PSYA01H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Determinism, Heredity, Empiricism
CHAPTER 1: Introducing Psychological Science
Psychology – scientific study of behaviour, thought, and experience, and how they can be affected by
physical, mental, social + environmental factors
GOALS TO UNDERSTAND…
o diff.brain structures work together to produce our behaviour
o how nature (genetics) and nurture (our upbringing+environ.) interact to condition us to
who we are
o prev. experiences influence how we think + act
o how groups (family, culture, crowds) affect an individual
o how feelings of control can influence happiness + health
o how each of these factors can influence well-being + contribute to psychological
disorders
SECTION 1.1:
- Scientific Method – way of learning about the world thru.collecting observations,, developing
theories to explain them, and using theories to make predictions.
- Theory – general principles/explanations of some aspect of the world
o Aren’t same as opinions/beliefs
o All theories are NOT equally plausible
o Quality of a theory is NOT related to # of ppl who believe it to be true
- Hypothesis – specific predictions that can test the theory or specific parts of the theory.
- Biopsychosocial Model - explaining behaviour as a product of biological, psychological, and
sociocultural factors.
o Biological genes & physiology
o Psychological behaviour, cognition personality
o Social interpersonal, environmental
- Scientific Literacy – ability to understand, analyse, + apply scientific info
- Critical Thinking – exercising curiousityy + scepticism when evaluating claims of others w/ our
own assumptions + beliefs (involves cautious skepticism)
- Principle of Parsimony - the simplest of all competing explanations of a phenomenon/event
should be the one we accept
Document Summary
Psychology scientific study of behaviour, thought, and experience, and how they can be affected by physical, mental, social + environmental factors. Scientific method way of learning about the world thru. collecting observations,, developing theories to explain them, and using theories to make predictions. Theory general principles/explanations of some aspect of the world: are(cid:374)(cid:859)t sa(cid:373)e as opi(cid:374)io(cid:374)s/(cid:271)eliefs, all theories are not equally plausible, quality of a theory is not related to # of ppl who believe it to be true. Hypothesis specific predictions that can test the theory or specific parts of the theory. Biopsychosocial model - explaining behaviour as a product of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors: biological genes & physiology, psychological behaviour, cognition personality, social interpersonal, environmental. Scientific literacy ability to understand, analyse, + apply scientific info. Critical thinking exercising curiousityy + scepticism when evaluating claims of others w/ our own assumptions + beliefs (involves cautious skepticism)
