What is psychology?

the scientific study of thought,

feeling and behavior

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 What do psychologists do?

à Úelp people with

problems
à Measure and test
à Teach
à SCIENTIFIC
RESEARCÚ


Where do psychologists work?

à Clinics
à Schools
à Colleges
à Businesses
à Laboratories
à Government
agencies

Schooling in Psychology


 

  
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Some psychological research
topics:

à origins of stereotypes
à development of language
à causes of Alzheimer¶s disease
à accuracy of eyewitness
testimony
à personality & musical
preference
à treatment of eating disorders
à causes of romantic love
Sampling Psychology: Examples
of Psychological Research
Findings:

à visual perception & optical

illusions
à information processing &
judgment
à human memory
à self-evaluation
Which center circle is
larger?
Úere are the same
circles again.
Ôo you see the flashing dots?

The flashing is all in your head.

TO TÚINK ABOUT OR ÔISCUSS:
à Ôoes the human visual system
behave just like a video camera?
à Could optical illusions ever
cause accidents?
à Could optical illusions ever
prevent accidents?
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The effect you experienced is
the STROOP INTERFERENCE
EFFECT.

TO TÚINK ABOUT OR ÔISCUSS:

à Some behavior is AUTOMATIC.
It¶s impossible NOT to read
color words.
à Would a person who cannot
read experience the effect?
à Could this test be used to
measure ³language fluency´?
 A memory test:

1. Please listen carefully to

the following list of words.

2. Please ÔO NOT write the

words down. Just listen
carefully.

3. In a little while, I¶ll ask you

to remember the words.
 Now count backwards
with me slowly, by threes,
from 45 to 3:

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1. Write down each word below:

ghost cake blanket

sweet rabbit candy

2. Circle only the words you

heard on the list.

3. If you VIVIÔLY remember

hearing a word, circle it
twice.
 Now examine the list carefully:
à Ú
 Ã 
à  à  TO TÚINK
à Ú
 Ã  ABOUT OR
Ã
 Ã 
 ÔISCUSS :
à  
à Ú
Should this
à   make us worry
à 
 about
à 
Ã Ú 
eyewitness
à    testimony?
Now we are going to do a simple
activity involving letters of the
alphabet.

Based on your gut feelings, quickly

write down:

1.Your six FAVORITE letters

2.Your six LEAST FAVORITE

letters
Look over each list and circle
all of the letters that occur
in your own first name. Count
the number of circled letters
in each list.

Which list included more of the

letters from your own first
name??
The preference for the letters in one¶s
own name is the name letter effect.

TO TÚINK ABOUT: Would people be

more likely to purchase a product if the
product resembled his or her name?

Should the musician depicted

here like M&Ms more than
the average person does?
Psychological Science:

à addresses
important
questions

à can improve
people¶s
lives

à is a lot of fun!

!