Psychology 1000 Chapter : Psychology Textbook Review.docx

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 1000
• Professor: Dr.Mike

Document Summary

Chapter 1 psychology: the science of behaviour. Psychology - the scientific study of behaviour and the factors that influence it. Taking into account biological, individual and environmental factors. Basic and applied science: two types of research, basic research: knowledge gained purely for its own sake. The goals are to describe how people behave and to identify factors that influence it. Uses principles discovered via basic research to solve practical problems. Importance of perspectives: diverse viewpoints allows for enriched understanding of behaviour and its causes, six different perspectives: biological, cognitive, psychodynamic, behavioural, humanistic, and sociocultural. In 1929, invention of electroencephalogram (eeg) allowed researchers to measure electrical activity of large areas of brain. Evolution and behaviour: darwin"s theory of natural selection demonstrated that inheritable characteristics that increase likelihood of survival will be maintained. Behaviour genetics: study of how behavioural tendencies are influenced by genetic factors, animals can be bred not only for physical, but also behavioural traits (aggression, intelligence, etc. )