PS102 Chapter 1: current trends in psychology
Document Summary
Current trends in psychology: psychology is theory-driven, psychology is empirical, psychology is multi-level (must account for whats happening at levels of brain, person and group, psychology is contextual. These values work together to drive constant progress and change in the field of psychology. Continuing to give birth to new schools of thought. Field now has more women earning graduate degrees than any other science. 70. 5 percent of psychologists in canada are women. 16% of newly earned ph. ds are awarded to minority group members. Cultural psychology has become an important area of investigation. Cultural psychologists focus on differences between collectivist and individualistic cultures. Development of computers in 50s and 60s contributed to the cognitive psychology. Mental processes should affect behaviour like software affects hardware. Brain imaging and drug treatments have revealed great deal about human mental processes and behaviour. Cognitive neurosciences focuses on how mental processes interact with the biological functions of the brain.
