Introduction to Phychology

• Clinical and Couseling psychologist


  Tends to act like a life coach when YOU want to do so
• Psychiatrist 


  First- medicine, then - psychiatry
• Burnout 


  Work-related; the phase after prolonged periods of stress:

  causes low self-efficacy
• Low self-efficacy


  The feeling of not being able to do what you usually do (mostly self-judgement)
• Positive phycology


  The scientific study of optimal functioning and well-being

  FLOURISHING

  established in late 90s
• Martin Seligman


  Defined flourishing in the well-being theory
• The PERMA-model

  • Positive emotions
  • engagement
  • relationships
  • meaning
  • achievement
  • (+vitality- physical health)
• Applied phycology 


  Practical applications of physiological principals and theories to solve real-world problems
• Basic/fundamental phycology 


  Primary objective is to understand the underlying principles and mechanisms that govern human behavior
• Pseudo-phychology


  Unsupported psychological beliefs masquerading a scientific truths (astrology, horoscope, graphology)

  ABSENCE of use of scientific methods
• Peter principal 


  People are promoted until they reach a position that they are no longer competent
• Common sense approach


  Reliance on intuition, personal experiences, cultural norms to make decisions and solve problems
• Evidence-based approach 


  Reliance on scientific research and empirical evidence to make decisions and solve problems
• Evidence-based research=


  Applying scientific methods + critical thinking skills
• Scientific methods


  Scientific observations, using TRIED and TRUE empirical (based on EVIDENCE) methods:

  • controlled
  • free of bias
  • get rid of cofounding variables
• Confounding variable

  An external variable that can influence the independent and dependent variables of a study
• The marshmallow test 


  A test measuring self-control and delayed gratification in children
• The marshmallow test RESULTS

  Children that were able to DELAY gratification had MORE SUCCESS throughout their lives
• Marshmallow HOT vs COOL

  HOT thinking: impulsive thinking made by the limbic system (our emotions)

  COOL thinking: rational thinking driven by the pre-frontal cortex (complex cognitive behavior)
• Marshmallow U+ FUTURE U


  if you view “future, you as a stranger” you’re less likely to delay gratification and you are likely a HOT thinker
• Marshmallow WILL-POWER IF


  IF one thinks they have a finite amount of energy, then that is going to be the case
• Marshmallow IF THEN


  IF you distinguish your HOT SPOT , THEN find ways to cool the impulse.

  you can SHIFT from stimulus-control to self-control
• Marshmallow CHOICE 


  We want to cultivate self-control to distinguish whether we want to use hot or cool thinking
• Introspection


  The process of examining and reflecting upon one’s own thoughts, emotions and experiences
• Psychology is the science of

  behavior and mental processes
• Developing NEW knowledge 


  A theory - testable explanation for a set of facts;

  Empirically - sensory exp and obs as research data;

  Scientific method - 4 step process
• Scientific method


  4-step process for emperical investigation of a HYPOTHESIS under conditions designed to control biases and subjective judgements
• Scientific method steps

  1. Developing a hypothesis
  2. Gathering objective data
  3. Analyzing results
  4. Publishing, criticizing and replicating that results
• Hypothesis


  A statement predicting the outcome of a scientific study; the rel among variables in a study
• Hypothesis must be


  Potentially FALSIFIABLE (can be shown to be correct/incorrect)
• Operational definitions 


  The exact procedures or operations used to measure or manipulate a variable in research study
• Ownership theory/ the ENDOWMENT effect 


  Research showing that people ascribe MORE VALUE to things merely because they OWN them (ex: mag test kul)
• The scientific method can’t answer

  Value judgments
• IKEA effect


  Research showing that people ascribe more value to things merely because they DESIGNED/CREATED them
• Collecting objective data


  Use several tried-and-true methords. Any hypothesis can be tested in MULTIPLE ways (experimental and controlled condition)
• Analyse the results and accept/reject hypothesis

  Impies stats- accept/reject hypothesis
• Cognitive dissonance theory


  Individuals strive for consistency between their thoughts, attitudes and behaviours. To fix this, the person either changes ACTION, BELIEF or PERSPECTIVE on that action
• The founder of cognitive dissonance theory

  Leon Festinger
• Founders of psychology


  Wilhelm Wundt and William James
• William Wundt


  Viewed psychology as scientific study of conscious experience

  goal- identify parts of consciousness and how these combined result in our conscious experience; use of introspection: examine own consciousness in the most objective possible way