1.1: what is this book about?
September 12, 2023 12:26 PM
1 of this book's main goals is to maintain the highest level of academic integrity & educational value while
presenting the material in ways that are accessible, interesting, engaging, & emotionally arousing.
This book provides many opportunities to acquire new skills & insights & learn how to practise & apply
these skills & insights in daily life.
what is active reading?
active reading: paying attention while reading & understanding the material before you move on
Levels of awareness below conscious awareness are constantly at work & can affect attention, memory,
& comprehension.
how do you read actively?
1. survey (S)
Write down each heading in the form of a question as you come across it.
2. question (Q)
Ask the question out loud to yourself in a way that makes it sound like you are interested.
3. read (R1)
Read until you reach the next heading.
It may be a small n of info./a much larger n from 1 heading to the next, but use this as a
general guideline.
4. recite (R2)
Answer out loud & in your own words the question you asked & wrote down in step 1.
Try not to refer to the text & try to limit your answer to no more than 1 or 2 sentences.
If you can’t answer the question -> go back & read the section again until you can.
5. review (R3)
Write that answer down beneath the heading question you wrote down & asked out loud in steps
1 & 2.
6. repeat
Repeat for every heading until you are finished the chapter.
7. study
Study for tests by using these questions & answers to quiz yourself.
Practise goal-directed studying (studying until you are able to answer all the questions you
wrote down, out loud, without looking at the answers).
chapter 1 (what is psycholoogy) Page 1
, 1.2: what is the definition of psychology?
September 19, 2023 2:46 AM
psychology: the scientific study of behaviour & mental processes
science: the use of systematic methods to observe the natural world & draw conclusions
The goals of psychological science are to describe, predict, & explain behaviour.
Psychologists use scientific methods to examine interventions that control/change behaviour.
behaviour: everything we do that can be directly observed
mental processes: the thoughts, feelings, & motives that each of us experiences privately but that
can't be observed directly
what is the psychological frame of mind?
critical thinking: the process of reflecting deeply & actively, asking questions, & evaluating the evidence
reduces the likelihood that conclusions will be based on unreliable personal beliefs, opinions, biases, &
emotions
skepticism: questioning whether a supposed fact is really true
pseudoscience: info. couched in scientific terminology but not supported by sound scientific research
objectivity: waiting to see what the evidence tells rather than going with instincts
empirical method: gaining knowledge through the observation of events, the collection of data, & logical
reasoning
curiosity: noticing things & wanting to know what it is & why it is that way
why is psychology the science of all human behaviour?
The study of psychological disorders represents only 1 part of the science of psychology.
Psychology seeks to understand people’s best & worst experiences
positive psychology: a branch of psychology that emphasizes human strengths
One of its goals is to bring a greater balance by moving beyond focusing on how & why things go
wrong in life to understanding how & why things go right.
chapter 1 (what is psycholoogy) Page 2
September 12, 2023 12:26 PM
1 of this book's main goals is to maintain the highest level of academic integrity & educational value while
presenting the material in ways that are accessible, interesting, engaging, & emotionally arousing.
This book provides many opportunities to acquire new skills & insights & learn how to practise & apply
these skills & insights in daily life.
what is active reading?
active reading: paying attention while reading & understanding the material before you move on
Levels of awareness below conscious awareness are constantly at work & can affect attention, memory,
& comprehension.
how do you read actively?
1. survey (S)
Write down each heading in the form of a question as you come across it.
2. question (Q)
Ask the question out loud to yourself in a way that makes it sound like you are interested.
3. read (R1)
Read until you reach the next heading.
It may be a small n of info./a much larger n from 1 heading to the next, but use this as a
general guideline.
4. recite (R2)
Answer out loud & in your own words the question you asked & wrote down in step 1.
Try not to refer to the text & try to limit your answer to no more than 1 or 2 sentences.
If you can’t answer the question -> go back & read the section again until you can.
5. review (R3)
Write that answer down beneath the heading question you wrote down & asked out loud in steps
1 & 2.
6. repeat
Repeat for every heading until you are finished the chapter.
7. study
Study for tests by using these questions & answers to quiz yourself.
Practise goal-directed studying (studying until you are able to answer all the questions you
wrote down, out loud, without looking at the answers).
chapter 1 (what is psycholoogy) Page 1
, 1.2: what is the definition of psychology?
September 19, 2023 2:46 AM
psychology: the scientific study of behaviour & mental processes
science: the use of systematic methods to observe the natural world & draw conclusions
The goals of psychological science are to describe, predict, & explain behaviour.
Psychologists use scientific methods to examine interventions that control/change behaviour.
behaviour: everything we do that can be directly observed
mental processes: the thoughts, feelings, & motives that each of us experiences privately but that
can't be observed directly
what is the psychological frame of mind?
critical thinking: the process of reflecting deeply & actively, asking questions, & evaluating the evidence
reduces the likelihood that conclusions will be based on unreliable personal beliefs, opinions, biases, &
emotions
skepticism: questioning whether a supposed fact is really true
pseudoscience: info. couched in scientific terminology but not supported by sound scientific research
objectivity: waiting to see what the evidence tells rather than going with instincts
empirical method: gaining knowledge through the observation of events, the collection of data, & logical
reasoning
curiosity: noticing things & wanting to know what it is & why it is that way
why is psychology the science of all human behaviour?
The study of psychological disorders represents only 1 part of the science of psychology.
Psychology seeks to understand people’s best & worst experiences
positive psychology: a branch of psychology that emphasizes human strengths
One of its goals is to bring a greater balance by moving beyond focusing on how & why things go
wrong in life to understanding how & why things go right.
chapter 1 (what is psycholoogy) Page 2
