PSYCH101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Scientific Literacy, Biopsychosocial Model, Psychological Science

• School: University of Waterloo
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYCH101
• Professor: Richard Ennis

Document Summary

Psychology: study of behaviour, thought, and experience, and how they can be effected by psychical, mental, social, and environmental factors. Involves the study of behaviour which can include perception, thoughts and emotions: psychologists also employ the scientific method in their work. Scientific method: a way of learning about the world through collecting observations, developing theories to explain them, and using the theories to make predictions, there is a dynamic interaction between hypotheses testing and the construction of theories. Hypothesis (pl. hypotheses: a testable prediction about processes that can be observed and measured, can be supported or rejected and does not have to be proved, a scientific hypothesis must be testable. If a hypothesis is supported, it provides more support for the theory. Scientific literacy: the ability to understand, analyze, and apply scientific information. Critical thinking, curiosity, and a dose of healthy skepticism.