PSY340 Psychology Project 2: Function Of The Human Brain

Your topic must be submitted to the instructor for approval no later than the last day of Module 4
The paper must be approximately 2,000 words (about 10 pages) in length and to be written and documented according to the standards of the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Publication Manual, 6th edition. The guidelines for the written form of the text and references are to be strictly adhered to.
The rigors of a research paper demand that you include current journal articles from acceptable journal sources. Historical references should utilize original source material when possible. A maximum of three internet sources may be included. A minimum of 5 research articles from the professional literature must be used to support your paper. A ten-page paper should utilize approximately 10 sources/references.
This project is due no later than the last day of Module 7 and is worth 20% of the overall grade for this course.

PSY340: Psychology of Learning

Module 1: Studying Learning

Mini Lecture

As the philosopher Lucretius once said “Change is the only constant” (Chance, 2009, p. 2). Part of being human requires us to embrace and cope with change. For some people, change is scary because it forces them to think about the unknown. For others, change is welcomed and is viewed as a common occurrence in daily life. Whatever the case may be, human beings must find ways to deal with their ever changing environment. One way in which people cope with change is through natural selection.

Natural selection is a process that was described by Charles Darwin in his 1859 book On the Origin of Species. Darwin proposed that all species, including human beings, find ways to adapt to changes in the environment. Humans who exhibit characteristics that allow them to adapt to the changes in the environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. Thus, the genetic characteristics that support adaptation to the environment contribute to survival and reproduction, are passed on to offspring and are thus “selected” by the environment (Chance, 2009). The process of natural selection is based on the idea that nature influences behavior. For instance, genetics play a role in traits such as aggression, anxiety, depression and whether or not a person is introverted or extroverted.

Nature is not the only variable that affects behavior. One of the oldest debates in history is whether nature or nurture plays more of a role in determining behavior. With nurture, the focus is on experience and environmental influences that affect behavior. Researchers have argued over the great debate for centuries to support their ideas of what truly determines behavior. You will see as you read through chapter 1 in the Chance (2009) text that both nature and nurture play a vital role in the survival of the human species.

Module one also provides a general overview of the scientific study of learning. As you will observe, learning is a change in behavior. Studying learning, then, requires studying changes in behavior. This can be a relatively trying task. There are many ways one can study learning scientifically. Chance (2009) offers several methods that researchers can use when studying changes in behavior. Anecdotal evidence, case studies, descriptive studies, and experimental studies are viable options for researchers.

Anecdotal evidence is the most commonly used source of information for those studying learning. This method requires the researcher to obtain first- and/or second-hand reports of personal experiences from individuals. Anecdotal evidence allows the researcher to make casual observations about the population being studied. Case studies examine one person in detail. A case study is typically used when a researcher wants to learn more about the specific behaviors of one person or a small number of people. Descriptive studies are used when a researcher wants to describe something. Typically, the researcher uses descriptive studies when he or she is interested in interviewing or administering a questionnaire to a group of people to learn more about the characteristics of that group. Finally, experimental studies offer researchers the ability to manipulate one or more variables and measure what happens before and after the manipulation occurs. You will learn in this module that each research method has its strengths and weaknesses.

One final note about module one, please pay particular attention to the section on animal research. There are many reasons for and advantages and disadvantages to using animals as research subjects.