Definition and Goals of Psychology
Psychology
Psychology comes from Greek word: psyche = mind logos = knowledge/study
Defining psychology
•Some definitions:
•Psychology is the scientific study of behaviour and the factors that influence it (Passer & Smith, 2001, p.4).
•Psychology is the science of behaviour and mental processes(Lefton & Brannon, 2003, p.4).
•Psychology is the scientific study of human behaviour and other organisms (animals) (Coon, 2004).
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Keywords in definitions:
•Scientific study
•Human behaviour
•Animal behaviour
•Mental processes
Scientific study
•Scientific study: It is a systematic way of collecting and analysing data.
–It originates from the scientific method.
•Scientific method: It involves stating the problems, developing a hypothesis, designing a study, collecting and analysing data, and drawing conclusions and reporting results
Five steps of the scientific method:
1.State the problem
2.Develop a hypothesis
3.Design a study
4.Collect and analyse data
5.Draw conclusions and report results
•Some characteristics of a scientific study:
•Empirical backing - This means the knowledge or evidence is sought by experiments and observations but not only in theory. Consequently, science does not accept metaphysical explanations.
•Replicability - In the experiment, all details must be described so that anybody who reads the report of the experiment and repeats the manipulations in a comparable group of subjects should be able to come out with similar results.
•Generalization - The findings gained from the observation or experiment (sample) should allow for generalization to a wider society/population.
Other characteristics of a scientific study:
–Objectivity (it reflects fairness and open-mindedness on part of the researcher in the research process).
–Systematicity (it represents the systematic approach for conducting research e.g., data must be collected first b4 analysis can proceed. We can’t analysis data b4 we collect them).
–Healthy skepticism (i.e., consumers of research must be skeptical/critical about research findings; not every research is good research).
Human behaviour
•Psychologists use the term “behaviour” very broadly to refer both to actions that we can directly observe and to inner processes such as thoughts, feelings, images, and psychological reactions.
•Psychologists search for the causes of behaviour by taking into account biological, psychological, and environmental factors.
Psychologists are concerned with enormous range of questions about human behaviour:
–1. What makes people fall in love?
–2. How do we remember, think, and feel?
–3. How does one’s culture influence behaviour?
–4. What are the causes of aggression? Frustration?
–5. Do genes affect our personality?
Smoking behaviour:
Alcohol use:
Seatbelt use:
What is behaviour?
•Behaviour refers to the way in which an individual responds to a stimulus.
–Stimulus-response relationship
Classification of behaviour
•Reflex behaviour: This occurs automatically in response to a stimulus. E.g., producing saliva in response to the taste of food, and jumping when one gets a pin prick.
• Goal-directed behaviour: This is where there is a need in an individual and he tries to satisfy it with a certain behavioural pattern. E.g., a child who is hungry will cry until he is fed.
•Frustration behaviour: The goal of the behaviour is specific and its needs may not be achieved. E.g., a child who is hungry and has been crying might respond when the food is finally brought to him by throwing it on the floor and spilling it.
•Conditioned behaviour: This consists of behaviour patterns exhibited by the individual due to long standing habitual practices adapted by the individual.
Behaviour is key
•Psychologists place so much emphasis on behaviour that they declared the years 2000-2010 the “Decade of Behaviour” (APA).
Animal behaviour
•Psychologists study the behaviour of some animals as well.
•Why do psychologists study the behaviour of some animals and draw inferences to human beings? -Ethical reasons -Practical reasons
Mental processes
•Psychologists also explore the causes of our feelings, our motives, and our thoughts.
–Mental processes: thoughts, attitudes, and emotions.
Psychology: basic & applied science?
•Psychologists use various research methods to develop and test theories about behaviour and its causes.
–Basic science/research: The quest for knowledge for its own sake.
–Applied science/research: The quest for knowledge to solve specific practical problems.
Goals of psychology
•Psychologists have four (4) goals:
1.To describe how people and other animals behave.
2.To explain/understand the causes of these behaviours.
3.To predict how people and animals will behave under certain conditions.
4.To control (influence) behaviour through knowledge gained from research.