Part 1. What were your thoughts on psychology before you read anything about psychology in this course? Now, based on your initial course readings have your attitudes toward or thoughts about psychology changed? Why is psychology important as a social science?
One of the common misconceptions regarding psychology is that it deals only with the analysis and treatment of persons who either have been diagnosed with mental illness or are emotionally disturbed. Explain why this assumption is partially incorrect. To support your explanation, identify two subfields of psychology and describe in detail what they study.
For a resource, Google the keywords "Divisions of the American Psychological Association" and explore any of the APA divisions. Each division represents a different field of study or sub-discipline of psychology.
Part 2. If you have to conduct research on a psychological topic, the first thing you would need to do is define your research question. Based on your research question, you would develop a hypothesis.
What is the purpose of a hypothesis? Pick a topic that you are interested in (it can be anything related to human behavior) and frame an appropriate research question. Explain why you chose this topic and how you came up with the question. Develop a hypothesis from the research question you framed. Justify and explain your hypothesis.
Surveys are used to find out information on a number of issues, from consumer preferences to employee satisfaction. You may have participated in some form of poll or survey. If someone asks you to participate in a survey or questionnaire, how would you feel about participating? Explain whether or not there is a difference between the surveys used to identify consumer preferences and those that are used in psychological research.