Psychology 1000 Chapter : How to Psyche 1000.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. 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. Diverse viewpoints allows for enriched understanding of behaviour and its causes. Six different perspectives: biological, cognitive, psychodynamic, behavioural, humanistic, and sociocultural. Focuses on the physical side of human nature: emphasizes role of brain, including biochemical processes. Monism: the belief that the mind and body are one, and mental events are a product of physical events: modern view by most scientists. Late 1700s, luigi galvani discovered severed leg of frog moved with electrical current applied to it: defied prior belief that bodily movements were caused by soul.