PSY 350 Final: Final COMPLETED Study Guide
Document Summary
Definition of psychology: scientific study of affect, behavior and cognition. Necessary for it to be considered psychology: psychology is the scientific study of how we act, think, and feel (focus on scientific) Perspectives in social psychology: evolutionary perspective. Focus on influences that are literally encoded in dna; knowledge doesn"t apply. Social behaviors we see today reflect predispositions that gave our ancestors survival advantages over those who didn"t have them i. e. living in groups, aggression. Over time, species change due to the process of natural selection. Genetic variability: we all have slight differences in our specific genomes. Differential reproductive success (some people leave more offspring than others) Definition individualistic vs. collectivist cultures: individualism - very american value; separates us from other cultures. Uniqueness of the individual is more important than the group. Emphasis on self-expression of your unique qualities: collectivism - group is more important than the individual.
