Psychology Chapter 1 Notes Essay

Submitted By soccergirl2234
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Chapter 1: The Science of Psychology
What it Means to Be a Psychologist

What is Psychology?
Psychology: The scientific study of the causes of behavior

Why psychology is Studied
To understand human behavior
To explain why people do what they do

Field of Psychology
Scientists
Practitioners

Areas of Psychological Research
Physiological: Examines the physiological basis of behavior in terms of the nervous system. Mostly study nonhuman animals in order to learn more about humans.
Comparative: Study of the behavior of members of a variety of species in an attempt to explain evolutionary adaption to the environment. Looks for similarities between species.
Behavior Genetics: Our behavior is a result of our genes and the environment. Behavior genetics looks at the proportion of our behavior that is due to our genes.
Cognitive: Study of the mental processes and complex behaviors such as perception.
Cognitive Neuroscience: Attempts to understand cognitive psychological functions by studying the brain mechanisms that are responsible for them
Developmental: How we change/stay the same over our lifetime due to age and experience
Social: Effects people have on each other
Personality: The study of difference in people and their personalities
Evolutionary: How our behavior has changed over time (natural selection)
Cross-cultural: Looks at the differences in behavior among cultures
Clinical: Devoted to the investigation and treatment of abnormal behavior and