PS102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Leappad, Belief Perseverance, Confirmation Bias
Document Summary
Behavior: aggression is associated with low levels of serotonin. Evolutionary: we aggress against people who challenge our status. Cognitive: we learn to be more aggressive when we see aggression rewarded. Social: we are more aggressive when we are anonymous and unaccountable. Developmental: aggressive behavior decreases sharply from the mid 20s on. Clinical: aggressive individuals tend to have low impulse control. Personality: aggressive people tend to have very high self esteem. Is psychology a science or just common sense. Blend of both usually common sense first followed by proving the theory with science. Ways of knowing: introspection philosophy, science natural sciences, feelings literature and religion. Psychology is the scientific study of the mind, brain, and behavior. Why do we need scientific method to study psychology: it"s a set of safeguard against two human tendencies. To seek out evidence that supports our hypotheses and deny, dismiss or distort evidence that doesn"t confirmation bias.
