The Field of Psychology

The Field of Psychology

​Chapter 1

• Behavior results from physiological (physical) processes and cognitive (intellectual) processes.
• Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.
• Psychologists are systematic when they study behavior.

Gaining Insight into Behavior

The Field of Psychology

• Psychologists are systematic when they study behavior.
• Psychologists combine the results of many psychological studies to understand behavior.
• Psychology can provide useful insights into behavior; for example, it might help reveal why some people are uncomfortable in unstructured
groups.

Gaining Insight into Behavior

The Field of Psychology

• Overall, psychologists seek to do four things:

describe, explain, predict, and influence behavior.

• Psychologists acquire information, describe what is

known, and explain by means of principles.

• Theories are complex explanations based on

findings from many experiments that test

hypotheses.

The Goals of Psychology

The Field of Psychology

• Psychologists predict future behavior based on

knowledge accumulated through descriptions and

theories.

• Psychologists influence behavior by conducting

studies (basic science) or using psychological

principles to solve immediate problems (applied

science).

The Goals of Psychology

The Field of Psychology

Multiple Choice

What is a Hypothesis?

• the final conclusion.

• is the independent variable.

• is the dependent variable.

• an educated guess.

The Field of Psychology

​The Scientific Basis of Psychology

• Psychology is a social science that focuses on

individuals rather than social groups or cultures.

• Psychologists rely on the scientific method to gain

empirical knowledge based on experiments and

observations.

The Field of Psychology

​The Scientific Basis of Psychology

• Psychology is also a natural science that looks for

biological explanations for human behavior.

• Using the scientific method involves goal setting,

critical thinking, and open-mindedness.

• Like all scientists, psychologists continually review

and revise their theories.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following best explains why the experiments of Wilhelm Wundt are historically important in the field

of psychology?

• He was the first to develop a means for self-analysis.

• He was the first to use a systematic procedure to study human behavior.

• He was the first to map out the basic structure of human thought processes.

• He coined the terms sensation and feelings to explain psychological experience.