What is psychology?

Def: Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behavior.

TOK: Is psychology a science?

● What are some of the core ideas that define other sciences - such as biology, chemistry,
and physics? How are these core ideas most likely different from the study of human
behavior?
● Is it important that psychology makes use of the scientific method? Why or why not?

Key vocabulary:
● Cognitive processes - sometimes referred to as “thought processes” - explain how the
mind works. These processes include memory, perception, attention, decision-making,
and thinking/reasoning. It is the process by which existing knowledge is used to create
new knowledge.
● Physiology - refers you our biological systems. Psychologists are interested in the role
of our brain and nervous system, hormones, and genetics in behavior.
● Attitudes - can be defined as feelings of liking or disliking toward an object, person, or
idea. You may have an attitude about Chinese food, your president, or the concept of
globalization. Our attitudes can affect our behavior in both a positive and negative way.
● Emotions - are a combination of physiological and cognitive processes. According to
psychologists, there are seven basic emotions: happiness, sadness, anger, fear,
surprise, disgust, and contempt.
● Theory - an explanation for a psychological phenomenon; most theories are built on
concepts that is, hypothetical constructs
● Self-efficacy - defined as one’s own belief as to whether one will succeed in something,
based on previous experiences
● Testable - means that we could actually “prove it wrong”
● Unfalsifiable - means that it is not possible to test and thus not a good theory
● Anecdotal data - personal experience that we can share that challenges or supports a
theory
● Empirical evidence - information acquired by observation or experimentation
● Empirical support - in form of an experiment, observations, interviews, or case studies.
But empirical support must be replicated in order for the theory to be well supported
● High heuristic validity - a lot of applications
● Reductionism - describing a complex phenomenon in terms of simple explanations or
singular variables
● Fixed mindset -
● Growth mindset -

3 approaches:
● Biological approach - focuses on physiology, including genetics
● Cognitive approach - focus on mental processes like memory, thinking, perception, and
attention
● Sociocultural approach - focuses on how environment and culture affect behavior
ie: the study of clinical depression – or Major Depressive Disorder. The biological approach
would argue that depression is the result of biological factors – such as low levels of serotonin,
high levels of stress hormones or certain combinations of genes. The cognitive approach would
argue that depression is the result of the way people think. If your thinking is dominated by
negative and pessimistic thoughts, then you are more likely to be depressed. Finally, the
sociocultural approach would argue that environmental factors – such as a stressful work
environment, poverty, or war – could lead to depression.

What makes a good theory?

1) Testable
2) Empirical support
3) Applied in many practical ways
4) Concepts are well defined and can be measured
5) Not biased

What do psychologists do?

Examples of potential careers in psychology:
● Aviation psychologists - study the behavior of pilots and flight crew, as well as how to
improve airline safety.
● Clinical psychologists - assess, diagnose and treat individuals suffering from
psychological distress and mental illness.
● Cognitive psychologists - investigate how people think, including topics such as
decision-making and problem-solving.
● Consumer psychologists - research consumer behavior and develop marketing
strategies to promote businesses.
● Developmental Psychologists - research human development across the entire
lifespan – from infancy to old age.
● Educational psychologists - study how people learn and develop instructional
strategies and teaching techniques.
● Forensic psychologists - study the origins of criminal behavior as well as how
psychological research can be applied to improve the justice system.
● Health psychologists - conduct research on community health issues. They also seek
to educate the community and develop prevention programs.
● Industrial-Organizational psychologists - study workplace behavior such as how to
select the best employees for particular jobs and how to increase worker productivity.
● Military psychologists - apply psychological theory to improve the military – for
example, treating soldiers suffering from mental illness or emotional distress,
researching different aspects of military life, and helping soldiers transition back to
civilian life.
● Sports psychologists - study how psychological factors affect performance and how
participation in sports and exercise affect psychological and physical factors.
Operationalizing Variables

Hypothesis - clearly state the independent and dependent variables.

Independent variable - what the researcher changes or manipulates
Dependent variable - what the researcher measures

Applying new skills:

1. A researcher wants to see if stress can increase aggression in small children. What is
the independent variable?
Stress
What is the dependent variable?
Agression
How would you write a well-operationalized hypothesis?
Three-year-olds who are taken away from their parent and left with a stranger
demonstrate an increased frequency of beating on a drum that is in the room.
2. A researcher wants to see if a person’s academic skills can be affected by their level of
self-esteem. What is the independent variable?
Level of self-esteem
What is the dependent variable?
Academic skills
How would you write a well-operationalized hypothesis?
High school students who are praised for their work up until an examination will get
higher scores on content knowledge than students who do not receive praise.
3. A researcher wants to see if exercise has an effect on mood. What is the independent
variable?
exercise
What is the dependent variable?
mood
How would you write a well-operationalized hypothesis?
Men who run for twenty minutes on a treadmill will report a happier mood than men who
have not.
4. A researcher wants to see if a person’s level of happiness can affect their
problem-solving skills. What is the independent variable?
Level of happiness
What is the dependent variable?
Problem-solving skills
How would you write a well-operationalized hypothesis?
Teenagers who are given free tickets to the cinema will be able to solve more anagrams
correctly than teenagers who are not given any gift prior to the experiment.
5. A researcher wants to see if anxiety can affect an actor’s performance. What is the
independent variable?
anxiety
What is the dependent variable?
Actor’s performance
How would you write a well-operationalized hypothesis?
High school actors who are told that there is someone important in the audience judging
their performance will make more errors with their lines than actors who are not given
this information.