Intro to Psychology
I. What is psychology?
A. Science of behavior and mental
processes
1. Behavior = anything an organism
does
2. Mental processes - sensations,
perceptions, dreams, thoughts,
beliefs and feelings
3. Science - a way of asking and
answering questions
II.
Three Issues in Psychology
A. Nature vs. Nurture
1. Are we born with our traits (nature)
or do they develop through
experience (nurture)?
a. Ex: gender differences, intelligence
Issues -contB. Rationality vs. Irrationality
 In some ways we are smarter than a computer
(rational) but in others we are prone to bias and
error (irrational)
C. Stability vs. Change
 Do our individual traits persist as we age
(stability) or do our personalities change in
different situations (change)?
III. Subfields of psychology
A. Biological - links between brain and mind
B. Developmental - changing abilities from womb to
tomb
C. Cognitive - how we perceive, think and solve
problems
D. Educational - influences on teaching and learning
E. Personality - persistent traits
F. Social - how we view and affect one another
IV. Psychologist vs. Psychiatrist
A. Counseling psychologist - helps people cope
with life
B. Clinical psychologist - assess and treats
mental, emotional and behavioral disorders
C. Psychiatrist - medical doctor who can
prescribe drugs and treat physical causes of
psychological disorders