UNDERSTANDING PSYCHOLOGY (6 Programs) DVD
This series is designed to make some of psychology's more abstract theoretical and methodological issues accessible to students through case studies and examples that relate to everyday life experiences.
There are six programs in the series:
PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCH IN CONTEXT
This program clarifies selected principles of science by contextualizing them through easily comprehensible applications of psychological research. Divided into five sections, the video illustrates the hypothetical-deductive model of scientific reasoning via Piaget's classic conservation experiment and Donaldson and McGarrigle's challenge of it; the analysis of statistics involving scenarios in which a record producer considers signing a new band and a student carries out IQ testing; the use of graphs to present data from a study of romance ads; the concept of statistical significance through the conducting of memory tests; and data interpretation through a study measuring levels of aggression. 29 minutes
PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGY
Better self-control begins with an understanding of the psychological factors that affect behavior. Section one of this program focuses on the influence of brain structure, brain chemistry, and genetics on behavior; section two illustrates key concepts of psychoanalytic theory; and section three distinguishes between classical and operant conditioning. Strengths and limitations of the biological, psychodynamic, and behaviorist perspectives are addressed as well. The program concludes by considering the issue of determinism and free will. 41 minutes
MENTAL DISORDER
What is abnormality? Using the case studies of two young women-one who has depression, one who has an anxiety disorder-as a springboard, this program presents three psychological perspectives on mental disorder. Section one considers it as a bodily disease, identifying underlying assumptions of the biomedical model and illustrating the treatments it offers. Section two looks at it as a disease of the mind, developing the view that the origins of some mental disorders may lie in people's experiences. And section three outlines the basis of the constructionist perspective and the idea that mental disorder is socially defined. The increasing medicalization of behavior is also addressed. 30 minutes
EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY
Drawing upon laboratory and field experiments, this program compares and contrasts experimental research methods through an attractiveness study involving young adults. Section one observes how subjects respond to photos in two lab environments - one comfortable, and one not. Then, section two repeats the experiment in two field locales: a trendy bar and a dull coffee shop. Does context make a difference to the outcomes? The program concludes with a third section, in which experts explore some of the issues common to both experimental methods: demand characteristics, ethical concerns, and reductionism. 28 minutes
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NON-EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY
This program presents non-experimental research methods - questionnaires, interviews, and naturalistic observation - through three studies on the effects of cell phone use. Section one explains good questionnaire design while considering both the advantages and limitations of this method. Section two examines the use of unstructured interviews, a more nuanced approach to data collection. And section three spotlights the performance of naturalistic observation - and in the process illustrates some of the practical difficulties and ethical issues involved in this type of research. 34 minutes
CLASSIC STUDIES IN PSYCHOLOGY
This program brings to life five of psychology's most significant studies: Bandura's Bobo Doll Experiment, 1961; Milgram's Study of Obedience, 1963; Ainsworth's Strange Situation Experiment, 1971 and 1978; Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment, 1973; and Loftus's Eyewitness Testimony Experiment, 1974. Footage from the original experiments and from contemporary reconstructions is featured throughout, along with expert commentary and analysis. 38 minutes *Click here to VIEW CLIP
*Viewable/printable educational resources are available online
*Closed Captioned
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