Psychology 1000 Lecture 11: Psych Notes Semester 1

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 1000
• Professor: Nick Skinner

Document Summary

Lecture: early psychologists wanted their new science to like the older sciences they were persuaded to find things that were observable. The older sciences were successful (as psychology began). S-r model (behaviour is a consequence of stimulation). R=f(s): earliest definition of psychology was behavioural based. S-o-r (o=organism representing the behaviour) r=f(s,o) (cognitive perspective) psychology is not the study of just behaviour, but mental activity as well. Psychology: the discipline concerned with behavioural and mental processes and how they are affected by an organism"s physical state, mental state, and external environment. Psyche: soul, spirit, self, or life -ology: branch of knowledge. Psychobabble: pseudoscience and quackery covered by a veneer of psychological and scientific- sounding language. 8 essential critical-thinking guidelines: ask questions; be willing to wonder, define your terms, examine the evidence, analyze assumptions and biases, avoid emotional reasoning, don"t over simplify, consider other interpretations, tolerate uncertainty.