Reading Assignment: History and Approaches
Study Guide Answers

1. What is psychology?

Psychology is the scientific study of behavior.

2. What are the goals of psychology?

The goals are to describe, understand, predict, and control behavior.

3. How did psychology emerge as a field of knowledge?

Psychology has its roots in philosophy. The first school of thought in psychology was structuralism, followed by functionalism, behaviorism, and Gestalt psychology.

4. What are the major trends and specialties in psychology?

The five main schools of thought in psychology include behaviorism, humanism, the psychodynamic approach, biopsychology, and cognitive psychology. It is common for modern psychologists to blend many viewpoints in psychology into an eclectic whole.

5. What are the three areas of ethical concern in psychological research?

The three areas of ethical concern in psychological research are the use of deception, invasion of privacy, and the risk of doing lasting harm to the subjects of the research.

6. What are the basic ethical guidelines adapted by the American Psychological Association for psychological researchers?

The APA's basic ethical guidelines are:

• Do no harm.
• Accurately describe risks to potential subjects.
• Ensure that participation is voluntary.
• Minimize any discomfort to participants.
• Maintain confidentiality.
• Do not unnecessarily invade privacy.
• Use deception only when absolutely necessary.
• Remove any misconceptions caused by deception (debrief).
• Provide results and interpretations to participants.
• Treat participants with dignity and respect.
7. Why is the scientific method important to psychologists?

The scientific method prevents misinformation and conjecture.

8. How do psychologists collect information?

Many studies start with naturalistic observations, but this technique has a number of disadvantages. Other studies use correlational relationships to investigate behavior, but cause-and-effect relationships can only be determined by the use of controlled experiments.



9. How is an experiment performed?

Usually there are two or more groups of subjects that vary in regard to the independent variable (control versus experimental groups, for example). Researchers then measure an aspect of behavior (dependent variable) between the groups and compare their levels.

10. What other research methods do psychologists use?

Psychologists in the clinical field frequently use case studies, while the survey method is common across areas of specialty.

11. How dependable is psychological information found in the popular press?

It is important to critically read and analyze information published in the popular press, as there can be a number of errors or misinterpretations of data. This may occur due to the pressures of selling copies, lack of information and lack of understanding of the scientific materials.

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