How To Think Straight About Psychology?
From the Back Cover. Keith Stanovich’s widely used and highly acclaimed book helps instructors teach critical-thinking skills within the rich context of psychology. It can be used as a stand-alone text or as a supplement in introductory psychology, critical-thinking, as well as research methods and statistics courses.
Contents
How to Think Straight About Psychology page count?
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| Publisher | Pearson; 9th edition (August 8, 2009) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 256 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 0205685900 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0205685905 |
How to Think Straight About Psychology 10th edition summary?
How to Think Straight about Psychology, 10e helps students recognize pseudoscience and be able to distinguish it from true psychological research, aiding students to become more discriminating consumers of psychological information.
How to Think Straight About Psychology book review?
How to Think Straight about Psychology is an introductory textbook for psychology students — but it’s also a great introduction to what I might call practical philosophy of science. A lot of philosophy of science, when it’s under that label, is about things like “Can science be true if it’s socially constructed ?” or “How can we prove induction works when we can’t use induction to do it?” I’ve heard it’s largely uninteresting to actual scientists.
But there’s something else, too, something I’ve mainly come across in The Skeptic’s Dictionary — and psychology courses at our university, where this book (tenth international edition) is currently required reading. It’s about how science really works, the things you need to understand as a scientist.
It’s also about why you need science instead of something else, How to Think Straight about Psychology is an excellent introduction to these questions, as well as dispelling misconceptions about psychology specifically. It tells, among other things, how the public misunderstands psychology because they think of Freud and science because they think of Einstein.
It goes through the basic methods of science in general and how these apply in psychology, and it keeps things colourful by using examples such as the Amazing Randi, Clever Hans the Wonder Horse who was thought to be mathematically able but was actually more of a mind reader, and of course that one guy who proved that a disease was not spread by feces by eating them.
Still, these are just flavour, not arguments; everything here is scientifically based, and this is one of the rare places where it’s also made very clear why this matters. Pseudoscience is also discussed and it is shown just why it is so “pseudo-“. And why it is not harmless, either.
While much of the book is a kind of apology for psychology, there is towards the end a small but candid section about when — quite often — psychology itself is unscientific. I recommend this book for anyone, even if not interested in psychology specifically, wanting to know the “secret” behind the success of science.
It illustrates well the point I wrote recently about, that science is largely based on being really suspicious about every putative belief, If only more people understood these things, there would be a lot less nonsense around. I’m also writing another post as it were in response to something said in this book, about essentialism in science and philosophy.
How to get a 7 in IB psychology Paper 1?
5 simple strategies for sure success in your IB Psychology course. Here, I am sharing with you the best five strategies I have for achieving that very, very elusive IB Psychology 7. Remember, just three per cent of all Higher Level IB Psychology students achieve the maximum mark of 7.
TOP TIP ONE The IB Psychology Paper 1 examination has three sections – DO NO study for two of these! Choose one of either the IB Psychology Biological Level of Analysis, The Cognitive Level of Analysis or the Socio-Cultural Level of Analysis. Focus your study and preparation here and get really good at this one section.
This section will bring you 30 marks out of a total 46. Our advice? Choose the IB Psychology Level of Analysis that your teacher begins with. This will maximise the amount of time you can spend learning this section. TOP TIP TWO Prepare and memorise model answers to ALL of the extended response questions.
The extended response questions are the the IB Pychology examination essay questions – i.e., the big 22 mark answers. Prepare perfect 22 mark answers across one of the Levels of Analysis, and across each of the IB Psychology options (e.g., Abnormal and Human Relationships). In each option you will need to answer a single question.
So for HL you will need to answer two 22 mark questions, one from each option. IN SL, just one 22 mark question from the single IB Psychology option you have studied. Aim for maximum marks here. So that’s 44/44 or 22/22. TOP TIP THREE Aim for maximum marks in your IB Psychology IA.
- Essentially, any additional mark you gain in the internal assessment component of the course, is an additional total mark you can add to your final IB Psychology score.
- Start early.
- Put lots of effort in.
- Listen to your teacher.
- Ask your teacher to read over lots of sections before submitting the final draft.
Get lots of feedback so your final draft is as good as most students’ final submissions. TOP TIP FOUR Do NOT ignore the Qualitative Research Methods component of the course, because your IB Psychology teacher almost certainly WILL! It has long been identified that teachers neither spend enough time or go into this topic in enough depth.
- The majority of students do very poorly here, and as a result the grade boundaries in the HL Paper 3 examination are set incredibly low.
- Learn the content and learn to apply it to sample stimulus material.
- TOP TIP FIVE Forget about any of the short answer learning outcomes in the Options section of the IB Psychology course.
Examiners can twist exam questions to fit these, but they usually don’t. There are always straightforward back-up questions to fall back on. Save your time for memorising your model answers. Author: Derek Burton – Passionate about IB Psychology IB Psychology has a range of resources specifically dedicated to helping the IB Psychology student achieve maximum marks in the course.
Do you write a lot of papers in psychology?
Why Learning to Write Psychology Papers Is Important – The ability to write well is one of the most important skills you can gain as a psychology major. Most psychology courses require a significant amount of writing, including essays, case studies, research reports, and other papers,
- Learning effective communication skills will help you succeed in high school, university, graduate school, and the workforce.
- How can you improve your writing skills? Start by viewing each class assignment as an opportunity to learn and practice.
- Check out resources offered by your school, such as tutors or writing labs, and learn more about the different types of psychology writing.
The following resources offer tips, guidelines, and advice on how to write psychology papers. If you are struggling with how to start a psychology paper, following some of the guidelines below may help.
What do you learn in psychology 1010?
PSY 1010—General Psychology This course is an introduction to psychology. It is a survey of topics in experimental and clinical psychology, including physiological bases of behavior, sensation, perception, learning, memory, human development, social processes, personality, and abnormal behavior.
How to write an essay on psychology?
THE STRUCTURE – The most common way of structuring an essay is to base it around three parts — an introduction, main body, and conclusion. I suggest that you stick that structure! It works well, and is also what a marker will be expecting to see. At the same time, you should remember that this structure is only a foundation.
- Each of the sections will need to be tweaked to fit the needs of each particular essay.
- Overall, the introduction sets the scene, and tells the reader (or marker) all of the background that they need to know before you really get started with the topic.
- The main section is where you really delve into the particular topic, including arguments for or against an idea, while the conclusion is where you sum up this argument and identify issues that rise.
I’ll now explain each of these in turn.
How rare is a 45 in IB?
Each year, less than 1% of students achieve a 45 in their IB. With these kind of odds against you, you need a bit of help. The purpose of this (moderately tongue-in-cheek) article is to give provide planning tips to help you. Want to get the magic 45 points on your IB? Read on!
How rare is a 7 in IB?
Paper 1 Grade Boundaries HL Physics – Paper one has 40 marks, 40 questions in it, and 27 of them need to be correct for you to get a 7. That means you can get 13 questions wrong on paper one, and you can still get a 7. Overall you’re looking at a pass rate of 67.5% for a 7 and IB Physics in Paper 1.
Does psychology require a lot of memorization?
#2: Determine Whether Psychology Is Your Kind of Subject – You should also think about whether you tend to succeed in classes that require similar skills to AP Psychology, AP Psychology is memorization-heavy, so you’ll probably do well in it if history or biology classes have been your strong suit in the past.
Are psychology papers hard?
How much coursework is involved when studying psychology? – The amount of coursework can vary depending on what area of psychology you are studying and which university you are studying at. The general view of the coursework that psychology offers is that it is tremendously difficult.
- The coursework deadlines are apparently not very flexible either; we recommend that once you’re set an assignment that you crack on with that as soon as you possibly can, which is a good bit of advice for any university degree really.
- The coursework also has a minimum grade rating for you to achieve what you need in the degree.
Some universities will not accept some coursework with a grade below C or some even below a B or A! We recommend that you knuckle down with the coursework if you plan on doing this at university.
How long should you study for a psychology exam?
Study Tips –
Give yourself enough time to prepare. Many individuals spend between 4-6 months studying. Don’t short yourself on study time, only to find that you feel unprepared come test day! The exam covers a large amount of material, and providing yourself enough time to retain so much information is key to success. That being said, decide on a test day and make every attempt to stick to it! You may only register up to 60 days in advance of taking the actual test. For some people, it may be advantageous to have the accountability of registering for a test date, knowing that they will have to devote several hours a week for a two-month time period to fully commit to studying. For others, having a test date in mind is enough motivation. Either way, keep in mind that waiting too close to your desired test date to register may mean that your closest testing site is unavailable at the day and time you prefer. Signing up a full 60 days in advance increases the likelihood of being able to test at your most convenient time and test center. Don’t try to prepare all on your own! Test study materials are essential to proper preparation. You can often save expenses by asking friends who have recently taken the EPPP to buy their materials from them, or try to buy gently used test materials online. However, be aware that the EPPP is frequently updated and used materials may be outdated by the time you take the test. Take as many online quizzes and tests as possible. They are the closest experience you can get to actually taking the exam itself. Many test prep companies charge additional fees for the online tests — they are worth it ! Don’t despair if you do poorly on the initial test; many people score quite low on the practice tests. They are designed to be challenging, perhaps even more than the actual exam. Prioritize the areas of the test that are most heavily weighted; you want to spend the most time studying those areas that were encompass the greatest number of test questions; make your next priority the areas in which you feel you are most likely to retain information. If there is a content area that accounts for a small portion of the test and you feel that you are less likely to do well in that area, spend less time studying it, as you will be better off using your time for content that is more frequently asked and that you have a better chance of memorizing come test time. If possible, plan to make the day before and the day of your test as stress-free as possible. Do something nice for yourself after you take the test. You will not be allowed to bring ANY items into the test room (you will receive a locker for personal items), so make sure you eat and use the restroom before entering the testing room unless you want to sign out and sign back in during the exam. Expect to walk out feeling as though you failed, and know that if you prepared properly, you probably passed. And if for any reason you don’t pass the first time, give yourself time to process the feeling and take the test again. Be prepared to wait what will feel like an eternity (in reality a few weeks) to find out your results, as you do not receive them immediately upon finishing the exam. Reach out to other friends and colleagues who are going through or have been through the process for support. Use good self-care methods and know that you will get through what is a very stressful and time-consuming experience.
How can I learn everything about psychology?
Download Article Download Article Learning about psychology is genuinely fascinating, and it can even benefit you in your everyday life. Improved people skills, better communication, and a deeper understanding of yourself are just a few of the benefits of studying psychology.
- 1 Decide what psychological subjects you’re interested in. Psychology is the study of the human mind, but there are many different sub-topics within it, like child development, cognitive psychology, social psychology, and clinical psychology. If you want to learn about psychology, you should ask yourself if there’s anything specific you’d like to learn.
- If you do decide there’s something specific you’d like to know about, do some preliminary internet research on psychology to see what sub-topics within psychology are most closely related to your interests.
- Websites of university psychology departments or the website of the American Psychological Association can be reliable places to do some of this preliminary research.
- For instance, if you decide that you want to know how Psychologists treat patients, you will want to focus on learning about clinical psychology. Or if you decide that you’d like to know about human interaction, you will want to learn about social psychology.
- 2 Develop a reading list of popular psychology books. Once you’ve decided what you want to learn about, you should look for books on your chosen topic. You can search for books on your own on the internet or go to your local library and ask a librarian for assistance.
- You can determine who is the intended audience for a book by paying attention to its title and publisher’s description. If a title sounds uninviting or overly specific, it is probably intended for expert readers. For instance, a book titled A Study of Stimulus Response in Males Aged 19-21, would almost certainly be intended for readers already very familiar with psychology.
- The publisher’s description for a book often will tell you about the book’s intended audience. For instance, if the back of a book says something like “this book is great for students and curious readers,” it will most likely be intended for readers like you who are not already experts.
- Some popular psychology books written for a wide audience include: The Social Animal by Eliot Aronson; Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman; The Art of Choosing by Sheena Iyengar; Drive by Daniel H. Pink; and The Power of Habit by Charles Dugigg.
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- 3 Read psychology textbooks for a more academic overview of the field. While they are sometimes less fun to read, textbooks can give a more authoritative overview of psychology than popular books.
- Some textbooks that are used in introductory psychology classes at universities include: An Introduction to the History of Psychology by B.R. Hergenhahn and Tracy B. Henley; Introduction to Psychology by James W. Kalat; and Psychology by David G. Meyers.
- 4 Learn about contemporary psychological theories by listening to podcasts. If you think you learn better by listening or simply don’t have the time to read, you can learn about psychology through podcasts. You can find podcasts on your phone through apps like iTunes (for iPhones) and Podcast Republic (for Androids).
- There are many podcasts out there, so you should read descriptions of some to find out which discuss topics most closely related to your interests.
- Anyone can create a podcast, so to ensure that you choose a podcast with accurate information, investigate who makes it. Podcasts produced by psychology experts (people with degrees in psychology) or podcasts produced by well-regarded institutions, like NPR, should be the most reliable.
- Some popular Psychology podcasts include: “Shrink Rap Radio,” “School of Psych,” and “The Psychology Podcast.”
- 5 Learn academic approaches to psychology by listening to lectures. You can also listen to lectures recorded by psychology professors. Lectures are usually more methodical and academic than podcasts. Some universities record a wide variety of lectures and make them available to the public.
- Yale and Stanford, for instance, have a number of recorded lectures that you can download from their website.
- Apps like iTunesU aggregate recorded lectures from a number of universities.
- 6 Keep a study schedule. Once you have decided what you want to read or listen to, you should make and keep a schedule for studying. Studying at regular times can often help people learn on their own most effectively. Try to schedule studying for times that are actually convenient for you in order to ensure that you stick to your plan.
- If you are listening to podcasts or lectures, you can decide to combine studying with your commute, with chores, or with exercise.
- In making a study schedule, try marking specific goals in your calendar. Working towards a deadline can help you stay motivated and on track in your studying.
- 7 Take notes on the psychological concepts you learn about. To help retain what you’re reading or listening to, take notes on what you learn each day. These notes can be facts that you’ve learned, questions you have, or your insights into the material.
- Make a note of any terms or concepts you are not familiar with so that you can look them up and do further research.
- 8 Find a friend to learn about psychology with. If you find it hard to motivate yourself to study on your own, try to find a friend or family member who is willing to learn about psychology with you. You can agree to read the same books and then discuss them together to compare what you’ve learned from them. Making learning social often motivates people to stick to a studying schedule.
- Discussing material with others also often helps people retain information and see a topic in new ways.
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- 1 Choose between online and traditional psychology courses. If you would like to learn about psychology in a more structured way, you can take psychology courses at a college or university. If you are not already a full-time student, you will want to decide whether you want to try to enroll in a course at a nearby school or take a course online.
- Online courses offer considerably more flexibility, which can be great if you already have a tight schedule.
- The more rigid structure of traditional courses, though, can help some students stay motivated and learn more effectively.
- Community colleges often offer courses at a relatively low price and do not require students to study full-time.
- Many colleges and universities offer online classes, but if you do not need college credit you can take courses online through websites like Coursera.
- If you are interested in taking a psychology class but do not want to be graded on the material, you can ask the professor if you may audit it—meaning that you sit in on the classes and do the readings but do not have to complete graded assignments. You will not receive college credit for auditing however.
- 2 Research course offerings of psychology departments. Once you decide whether you’d like to take an online or traditional course, you should research course offerings to find a class that seems relevant to your interests. You can research course offerings on university websites, which usually provide a brief description of what kind of material courses will cover.
- Look into programs that match what you might want to do. For instance, if you want to work with families, you might look into a school that offers courses in social work or family therapy.
- 3 Take a psychology 101 class to learn the most basic material. If you want to take a class that offers the most general introduction to psychology, try to find a psychology 101 course. Courses with a 101 course number are usually designed for students with no prior education in the topic.
- If a department does not have a 101 class, you can call or email one of the department administrators to ask which course the department recommends for introductory-level students.
- 4 Take more advanced psychology classes to learn about specific topics. If psychology 101 seems too broad for your interests, you can attempt to take a more advanced class that addresses your specific curiosities. Instead of psychology 101, you may try to take a class on social psychology or neuropsychology.
- However, advanced classes often require specific prerequisite courses, so you will have to check with the professor to make sure you are eligible to take any advanced class that interests you.
- Occasionally, prerequisite courses can be waived.
- 5 Enroll in more psychology classes to expand your knowledge. If you have successfully completed a psychology course and are interested in learning more about the subject, you can enroll in further courses. To find out which courses are best suited for your interests, you can speak with the professor of your course and ask them which classes they’d recommend for you.
- You can also talk to students who’ve taken several Psychology classes and ask them if there’s any particular course or professor they would recommend.
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- Question How can I remember new information when reading dense or difficult psychology textbooks? Jake Adams Academic Tutor & Test Prep Specialist Jake Adams is an academic tutor and the owner of Simplifi EDU, a Santa Monica, California based online tutoring business offering learning resources and online tutors for academic subjects K-College, SAT & ACT prep, and college admissions applications. Academic Tutor & Test Prep Specialist Expert Answer Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer. When you’re working on a text that’s really difficult, slow down and take the time to look up what vocabulary you don’t understand. A lot of the meaning behind what you’re supposed to absorb is lost if you don’t understand the context clues or ideas that are being used. So, going slowly and giving yourself enough time to delve deeper is important.
- Question How do I apply psychology in real life? Will it help me grow? Yes. It can help you grow. Imagine understanding someone’s needs without them talking about it. Application comes only after a lot of practice. Get yourself a good book on psychology or take a class and you will do good.
- Question Would psychology be considered a job-oriented course? Brian Salazar-Prince Top Answerer Psychology is, fundamentally, a theoretical approach to understanding the human experience with an emphasis on deviations from the normal, facilitating change, and promoting optimal achievement in various societal roles. Taking a course in psychology will not necessarily help you to obtain a job. It will help you become better prepared for many people-related jobs, but obtaining a job in the field of psychology (counseling, mental health, school counseling, social work, family therapy) usually requires at least a master’s degree.
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When reading books on Psychology, be sure to slow down and familiarize yourself with any terms you do not understand. Taking the time to look up any concepts you are not familiar with goes a long way in retaining the information that you’re studying.
Advertisement Article Summary X Psychology is the academic discipline that studies the mind and human behavior. There are many facets of psychology, including child development, cognitive psychology, social psychology, and clinical psychology. If you want to teach yourself the basics of Psychology, look for popular Psychology books at your local book store or listen to some podcasts.
- Some popular Psychology podcasts include “Shrink Rap Radio” and “School of Psych.” If you want a more comprehensive understanding of Psychology, take a beginner course online or at your local community college.
- Most Psychology 101 courses cover a variety of topics and can help you figure out what specific avenue of Psychology you’re most interested in.
To learn how to make an effective study schedule for your Psychology course, read on! Did this summary help you? Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 189,426 times.
What do you wanna learn in psychology?
Develop Critical Thinking Skills – As you study psychology you will learn more about topics such as the scientific method, decision-making, and problem-solving, all of which might help you hone your ability to think deeply and critically about different issues.
What should I expect to learn in psychology?
Psychology majors develop a broad understanding of human behavior as well as the skills to understand and interpret research findings concerning human behavior. The psychology curriculum includes courses in cognitive, developmental, behavioral and neural studies, learning, personality, social and clinical psychology.
- The coursework emphasizes the fundamental concepts and scientific methods of this basic behavioral science discipline.
- Psychology students are encouraged to expand their learning experience outside the classroom by conducting and analyzing laboratory and field research as well as participating in internships.
Psychological Skills -critical thinking, skeptical inquiry, and the scientific approach to understand and solve problems related to behavior and mental processes -apply psychological theories and concepts to personal, social and organizational issues -gather information through a variety of means and synthesize findings in a coherent manner -understand the complexity of socio-cultural diversity -effectively work in collaborative environments -flexibility of thought, tolerance of ambiguity and respect for others values -ability to engage in ethical application of psychological principles Career Opportunities Psychology is relevant to many occupations involving interactions with others’.
Grounded in the liberal arts tradition, psychology prepares students for employment in a variety of areas including mental health, human resources, education, research, and law enforcement. Many careers directly related to psychology require education beyond the bachelor’s degree and UK psychology majors are well prepared for graduate studies in psychology, medicine, law, and business.
Individuals find work in various psychology sub disciplines including, though not limited to, the following: – industrial psychologist – clinical psychologist – educational psychologist – sport psychologist – child and family psychologist – drug and alcohol counselor – experimental psychologist – market research analyst – recruitment consultant – human resource manager – corporate administration – human resource assistant – lab assistant – rehabilitation specialist – professional training and development – career counselor – community projects leader – teacher/professor – correctional services For more information about careers, go to the following: For more information about career opportunities, contact the UK Career Center,
