Was, Is, Going

In your discussion groups complete the

following:
Characterize what psychology was (before

modern psychology), what psychology is and

where you think it will go in the future

For Discussion

Does the plurality of paradigms make

Psychology stronger as a science?

Or, does it suggest an inability to understand

human behaviour and mental processes?

Discuss with a partner your thoughts and be

prepared to share with the class.

Sociocultural
Psychological approach that emphasizes social and

cultural forces outside the individual

Interpersonal behaviour and the social forces which

govern behaviour.

Focuses on the study of rules, roles, in- group behaviour and

relationships

Think - cultural norms, values and expectations

Evolutionary
Based in Darwins evolutionary

theory
Asserts that behavioural
characteristics are subject to
natural selection

Thus, it attempts to explain useful

mental and psychological traits
such as memory, perception, or
languageas adaptations, i.e., as the
functional products of natural
selection

Biopsychosocial
Melding of paradigms
The biopsychosocial approach was developed at Rochester

decades ago by Drs. George Engel and John Romano.

The biopsychosocial approach systematically considers

biological, psychological, and social factors and their complex

interactions in understanding health, illness, and health care
delivery.

What is the Purpose of Psychologists?

To investigate....
Development: Course of

human growth and

development
Learning: How and why it
occurs in humans and
animals
Personality: Traits,
motivations, and
individual differences
Sensation and Perception:
How we come to know the
world through our five
senses

Social: Human and social

behavior
Cultural: How culture
affects human behavior
Cognitive: How
reasoning, problem
solving, and other mental
processes relate to human
behavior
Evolutionary: How our
behavior is guided by
patterns that evolved
during human history

What is the Purpose of Psychologists - Rephrased

Provide description of behaviors - naming and

classifying various observable, measurable behaviors

Understand the causes of behavior(s)
Predict future behavior accurately
Obtain/facilitate control: Altering conditions that
influence behaviors
Positive Use: To control unwanted behaviors, (e.g.,
smoking, tantrums, etc.)
Negative Use: To control/influence peoples
behaviors without their knowledge or consent

Other Areas of Research

Psychometrics is the scientific study of the measurement

of our abilities, attitudes and traits

Experimental Psychology focuses on

sensation/perception, motivation, emotion, and learning.

However, psychologists in all areas of research do
experiments.

Personality studies an individuals consistency in

behaviour and factors which shape personality.

Developmental Psychology studies human development

across the life span.

Professional Psychology
Clinical Psychology (Ph.D)
Clinical psychologists study, assess, and treat people with
psychological disorders as well as less severe behavioral and
emotional problems
Uses psychotherapy to assess and treat psychological disorders
Psychiatry (M.D.)
A specialty in medicine dealing with psychological disorders
Psychiatrists are physicians who use medical as well as
psychotherapeutic treatments
Counselling Psychologists (Ph.D)

Perform similar work as clinical psychologists, but tend to work

with people dealing with more common and less severe
problems.
Some of the areas of specialization include marriage, family,
grief, and career counselling.

Professional Psychology

Educational Psychologists improve

curriculum, teacher education, and standardized
tests.

School Psychologists test and counsel children

with school related problems

Industrial and Organizational Psychologists

work in business and industry to improve HR
departments, improve staff morale, and increase
worker productivity.

Contemporary Approaches
_________might attempt to determine which external stimuli

trigger angry responses

___________might analyze how anger facilitated the survival

of our ancestors genes

_____might view an outburst as an outlet for unconscious

hostility
______might study how neural networks (brain circuitry) cause

us to be hot under the collar or how heredity influences our

temperament

Behavioural might attempt to determine which external

stimuli trigger angry responses

___________might analyze how anger facilitated the
survival of our ancestors genes
_____might view an outburst as an outlet for unconscious

hostility
______might study how neural networks (brain circuitry)

cause us to be hot under the collar or how heredity

influences our temperament

Behavioural might attempt to determine which external

stimuli trigger angry responses

__Evolutionary__might analyze how anger facilitated
the survival of our ancestors genes
_____might view an outburst as an outlet for unconscious

hostility
______might study how neural networks (brain circuitry)

cause us to be hot under the collar or how heredity

influences our temperament

Behavioural might attempt to determine which external

stimuli trigger angry responses

__Evolutionary__might analyze how anger facilitated
the survival of our ancestors genes
___Psychodynamic__might view an outburst as an

outlet for unconscious hostility

______might study how neural networks (brain circuitry)

cause us to be hot under the collar or how heredity

influences our temperament

Behavioural might attempt to determine which external

stimuli trigger angry responses

__Evolutionary__might analyze how anger facilitated
the survival of our ancestors genes
___Psychodynamic__might view an outburst as an

outlet for unconscious hostility

_Biological_might study how neural networks (brain

circuitry) cause us to be hot under the collar or how

heredity influences our temperament

Contemporary Psychology: Research

Basic Research

pure science that aims to increase the knowledge base

Applied Research

scientific study that aims to solve practical problems

Contemporary Psychology
Nature-Nurture Controversy
Behaviourism led to one of the fundamental
questions in psychology:

Is behaviour determined more by heredity (nature) or

by environment and experience (nurture)?
How big a role does each play in determining a certain
behavior?

The Science of Psychology

Psychologists, like all scientists, use the scientific

method to construct theories that organize

observations and imply testable hypotheses

The Science of Psychology

Hindsight Bias

We tend to believe, after learning an outcome,

that we would have foreseen it
the I-knew-it-all-along phenomenon

 Overconfidence

We tend to think we know more than we do

Perceiving Order in Random Events

Two Random Sequences

Your chances of

being dealt
either of these
hands is
precisely the
same: 1 in
2,598,960.

The Scientific Attitude

Critical Thinking

thinking that does not blindly

accept arguments and
conclusions

The Amazing Randi--Skeptic

examines assumptions
discerns hidden values
evaluates evidence
assesses conclusions

The Scientific Method

Theory
an explanation using an integrated set of principles that
organizes and predicts behaviours or events

Hypothesis
a testable prediction
often implied by a theory
Example: Lack of sleep will lead to increased experience of
negative affect

The Scientific Method

The Scientific Method

Operational Definition
a statement of procedures (operations) used to define research
variables

Intelligence may be operationally defined as what an intelligence

test measures

The Scientific Method

Replication
repeating the essence of a research study to see whether
the basic finding extends to other participants and
circumstances
usually with different participants in different situations

Research Practices

Psychologists describe behavior using case studies,

surveys, and naturalistic observation

Case Studies
Are useful observation

techniques in which one

person is studied in depth
in the hope of revealing
universal principals

Pro: Can provide new insights

or areas for further study
Con: Can be unrepresentative
and non-generalizable

Phineas Gage

Survey
Technique for ascertaining the self-reported

attitudes or behaviors of people

Usually by questioning a representative,
random sample of people
Pro: Can be used to look at many cases or

respondents more representative

Con: Prone to question phrasing/wording
influencing how people respond

Necessary Components
Population
The whole group you want to study and from the
population come samples (manageable)
Sample size matters
The larger the sample size the better
Representative Sample
a sample that is a perfect reflection of a

population, only smaller in size

Random Sample

a sample that fairly represents a population because

each member has an equal chance of inclusion

Naturalistic Observation

Involves observing and

recording behavior in
naturally occurring
situations without
trying to manipulate
and control the
situation
Pro: Open up new
avenues for research
Con: describes not
explains

Correlation
Correlation Coefficient
a statistical measure of the extent to which two factors vary
together, and thus how well either factor predicts the other
Indicates direction
of relationship
(positive or negative)
Correlation
coefficient

r = +.37

Indicates strength
of relationship
(0.00 to 1.00)

Correlation
Three Possible Cause-Effect Relationships
(1)
Low self-esteem

could cause
Depression

or
(2)
Depression

could cause

Low self-esteem

or
Low self-esteem
(3)
Distressing events
or biological
predisposition

could cause

and
Depression

Illusory Correlation
Illusory

Conceive

Correlation

the perception
of a
relationship
where none
exists

Adopt

Do not
adopt

Do not conceive

confirming
evidence

disconfirming
evidence

disconfirming
evidence

confirming
evidence

Frequently Asked Questions About

Psychology
Is psychology
free of value
judgments?

Something to think about

Does behavior depend on ones culture and
gender?

Remember, culture can be thought of as

the shared ideas and behaviors that one
generation passes on to the next

Lets Build a PATH