Brief Overview

Three ways to look at psychology:

#1 As a field that uses the scientific approach

#2 As a useful field with several important practical goals

#3 As a broad field

What is psychology?

Definition: The scientific study of behavior and mental processes.
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#1 What do we mean when we say psychology is a science?

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Scientific Approach

Advantages Disadvantages
Facts may replace opinions  1. The scientific approach can't answer some very important questions.
2. Finding simple rules to explain behavior may be depressingly demystifying 
3. Finding simple rules to explain behavior may be impossible. 

Conclusions about the Value of the Scientific Approach

  1. Science is better than quackery (Explore this Science vs. Quackery link)

    2.  

  2. Using the scientific approach can tell us things about human behavior that we didn't already know.
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#2 What are psychology's four goals?

1. Describe behavior

2. Predict behavior

3. Explain (understand) behavior

4. Control behavior

 

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Practice on distinguishing between psychology's goals.

#3 Why do we say that psychology is a broad field ?

a. You operate at several different levels so there are different levels of you that psychologists can study. Psychologists can study your

 

1. Physiological reactions: Your body reacts to things. For example, your heart may speed up and your palms may get sweaty. In studying physiological reactions, psychologists may use the same instruments that biologists and medical doctors use.

 

2. Actions: You exercise, study, eat, etc. Psychologists who focus only on this area might believe that you are what you do.

 

3. Thoughts: Psychologists who focus only on this area might believe that you are what you think.

 

4. Feelings/Emotions: Psychologists who focus only on this area might, like some poets, believe that you are what you feel.

b. Individuals are affected by many factors. In a sense, we live in three worlds: the biological world inside our body, the physical world, and our social world.

       Hear how evolution may be affecting your mating and other behavior

 

c. Types of psychologists: Although you might be able to say that there are 15 types of psychologists, it is probably more accurate to say that there are at least 71 types of psychologists.

d. Different areas of psychology: As you can see by clicking this link, there are 54 divisions/areas of the American Psychological Association.

e. Problems attacked by psychologists: Almost all problems boil down to people's attitudes and actions and psychology studies people's attitudes and actions.

II. Conclusions: Why study psychology?
A. It is the study of you. Your goals are psychology's goals (see whether your nonpsychological goals are good for you)

 
B. It helps you think more logically and scientifically.
C. It is a broad field so psychology is probably related to your major.
D. It is a practical field, so it is probably relevant to your career.
career

 

Hot Careers for the 2018 and beyond

 

By now, you should be able to do the following from memory. If you can't, you can get a hint by clicking on the link.

 

  1. Define psychology.
  2. Explain how psychology differs from philosophy.
  3. State the defining characteristic of the scientific approach.
  4. List at least one advantage and one disadvantage of using the scientific approach to studying human behavior.
  5. Explain why psychology uses the scientific approach.
  6. Identify the four major goals of psychology.
  7. Give examples to illustrate the point that psychology is a broad field.
  8. State at least two reasons why knowing about psychology will help you.
  9. Describe common career options for psychology majors.
  10. Understand this concept map about objectivity.
  11. Review this concept map about the breadth of psychology.
  12. Try this interactive quiz.

In addition, you might review the following concept map.