UNIT 1 ASSIGNMENT 1

Unit 1 Assignment

Rich Sampson

PS124-03

March 5, 2017

Kaplan University
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The following assignment will discuss the topics of conversation throughout the

Unit 1 Seminar for Introduction to Psychology. Professor Noriega began the seminar by

highlighting the two topics to be covered during the nights seminar which would include

the requirements for the course followed by the theories dominated by the field of

psychology.

In regards to the outline of the course, there will be 9 discussion boards and

seminars worth 30 and 20 points each respectively followed by 6 quizzes worth 20

points each. In terms of assignments, there will be three total in units 3, 5, and 8 worth

varying point amounts. Professor Noriega also highlighted the fact that students are

allowed to post early on in discussion boards while working ahead as units remain

open. She also noted that there is no requirement to post discussion board responses

across numerous days however there is a minimum word requirement to meet when

posting an initial response or student response which will be adhered to. The professor

then went on to discuss various other topics such as discussion board and seminar

expectation including the alternate seminar assignment requirements and the three

projects which will be due during the class.

Professor Noriega then went on to discuss topics such as what psychology and

scientific attitude. Psychology as she explained is the study of behaviors and the mental

processes. Scientific attitude composes topics such as curiosity, skepticism, and

humility. She noted the importance of skepticism and curiosity because they allow for a

researcher to form their own ideas and thoughts about a topic. She went on to explain

how in Leipzig, Germany, Wundt and the first psychology graduate students studied

atoms of the mind through experimentation. This became the known as the birth of
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psychology as we know it today. She went on to explain that William James, in 1890,

published the first prominent psychology textbook. Sigmund Freud, an Austrian

physician was instrumental in the field of psychology as his observations about the

unconscious mind were regarded as incredibly important. Although, as Professor

Noriega mentioned, many of his theories are not outdated, his theories concerning the

mind and childhood experiences still remain relevant to this day within the field. On the

topic of scientific psychology, she noted that Watson and Skinner were important in the

study of overt behavior. Professor Noriega went on to discuss the main levels of

psychology and the links to mental and behavior processes which are biological,

psychological, and social influences. Additionally she discussed the different sub-

professions in the psychological field such as clinical, counseling, psychiatrist, and

industrial and organizational. All of which are integral in ensuring the success of the field

as a whole. This was followed by stressing the importance of having a scientific attitude

and embracing the scientific method. The scientific method is a means for scientists and

researchers to assist in forming theories by hypothesizing and researching various

scientific topics or can even be applied to basic tasks in our daily lives. Professor

Noriega then went on to discuss research in psychology including the ethical principles

of psychologists and the code of conduct published by the American Psychological

Association. This was followed with the professor discussing different forms of

descriptive research such as case studies, surveys and correlational research. The

professor went on to discuss ways to interpret correlational research in an example

relating to murder rates and ice cream. Although the two data sets correlated with each

other, she warned that they like other correlated research may just be coincidental and
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to remember this when conducting research using correlation. She also explained how

to interpret negative, positive and zero correlation when using a scatter graph.

Professor Noriega concluded the seminar by showing a graph comparing different types

of research methods including descriptive, correlational, and experimental.