WHAT MAKES PSYCHOLOGY UNIQUE? (Text p. 2)

Lecture Launchers/Discussion Topics:

How Do We Know What We Know?

Psychology and Common Sense

Classroom Activities, Demonstrations, and Exercises:

Misconceptions About Psychology

Psychology’s Goals Applied to Matchmaking

Promoting Cultural Awareness

I. What Makes Psychology Unique?

A. Basic Definitions

1. Psychology is the scientific study of the behavior of individuals and their mental processes. As such, psychologists are behavioral scientists.

2. The scientific method is the orderly, analytical process used in all sciences to analyze and solve problems.

3. Behavior is observable, measurable action. It is the means by which both animals and humans adjust to their environment.

4. Most often, the subject of scientific analysis in psychology is an individual. This can include studying behavior that is affected by developmental change, as well as by external environmental change (e.g., the influence of interactions with other organisms).

5. Mental processes/cognition refer to the private, internal workings of the mind.

6. Psychology, the field is a comparison to areas both inside and outside the social sciences.

B. The Goals of Psychology

1. The primary goal of psychology is to improve our understanding of behavior. Hence, the goals of the psychologist conducting basic research are to describe, explain, predict, or control behavior.

2. Accurately describing behavior requires the following:

a) First, the psychologist must observe and accurately measure the behavior. Behavioral data includes the psychologist’s report of observations about the behavior and the conditions under which the behavior occurs.

b) The type of behavioral data collected depends on the level of analysis. The focus of observations can range from broad, general, and global aspects all the way to minute details of the organism under study.

c) Objectivity refers to the scientific necessity to record behavioral data as facts—as they really exist—not as we hope them to exist. Objectivity helps ensure the advancement of scientific understanding of behavior, free of subjective, personal biases, prejudices, and expectations that would distort the data collected.

C. Explaining behavior requires that explanations deliberately go beyond the basic description of what can be observed.

1. Psychologists do not want to just describe; they want explain how or why a particular behavior occurs.

2. Behavior results from a combination of many internal factors (e.g., intelligence, developmental stage, physical health, genetics) and external factors (e.g., peer pressure, socioeconomic status) that all influence one another.

3. Psychologists must synthesize observed behavior with existing scientific knowledge to arrive at causal explanations about the behavior (e.g., Observation: The roommate does not actively participate in class. Explanation: Because he or she is also very quiet in many other social situations, perhaps his behavior in class is “caused” by his shyness.).

D. Predicting behavior involves statements about the likelihood of a specific behavior occurring.

1. Scientific prediction is based on an understanding of relationships between behaviors and the

mechanisms that link those behaviors to certain predictors. Scientists derive this information by systematically varying the conditions that lead to certain behaviors.

E. For many psychologists, controlling behavior is the ultimate, central goal.

1. This is particularly true for applied psychologists, whose goal is to improve individuals’quality of life.

2. Controlling behavior means influencing a behavior to happen or not to happen, and influencing the nature of the behavior as it is being performed.

3. Throughout Psychology and Life are examples of how psychologists work to change or help people control behavior (e.g., improving mental health, helping people change unhealthy behaviors, teaching parenting skills).