PSYC 110 Study Guide - Fall 2018, Comprehensive Midterm Notes - Anxiety, Memory, Psychology
PSYC 110
MIDTERM EXAM
STUDY GUIDE
Fall 2018
8/28/2017 Continuation of Chapter 1
Subdivisions of Psychology
●Sport and exercise
○Study psychological aspects of physical performance, including motivation and
anxiety.
●Forensic
○Assess, diagnose, and assist with rehabilitation and treatment of prison inmates
○Others conduct research on eyewitnesses or juries
●School
○Assess and develop intervention programs
○Differs from educational psychology (training teachers and helps to understand
the practice of teaching)
●Clinical
○Focuses on diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders and other
problematic patterns of behavior
○In most states, they cannot prescribe medication (through psychiatrists (M.D.s)
can)
○Therapists may have different degrees (Psy.D, M.S.W., Ph.D., etc)
●Counseling
○Work with people experiencing temporary or self-contained problem (e.g., marital
or occupational difficulties)
Education in Psychology
●To work as either a research psychologist, therapist, or a psychology teacher, graduate
education is required
○At least a master's (2+ years plus licensing)
○If not a PhD, or PsyD (5-6 years plus postdoctoral training)
●A psychology major with a bachelor's degree provides useful skills that can be used in
many fields.
How Psychology Affects Our Lives
●Two broad categories of research
○Basic examines how the mind works
○Applied examines how we use basic research to solve real world problems.
●Yellow fire engine, three brake lights, commercials, and standardized are all examples of
influence of psychology
Chapter 2: Psychological Research
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Intuition vs. Science
●Naive realism- the belief that we see the world precisely as it actually is in truth- “seeing
is believing”
●Works well in ordinary life, but consider:
○The earth seems flat
○We seem to be standing still, yet the earth is moving around the sun 18.5
miles/sec
When Common Sense is Right
●Not all common sense is wrong.
●Common sense should serve as a generator for hypotheses, which can then be tested.
●But learning to think like a scientist's means learning when-and when not- to trust our
common sense.
Psychology as a Science
●Science is not a body of knowledge (e.g. chemistry or physics)
●Science is an approach to evidence, one designed to keep us from fooling ourselves.
●Science begins with empiricism (knowledge should be provided through observations),
but then tests those observations using rigorous methods.
Theories and Hypotheses
●A scientific theory is an explanation for a large number of findings in the natural world.
●A hypothesis is a specific prediction based on a theory, which can then be tested.
●Theories are general explanations, hypotheses are specific predictions derived from
them.
Science as a Safeguard against Bias
●Confirmation bias- tendency to seek out evidence that supports our hypothesis and
neglect or distort contradicting evidence
●Scientists need to design studies that may disprove their theories (i.e., falsifiability)
●Belief perseverance- tendency to stick to our initial beliefs even when evidence
contradicts them
●The “don’t confuse me with the facts” bias
Metaphysical Claims
●Non-testable assertions fall outside the realm of science
○The existence of God, the soul, or the afterlife
We Might Be Wrong
●Good scientists are always aware they might be wrong.
●Scientific knowledge is always tentative and open to revision.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Study psychological aspects of physical performance, including motivation and anxiety. Assess, diagnose, and assist with rehabilitation and treatment of prison inmates. Others conduct research on eyewitnesses or juries. Differs from educational psychology (training teachers and helps to understand the practice of teaching) Focuses on diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders and other problematic patterns of behavior. In most states, they cannot prescribe medication (through psychiatrists (m. d. s) can) Therapists may have different degrees (psy. d, m. s. w. , ph. d. , etc) Work with people experiencing temporary or self-contained problem (e. g. , marital or occupational difficulties) To work as either a research psychologist, therapist, or a psychology teacher, graduate education is required. At least a master"s (2+ years plus licensing) If not a phd, or psyd (5-6 years plus postdoctoral training) A psychology major with a bachelor"s degree provides useful skills that can be used in many fields. Applied examines how we use basic research to solve real world problems.
