Part I: Introducing Psychology’s Major Questions and Debates

Part I: Introducing Psychology’s Major Questions and Debates

1. Choose one of the major questions of psychology discussed in the first chapter of your textbook:

 

• Nature vs. nurture
• Free will vs. determinism
• Accuracy vs. inaccuracy
• Conscious vs. unconscious processing
• Differences vs. similarities

 

1. Briefly summarize in 6-9 sentences the major question that you selected ANDprovide evidence from your own experiences that support one side or the other.

 

* Adapted from Introduction to Psychology textbook

 

Part II: Research Methods-Application

 

1. Think about a human behavior that you find interesting. Briefly describe it in 2-3 sentences.
2. List potential explanations or causes of the behavior that you described in Part A?
3. Imagine you are a psychologist. How should this behavior be studied? In other words describe is it best to use a Descriptive, Correlational or Experimental methodology? Why?
4. What is one possible hypothesis that you would test?
5. What steps would you take to make sure the study is ethical?

 

*Adapted from Introduction to Psychology Chapter 2 Instructor’s Resources

This Discussion Activity is worth 10 total points and should take you between 1-2 hours to complete.