PSYC 1000 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1-5: Research, Personality Psychology, Falsifiability

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 1000
• Professor: Benjamin Giguere

Document Summary

Psychology: the scientific study of behaviour, thought, and experience, and how they can be affected by the physical, mental, social and environmental factors. The scientific method: a way of learning about the world through collecting observations, developing theories to explain them, and using the theories to make predictions. Hypothesis: a testable prediction about processes that can be observed and measured. Theory: an explanation for a broad range of observations that also generates new hypotheses and integrates numerous findings into a coherent whole. Biopsychosocial model: a means of explaining behaviour as a product of biological, psychological and sociocultural factors. Recognize that the news report only considers one portion of the biopsychosocial model (d: the hypothesis that exercise improves memory ability is a scientific one because: it makes a testable prediction (c) Critical thinking involves exercising curiosity and skepticism when evaluating the claims of others, and with our own assumptions and beliefs.