"Psychology Applied to Modern Life" some suggestions for the team ...

Hello every body!

I've read a part of the section that we have to read for Monday. I've wrote question just to help me to understand better the author's explanation. I though that I could propose you some questions so that may also help you to clarify some characteristics mentioned in that text book.

Here are the questions that you can ask to yourselves if you want:

A- 1rst section: The Paradox of Progress

1) What is the thesis of the first section? (p.2)

2) What are the 3 nonparallel situations (or examples) that the author proposes? (pp.2-4)

3) Through these examples (or situations) how can we define the expression "The paradox of progress" ? (p.4)

4) What are the 3 causes of the "paradox of progress"?


B-2nd section: The Search for Direction

1) What is the thesis of this section? (p.5)

2) What are the 3 alternatives that people tend to adopt in order to obtain a certain meaning to their existence; which would guide them? (pp.5-6)

3) Why the author prefers to explain deeper the "self-help" books phenomenon than he does for the 3 first one? (p.6)

4) Why these kinds of books are not recommendable at all ? (pp.7 & 8)

5) What are those that are preferable acceptable to read ? (p.7)

6) What are the 5 ways to adopt in order to choose a good "self-help" book? (p.9)

7) What are the main reasons that show the fairness of the text book that we have to read? (pp.9-11)


C- 3rd section: The Psychology of Adjustment

1) In your own words, what is the definition of psychology? (p.11)

2)In your own words, how can you define the notion of "behavior"? (p.11)

3) Concerning psychology, why do scientists prefer to work with animals? (p.12)

4) What is the difference between "mental processes" and "behaviors"? (p.12)

5) How can be defined psychological processes? (p.12)

6) What makes psychology popular? (p.12)

7) Why can we link the concept of "adjustment" with Darwin's theory? (p.12)

8) In your own words, what is the meaning of "adjustment" (p.12)


D- 4th section: The Scientific Approach to Behavior

1) Why can many scientists advocate that psychology is one of most relevant study field? (p.13)

2) In your own words, what is the meaning of "empiricism"; what is its particularity? (p.13)

3) What are the 2 advantages of this methodological practise? (p.13)

4) In your own words, how can you define the notion of "experiment"? (p.13)

5) What are the 2 sorts of variables that are used in terms of experiments? (pp.13-14)

6) What is the deference between experimental groups and control groups? (p.13)

7) How can we detect the independent variable of a given situation? (p.14)

8) Why experimental methods cannot provide an explanation to all mental or behavioral situations? (p.14)

9) What is the aim of a given correlation? (p.15)

10) How does the measurement of a correlation function? (p.15)

11) How do we translate the size of a correlation through the correlation coefficient? (p.15)

12) Why a correlation do not depend directly to the sign (negative or positive) of the coefficient? (p.16)

13) In your own words, what is the definition of "naturalistic observation"?(p.16)