PSYC 2410 : Principles of Behaviour Chapter Notes.docx

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 2410
• Professor: Dan Meegan

Document Summary

Psychology: the scientific study of behaviour and the factors that influence it. Refers to the actions that we can observe directly. Psychologist take into account biological, individual and environmental factors. Basic research: the quest for knowledge purely for its own sake. Applied research: designed to solve specific practical problems. In psychology the goals of basic research are to describe how people behave and to identify the factors that influence or cause a particular type of behaviour. Done in labs or real world settings. Applied research often uses the principles discovered through basic research to solve practical problems. Mind-body dualism: the belief that the mind is a spiritual entity not subject to the physical laws that govern the body. Implies that no amount of research done on the body could ever unravel the mysteries of the mind. Monism: holds that the mind is not a separate spiritual entity.