PSY 102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Simple Explanation, Psy, Human Behavior
28 Sep 2015
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Document Summary
Scientific study of the mind, brain and behaviour. Human behaviour is multiply determined (environment, mood, past occurring) People differ from one another in terms of thinking, emotion, personality and behaviour. Psychology"s long and winding road to becoming a science. Understand theoretical developments through competition and opposition of. Make connections across diverse fields of study. History is written by those in power. Women and people of colour was ignored. False impression that past theories were merely stepping stones to the modern correct way of thinking. Difficult to avoid imposing present sensitivities (ex. cultural, sexual, ethical) on the past. Scientific psychology: process based approach, not concerned with individuals but group norms. Deterministic view that behaviour can be explained in terms of biological, electrical and chemical changes in the brain. Humanistic psychology: we can predict behaviour, not through deterministic laws, but based on common culture, values, language, development and attitudes. Application of evolutionary theory in modern psychology.
