What is the definition of psychology? A scientific study of behavior and mental processes. What do psychologists use that makes psychology a science? *hint (QHPDC) Bell Ringer What is something you will have to deal with no matter what you choose to do in life? How will a psychology class help with any career or lifestyle a person chooses? ????????????? Why study psychology? Understanding why people think and behave the way they do. Become more open-minded. Insight into your own behavior (party vs practice) Practical application (train a puppy with rewards) Improve critical thinking Better your social situation and relationships Class could lead to some issues in your love life though. People have asked for Years Psychology studies observable behavior and mental processes 4 goals of psychologists observing behaviors are: Describe behavior Observe the behavior and record it. (people watch aka naturalistic observation) Explain behavior Explain the behavior (why do people do these things) Predict behavior Make predictions about a behavior to determine causes and effects Control or change behavior Use information and apply it to life, hopefully for good. What do research psychologists use to achieve these goals? Goals of Psychology Describe- observe a behavior Explain- try to explain the behavior Predict- predict things about the behavior (using scientific method at this point) Question & Hypothesis Control/change- try to influence outcomes Procedure, Data, & Conclusion The scientific method is used to develop questions, collect data and reach conclusions. Goals of Psychology and the Scientific Method Two different types of psychology are: Applied Psychology Research Psychology I Aint Gotta Type Quagmire Helped Peter Detonate Charges Why do Mnemonics Work? Question Researcher forms this after observing a behavior Hypothesis Independent variable (IV) and the dependent variable (DV) and is a TESTABLE prediction (outcomes are interpretable- happy is not interpretable) EX- If I give a plant 2x more sun then the plant will grow 2x more than a plant given a normal light cycle. ***Identify the (IV- I control) and the (DV- Depending on what I do) Procedure -Detailed step-by-step guide of how to exactly perform the experiment Data Presented in graphs or charts to easily be read. Trends and patterns are visible. Conclusions - Data is analyzed through a perspective of psychology. The analysis has to declare if the hypothesis is correct or incorrect, and how this research can be applied to real life. Scientific Method Details Quagmire Helped Peter Detonate Charges Cordycep puts the FUN in fungus. Studying the invasive behavior of the cordycep fungi fill out the following Q- H- P- What does the data say? Zombie Take Over!!! Psychologists have found that even if you are in a bad mood, you can instantly lift your mood by forcing yourself to smile. SO SMILE AND LOVE LIFE! Quick psychology video to start the week!!! Get what you want! Extra Video if Time