Origins of Psychology and Research Methods Worksheet

Part I: Origins of Psychology

Within psychology, there are several perspectives used to describe, predict, and explain human behavior. The seven major perspectives in modern psychology are psychoanalytic, behaviorist, humanist, cognitive, neuroscientific/biopsychological, evolutionary, and sociocultural. Describe the perspectives, using two to three sentences each. Select one major figure associated with one of the perspectives and describe his or her work in two to three sentences. Type your response in the space below.

Part II: Research Methods

Describe research methods used in psychology by completing the following table. Then, select two of the research methods, and compare and contrast them. Your response must be at least 75 words.

Method               Purpose               Strengths            Weaknesses      Example

Case Study         

Naturalistic Observation

Suveys                                 

Longitudinal                                                      

Describe one ethical issue related to research. Why is informed consent necessary for ethical research?

Part III: The Brain

Studying the functions and elements of the brain is essential to understanding human behavior.

1. Why do psychologists study twins? Why do psychologists study children who have been adopted? What can be learned from these types of studies?

2. What are the functions of neurotransmitters and hormones? How do they influence the brain and behavior?