hypothesis
• ex: Harlow’s money theory, Darwin’s theory
• Freud’s theory of dreams (dreams are wish fulfillments) IS NOT

Question 20

Parsimony

Answer 20

Tend towards simplicity

Question 21

*Case study? What do we learn? Why is Gage a good example?

Answer 21

• Studies on individuals or small groups because there is a particular or unique situation
• limit to what we can conclude, cause/effect, higher possibility for bias
• good for rare conditions/phenomena
• Ex. Phineas Gage - injury to his eye and frontal cortex which resulted in a significant behavior change and became more aggressive/impulsive

Question 22

*Naturalistic observation? Role of ODs? Advantage/disadvantage?

Answer 22

• waiting for the behavior to happen
• must have extremely good operational definition or there is too much opportunity for bias

Advantage: observe in natural environment
Disadvantage: no control over other variables, possibility for bias

Question 23

6 Steps in experimental method:

Answer 23

1. state problem
2. develop hypothesis
3. design study
4. collect and analyze data
5. replication
6. conclusions

Question 24

external validity

Answer 24

can this data be applied to the real world?

Question 25

Correlational research? Advantage?

Answer 25

- only 2 variables - Can be positive or negative - advantage: study phenomenon that happens in nature but is hard to study in the lab

Question 26

Nuremburg code

Answer 26

(1947) - first attempt - based off holocaust - voluntary, informed consent - subject can stop - scientific basis for experiment - must yield positive results (you learn something) that can't be obtained otherwise

Question 27

Belmont report

Answer 27

(1979) - prompted by Tuskegee experiment --> withholding treatment for syphilis 3 principles for human experiments: 1. Justice 2. Beneficence (well being of subjects) 3. Respect for the person

Question 28

Meaning of justice?

Answer 28

- fair distribution of research - can't focus on only one race, disability, socioeconomic status

Question 29

Declaration of Helsinki

Answer 29

(1964) - addressed to physicians - health of patient is priority

Question 30

*5 principles of ethics:

Answer 30

1. informed consent 2. freedom from coersion 3. protection from harm 4. risk benefit analysis (risk from partaking in experiment cant be bigger than risk from normal life) 5. Debriefing (verbal description of true nature of experiment)

Question 31

Project MK-Ultra

Answer 31

(1953-73) - CIA project --> control or influence enemy for info - Used LSD, every day for 77 days - Coerced 'volunteering'

Question 32

New Zealand cervical cancer experiment

Answer 32

(1966-87) - hypothesis: maybe cancer won't grow - most participants were low income, maori women - women were uninformed, cancer grew, most of them died

Question 33

UCLA Schizophrenia med. experiment

Answer 33

(1983-94) - hypothesis: maybe they're better off without meds - people had 'informed consent' - didn't have full access to drop the trial --> limited state of mind --> decision was no longer sound --> never told the length of trial

Question 34

Rotavirus vaccine

Answer 34

(2011-12) - affects mainly children - we already had vaccines! - went to india, low income kids - half vaccine, have placebo! - unethical to withhold treatment we know is effective