THE FIELDS OF SCIENCE AND PSYCHOLOGY
The scientific method is being more relied upon
Assumptions Provide a Foundation for the Study
of Psychology in Its Scientific Form
There are some things that I believe I know,
some things that I believe I may know, and
other things that I am certain I do not know. I
have realized that it is essential to have the
ability to differentiate between the two. In this
book, I will make an effort to impart some of
the psychological wisdom that I believe to be of
the utmost significance. When I say that
anything is significant, what I mean is that I
believe you will find a lot of these things
intriguing, and some of them will help you think
about your potential and live your life according
to the specific human circumstances you have.
Even though I haven't met you in person, I'm
going to make an effort to speak with you based
on certain assumptions. In most cases, my
assumptions are only guesses based on things
that I believe I already know. I have a strong
suspicion that you have just finished reading the
last sentence. Another thing that I believe I
know about you, but I can't say for sure, is that
you are a student (presumably a first-year
student) at a college or university of two or four
years' duration, or someone who is interested
in psychology. As a result, I will make an effort
to connect the content to the typical needs of
both college and life (e.g., passing objective and
essay examinations; time management,
problem-solving, health and weight control,
etc.).
A mighty oak may sprout from the smallest of
acorns.
by people as a means of comprehending nature
and gaining insight into the meaning of their
lives and the environment in which they live.
Establishing links between causes and effects
that hold true under natural settings is a goal
shared by all of the scientific disciplines. There
have been huge leaps forward in our
understanding of the physical, chemical, and
biological worlds during the course of the
previous 400 years. This has led to the
development of applied technologies that have
significantly altered both the state of the planet
and the condition of its inhabitants.
In this book, the findings of applying the
scientific method to the study of the behavior of
individual animals, including humans, are
described. Psychology is the study of how genes
(also known as inheritance or nature) and the
environment (also known as experience or
nurture) impact both covert (also known as
thinking and feeling) and overt (also known as
acting out) behavior. In other words, the field of
psychology works on the assumption that the
same rules that govern acorns and oaks also
govern humans. The maturation of an acorn is
determined by its level of exposure to sunshine,
water, and fertilizer. In the next chapters, we
will examine how various aspects of the
environment have an effect on the maturation
of the human species. Throughout history,
psychology has been segmented into several
subfields, and introductory textbooks have been
arranged in accordance with these subfields.
These subject areas are broken down into three
categories in this book: those that are heavily
influenced by genetics (such as biological
psychology, sensation, and motivation), those
that are heavily influenced by experience (such
as learning and cognition), and those that
emphasize the interaction of nature and
nurture (lifespan development, personality,
social psychology, and maladaptive behavior).
As you go through these curriculum areas, you
will see that the scientific method has been
effectively applied to a variety of complicated
and significant behavioral phenomena, which is
something that you should take note of.
Establishing the linkages between causes and
effects, as is the case in other scientific fields,
has made it possible to build methods with a
practical application.
The concept of potential entails a contradiction.
It suggests absolute boundaries and
tremendous potential. It is negative while yet
being hopeful at the same time. It's possible for
potential to lead to either good or bad, creation
or destruction. It is necessary to acknowledge
and be willing to accept these conflicts if one is
to regard psychology to be the study of human
potential. While every acorn has the potential
to develop into a giant oak, only few of those
acorns will really realize their full potential.
There is great potential in every single human
kid that is born healthy, yet not every child will
reach their full potential.
The following is what is said in the first
paragraph of the "Serenity Prayer," which is
often credited to Reinhold Niebuhr:
Please, God, give me the ability to relax.
To accept the things that I have no control over;
The courage to change the things I can, and the
intelligence to realize the difference between
those things and other things.
Students are encouraged to contemplate the
significance of their lives in the context of other
lives that have been lived and other lives that
may be lived as part of the college experience,
which can be defined as encouraging students
to ponder the meaning of their lives. For this
reason, one has to be well-versed in history and
society so that they can accurately assess the
chances of bringing about change, as well as
imaginative enough to examine alternative
options. It is hoped that such information and
creativity would be used constructively by one
throughout their whole life.
A humorous distinction relating to the prayer
for tranquility defines three categories of
people: those who make it happen (that is,
display bravery), those who watch it happen
(that is, are passive), and those who question
"what happened" (i.e. are clueless). Both the
"Serenity Prayer" and this differentiation have
meanings that have something to do with the
potential of humans. Individuals who are well-
informed and engaged in the process of
weighing their alternatives and coming to a
conclusion have a greater chance of realizing
their full potential than those who are less
knowledgeable or less engaged.
The Value of Marks and Requirements for
Performance
Do you believe that persons have certain
characteristics? Do you believe that some pupils
are hardworking while others are slacking off?
Such topics are going to be covered in Chapter 9
of this book (Personality). If you are a student at
a college or university, I am quite certain that
you are concerned about the marks you get on
your examinations. If you did not do relatively
well on the examinations, it would be quite
difficult for you to get admission to a college. If
you didn't care how you did on the tests, it is
quite improbable that you would have fared
well in those tests. In a similar vein, you will not
be successful at anything in life unless you are identify what makes a credible foundation for
driven to achieve levels of performance that are thinking something is real is one of the most
considered to be acceptable. When you were a significant abilities you can develop as a college
kid, your parents and instructors undoubtedly student and one of the most important talents
put a lot of effort into getting you to care about you can gain in life.
how well you did in school and other activities
outside of it. We are aware that this often
occurs early on in relation to students' grades in
school. Research has shown that some students
in Head Start (Edlund, 1972), first grade
(Clingman & Fowler, 1976), and second grade
(Clingman & Fowler, 1976) perform better on IQ
tests if they are given extrinsic rewards (such as
candy or trinkets) for correct answers. This is
the reason why we know this information. Even
without the extrinsic benefits, other pupils give
their very best effort in their coursework. We
shall explore such situations in Chapter 4
(Motivation & Emotion). It was evident that one
of the most crucial goals was to get the kids to
care about how well they did. Do you believe
that the study that was done on pigeons and
rats may help us create methods to encourage
youngsters to care about how they do in school
and on other tasks? Later on in this chapter, we
will go over other topics that are relevant, and
in the next chapter, we will look at some of the
practical ramifications of animal research
(Direct Learning).

The first three researchers to be referenced in

this book are Edlund, Clingman, and Fowler.
There will be many more after them. At the very
end of the book is an alphabetical listing of all of
the complete references. When you have
concerns about a certain result or conclusion, or
when you want to get more information, you
are strongly urged to look through the
references that were used to support the
original research. Because of the environment
in which we live, we are constantly exposed to
information that is intended to shape the values
and perspectives that we hold. The capacity to