Psychology 1000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Edward Thorndike, Albert Bandura, Human Behavior

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 1000
• Professor: John Campbell

Document Summary

Mind is understood by breaking it down into its smallest pieces. Mind is understood by determining how it helps an organism to adapt to the environment. Effects of the environment on the observable behavior of the organism. Behavior is directed by forces in one"s personality that are often hidden or unconscious. Only observable events (stimulus-response relationships) can be studied scientifically; behavior is shaped and controlled by one"s environment. Humans are free, rational beings with potential for personal growth; they are fundamentally different from animals. Behavior is guided by self-image and the need for personal growth (self-actualization) Human behavior cannot be fully understood without examining how people acquire, store, process, and retrieve information; much of behavior can be understood in terms of the mental processes involved. Behavior is influenced by one"s social and cultural context. Physiological (and evolutionary) basis of behavior in humans and animals.