Download Social Psychology

Social Psychology
Introduction to Psych 20
Pick up “What Do Social Psychologists Actually Do?”
Psychology - Definition
 The study of human thought and behaviour.
 Behaviour
 Any action we can observe and record
 Thought
 Internal subjective experience we can infer from behaviour.
Social Psychology
 The study of how the thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are influenced by the actual,
imagined, or implied presence of others.
Psychology as a Science
 Psychology falls under the category of Social Sciences (along with archeology,
anthropology, history, etc.)
 Psychology is less a set of findings than a scientific way of asking and answering questions.
Psychology’s Big Issues
 Stability versus Change
 Do we change as we get older?
 Rationality versus Irrationality
 How logical/efficient or not are our thoughts?
 Nature versus nurture
 How do we become who we are? Genes or experiences?
Old Guys Who Are Super Important to
Psychology and Its Roots
 Plato
 Really really really old Greek dude that assumed character and intelligence are inherited
 Aristotle
 Really really old also Greek brainiac who believed that all knowledge comes from sensory experiences
 John Locke
 Revived the Greek beliefs in the 1600s. Also believed most knowledge came from the senses.
 Renee Descarte
 Believed that some ideas re innate.
 Charles Darwin
 Ol’ Charlie believed in evolution of species and natural selection (if you can’t cut it, your genes will die
out which makes the species stronger).
Task 1
 Read “What Does a Social Psychologist Actually Do?”
 Pick out the top five most important things you read, and include them in your notes for
your reference later.
Major Subfields of Psychology
 Basic research (adds to psychology’s knowledge base)
 Applied research (study of practical problems)
 Clinical Psychology (study, assessment, and treatment of troubled people)
 Psychiatry (medical treatment of psychological disorders)
Task 2
 Brainstorm: how can social psychology positively contribute to society.
 Think of five ways.
 TPS: Share with your neighbour.
 Pick your top three.
 TPS Again: Share with a neighbouring group.
 Pick your top five.
 Write them on a sticky note (one per).
 Post on the board.