Unit 1, Activity 1, Assignment 2

1. What specifically is studied in the following areas of psychology:

developmental psychology, personality, neuroscience, abnormal
psychology (deviance), clinical psychology, social psychology,
organizational psychology, and cognitive psychology?
After some research I can explain what is studied in the following areas of psychology.
Developmental psychologists study human growth and their development over a
lifespan. This includes physical, intellectual, and emotional growth. Personality
psychology studies the variation of personalities among individuals. It aims to show how
everyone is different due to psychological forces. Neuroscience studies how the
nervous system develops and what it does. It focuses on the brain and it’s impact on
behaviour and cognitive functions. Abnormal psychology is the study of unusual
patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. Although many of these could be
considered abnormal, abnormal psychology generally deals with behaviour in the
clinical extent. Clinical psychology focuses on diagnosing and treating mental,
emotional, and behavioural disorders. Some examples of disorders that might be treater
are learning disabilities, depression, and anxiety. Social psychology is the study of how
people may think, feel, and act depending on the context of society. For example, our
behaviour may change depending on who we are with. Organizational psychologists
study workplace productivity and management to solve problems in the workplace. They
focus on assessing individuals and groups and helping solve problems that may
improve the well being and performance of an organization and it employees. finally,
cognitive psychology is the study of mental processes or the study of the mind and how
we think. Cognitive psychologists study attention span, memory, and reasoning. And
example of cognition is learning.

2. Describe the different fields of sociology in terms of their focus and

purpose: demography, criminology, gender studies.
Demography is the study of human population, it is the study of the size, structure, and
distribution of population, and how populations change overtime due to births, deaths,
migration, and aging. Criminology is the study of crime, this includes its causes,
responses by law enforcement, and methods of prevention. Gender studies focuses on
gender identity and gendered representation. This includes women studies such as
feminism and politics, mens studies, and queer studies.

3. What are the four distinguishable fields of anthropological research?

Describe each field of research and what cultural phenomena each seeks to
research?
The four distinguishable fields of anthropological research are biological anthropology,
cultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology, and archaeology. Biological anthropology
is the study of the past and present evolution of the human species and it is especially
concerned with understanding the causes of present human diversity. Cultural
anthropology is the study of human cultures. A cultural anthropologist may choose to
live with people of a different culture to learn about the culture from the inside, they will
then try to convey the interesting differences and similarities between them. Linguistic
anthropologists study human languages from many different cultures throughout time.
 Unit 1, Activity 1, Assignment 2

They also focus on how language intertwines with aspects of culture and society.
Archeology is the study of human activity and past cultures through artifacts, or items
that people have made, used, or changed.
4. Applying your understanding of the different fields of Social Science
research, how would each of the three different areas of the Social Sciences
research the following topics: violence in the stands at a soccer match; the
desire to seek close loving relationships; and the function of Canadian
correctional facilities. For each of the examples, write what is central to each
Social Science approach and the questions a sociologist, psychologist, and
an anthropologist may pose to better understand this topic.
If violence in the stands of a soccer match occurs, a sociologist may ask
questions like; “Do these people face violence often? Perhaps at home or through social
media?” This helps the sociologist identify if the people reacted the way they did due to
the people around them, or if it is from things they have witnessed in society. A
psychologist would ask questions like; “Do these people deal with any mental illnesses,
such as anger issues?” They would ask questions regarding the persons mental health,
this may help them understand why the person reacted the way they did. An
anthropologist would focus more on the culture of the game. For example, “Is it common
for a crowd of soccer fans to become rowdy or violent?” This allows them to question
the culture norms of the sport.
When someone has the desire to seek a close loving relationship, a sociologist
may ask, “Does someone around the person have a close loving relationship? Perhaps
their parents or friends?” they may also ask if it is influenced through the media or
current trends. This helps the sociologist to identify what might have influenced the
persons thoughts, and if it was a factor of their everyday lives. A psychologist may ask if
the person has any mental illness’s or such that caused them this desire. For example,
if they are depressed or lonely. An anthropologist may approach this topic by thinking of
the culture they are in, and if close loving relationships are common. For example, “Do
many people pursue close loving relationships?” or “Have many people had close loving
relationships?”.
When thinking about the function of Canadian correctional facilities, a sociologist
may ask themselves “How is this effective in correcting inmates? Will they change to be
like everyone else in their correctional facility, or will they become better?” or “What do
people think when they are sent to or know people who are being sent to correctional
facilities?” This shows how a sociologist may think of society, and how they react. It also
shows how the function may not be effective, due to who the inmates are surrounded
with. A psychologist may think about how the function of the correctional facilities affects
a persons mental health, they may also question how safe, or efficient the organization
is for its staff and inmates, and how they can improve it. An anthropologist would ask
questions regarding why Canada choose to run their correctional facilities the way they
do. They may also ask questions like, “When did we first develop the habits of putting
people in jails?” or, “Does putting someone in a correctional facility for a long time make
a difference compared to a short time? Has there been proof from the past?” This
shows how they question if peoples behaviours change from correctional facilities, and
why we have used them for so long.