Psychology2016

18 CHAPTER 1

Practice Quiz How much do you remember?

Pick the best answer.

1. Which of the following perspectives focuses on the biological bases
   of universal mental characteristics?
   a. humanistic c. psychodynamic
   b. behavioral d. evolutionary


2. Which perspective offers the best explanation for schizophrenia?
   a. psychodynamic c. biopsychological
   b. behavioral d. humanistic


3. Wesley has learned that if he cries with his mother in public, she will
   often get him a new toy or a piece of candy so as to quiet
   him. Which of the following perspectives explains Wesley’s
   behavior?
   a. psychodynamic c. behavioral
   b. cognitive d. biopsychological
   4. Which perspective would a researcher be taking if she were study-
   ing a client’s early childhood experiences and his resulting develop-
   ment of self?
   a. psychodynamic c. behavioral
   b. cognitive d. evolutionary
   5. Which of the following professionals in psychology has a doctoral
   degree but it is not in medicine?
   a. psychiatrist c. psychiatric social worker
   b. psychiatric nurse d. psychologist
   6. If Dr. Swasey is like most psychologists, where does she
   probably work?
   a. university/college c. federal government
   b. self-employed d. state or local government

scientific approach
system of gathering data so that
bias and error in measurement are
reduced.

Reset

Behavioral

based on early work

of Watson and later B. F. Skinner

Psychodynamic

based on Freud’s theory

Humanistic

two pioneers are Carl Rogers

and Abraham Maslow

Cognitive

has roots in

Gestalt psychology

focuses on the role of the unconscious mind and its influence on conscious behavior,

early childhood experiences, development of sense of self, and other motivations

Evolutionary focuses on the biological bases for universal mental characteristics, such as why we lie, how attractivenessinfluences mate selection, the universality of fear, and why we enjoy things like music and dance

focuses on how behavioral responses are learned through classical or operant conditioning

Biopsychological focuses on inhuman and animal behavior is seen as a dirfluences of hormones, brain structurect result of events in the bodyes and chemicals, disease, etc.;

focuses on human potential, free will, and possibility of self-actualization

Sociocultural focuses on the behavior of individuals as the rimagined) of other individuals, as part of groups, or as part of a laresult of the presence (rger cultureal or e

focuses on memory, intelligence, perception, thought processes,

problem solving, language, and learning

The Field of Psychology Today: Modern Perspectives

(no one single perspective is used to explain all human behavior and processes)

Psychological Professionals and Areas of Specialization

(people working in the field of psychology have a variety of training experiences and different focuses)

medical doctor

who specializes in

diagnosis and treatment

of psychological

disorders; can prescribe

medication

psychiatrist

has training in area

of social work

(M.S.W.) and often

has a professional

license to practice

(L.C.S.W.)

psychiatric

social worker

has a doctorate degree (Ph.D., Psy.D., or Ed.D.)

and works with either humans or animals in a

variety of settings based on the area of specialization

must be licensed to practice independently; typically

does not prescribe medications but can go through

specialized training to do so in a few states

psychologist

Scientific Research

Have you ever played the “airport game”? You sit at the airport (bus terminal, mall, or

any other place where people come and go) and try to guess what people do for a living

based only on their appearance. Although it’s a fun game, the guesses are rarely correct.

People’s guesses also sometimes reveal the biases that they may have about certain phys-

ical appearances: men with long hair are musicians, people wearing suits are executives,

and so on. Psychology is about trying to determine facts and reduce uncertainty and bias.

The Scientific Approach

1. 5 Recall the five steps of the scientific approach.
   In psychology, researchers want to see only what is really there, not what their
   biases might lead them to see. This can be achieved using the scientific approach, an
   approach to research intending to reduce the likelihood of bias and error in the mea-
   surement of data.