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Where to Look for Sources for Your Psychology Papers. I often receive questions from students who need help finding sources for their psychology papers.

Where to Look for Sources for Your Psychology Papers

In many cases, their instructor requires them to use a specific number of a certain source. For example, the instructor might require students to use a total of ten sources, with at least five of those being journal articles. However, students often have a tough time figuring out where to begin their research. When you are searching for information on a specific topic, a great way to find relevant research is to locate a book on the subject and then flip back to the reference section. Usually, you'll find a number of different journal articles that might be related to your topic. Visiting your school or local library is also a must. Google Scholar ( can also be a great research tool. Explore more tips in this article on how to find sources for your psychology papers.

Related Reading: Psychology. Learn everything there is to know about History_of_psychology at Reference. What is the Historical Background of Psychology. What Is Psychology? By Kendra Cherry Updated December 17, 2015.

What Is Psychology?

What exactly is psychology? While it may seem like a very basic question, it is one of the most common questions asked by students new to the study of psychology. During your first lecture of an introductory psychology class, your instructor might spend some time going around the room asking students to explain what they think psychology involves. Origins of Psychology. While the psychology of today reflects the discipline’s rich and varied history, the origins of psychology differ significantly from contemporary conceptions of the field.

Origins of Psychology

In order to gain a full understanding of psychology, you need to spend some time exploring its history and origins. Wilhelm Wundt Biography. Wilhelm Wundt Is Best Known For: The establishment of the first psychology lab His influence on the school of thought known as structuralism Introspection Birth and Death: Wilhelm Wundt was born August 16, 1832 He died August 31, 1920 Wilhelm Wundt's Career: Wilhelm Wundt graduated from the University of Heidelberg with a degree in medicine.

Wilhelm Wundt Biography

Wundt later wrote the Principles of Physiological Psychology (1874), which helped establish experimental procedures in psychological research. Wundt was associated with the theoretical perspective known as structuralism, which involves describing the structures that compose the mind. However, Wundt made a clear distinction between introspection, which he believed was inaccurate, and internal perception. While Wundt is typically associated with structuralism, it was actually his student Edward B. Sigmund Freud Biography. Best Known For: Birth and Death: Sigmund Freud was born May 6, 1856He died September 23, 1939 Life and Career: When he was young, Sigmund Freud’s family moved from Frieberg, Moravia to Vienna where he would spend most of his life.

Sigmund Freud Biography

His parents taught him at home before entering him in Spurling Gymnasium, where he was first in his class and graduated Summa cum Laude. After studying medicine at the University of Vienna, Freud worked and gained respect as a physician. The two physicians concluded that there was no organic cause for Anna O's difficulties, but that having her talk about her experiences had a calming effect on the symptoms. Later works include The Interpretation of Dreams (1900) and Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality (1905). Psychoanalysis (What It Is and How It Influenced Psychology)

Sigmund Freud was the founder of psychoanalysis and the psychodynamic approach to psychology.

Psychoanalysis (What It Is and How It Influenced Psychology)

This school of thought emphasized the influence of the unconscious mind on behavior. Freud believed that the human mind was composed of three elements: the id, the ego, and the superego. Psychoanalytic Theory - The Conscious and Unconscious Mind. By Kendra Cherry Updated December 17, 2015.

Psychoanalytic Theory - The Conscious and Unconscious Mind

Psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud believed that behavior and personality derives from the constant and unique interaction of conflicting psychological forces that operate at three different levels of awareness: the preconscious, the conscious, and the unconscious. What do these terms mean? William James Biography. The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.

William James Biography

--William James Best Known For: Timeline of Events: Born January 11, 1842 in New York City. 1869 - Received M.D. from Harvard. 1875 - Began teaching psychology at Harvard. 1882 - Death of William's father, Henry James Sr. 1890 - Published The Principles of Psychology. 1892 - Turned lab over to Hugo Munsterberg. 1897 - Published Will to Believe and Other Essays 1907 - Published Pragmatism and officially resigned from Harvard. Died August 26, 1910 at the age of 68.

William James - Early Life: William James was born into an affluent family. The James children traveled to Europe frequently, attended the best possible schools, and were immersed in culture and art, which apparently paid off - William James went on to become one of the most important figures in psychology, while brother Henry James became one of the most acclaimed American novelists. Ivan Pavlov Biography. "Science demands from a man all his life.

Ivan Pavlov Biography

If you had two lives that would not be enough for you. Be passionate in your work and in your searching. " - Ivan Pavlov. Classical Conditioning - Introduction to Classical Conditioning. Classical conditioning is a type of learning that had a major influence on the school of thought in psychology known as behaviorism.

Classical Conditioning - Introduction to Classical Conditioning

Discovered by Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov, classical conditioning is a learning process that occurs through associations between an environmental stimulus and a naturally occurring stimulus. Behaviorism is based on the assumption that learning occurs through interactions with the environment. Two other assumptions of this theory are that the environment shapes behavior and that taking internal mental states such as thoughts, feelings, and emotions into consideration is useless in explaining behavior. It's important to note that classical conditioning involves placing a neutral signal before a naturally occurring reflex. In Pavlov's classic experiment with dogs, the neutral signal was the sound of a tone and the naturally occurring reflex was salivating in response to food.

The Unconditioned Stimulus The Unconditioned Response The Conditioned Stimulus. Carl Rogers Biography. "Experience is, for me, the highest authority. The touchstone of validity is my own experience. No other person's ideas, and none of my own ideas, are as authoritative as my experience. It is to experience that I must return again and again, to discover a closer approximation to truth as it is in the process of becoming in me. " -Carl Rogers, On Becoming a Person Best Known For: Carl Rogers is best-known for his nondirective approach to treatment known as client-centered therapy.His concept of the actualizing tendency.Developing the concept of the fully-functioning person. Humanistic psychology - Encyclopedia Article and More from Merriam-Webster.

Perspectives in Modern Psychology. At a Glance There are many different ways of thinking about human behavior. Psychologists utilize a variety of perspectives when studying how people think, feel, and behave. Some researchers focus on one specific perspective, such as the biological perspective, while others take a more eclectic approach that incorporates multiple points of view. There is no single perspective that is "better" than another; each simply emphasizes different aspects of human behavior. Biopsychology - What is Biopsychology. Biopsychology is a branch of psychology that analyzes how the brain and neurotransmitters influence our behaviors, thoughts and feelings.

This field can be thought of as a combination of basic psychology and neuroscience. Many psychology programs use alternate names for this field, including biopsychology, physiological psychology, behavioral neuroscience and psychobiology. Biopsychologists often look at how biological processes interact with emotions, cognitions and other mental processes. What Is Behaviorism? Question: What Is Behaviorism? Behaviorism can perhaps be best summed up by the following quote from the famous psychologist John B. Watson: "Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and I'll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select -- doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant-chief and, yes, even beggar-man and thief, regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race of his ancestors.

" What Is Cognitive Psychology? Cross Cultural Psychology - What Is Cross Cultural Psychology. Subfields of Psychology - Major Subfields of Psychology. Branches of Psychology. What Are the Four Major Goals of Psychology? Psychology Facts - 10 Things You Need to Know About Psychology. Are you new to the study of psychology? It may seem like a vast and daunting topic at first, but understanding a few basic facts can make it easier to get started. The following are just a few of the important things you need to know about this fascinating topic. Once you have a strong understanding of the basics, you will be better prepared to explore psychology in greater depth. 1. Introduction to Research Methods - Psychology Research Methods.

Theory - What Is a Theory. Hypothesis - Psychology - About.com. Definition: A hypothesis is a tentative statement about the relationship between two or more variables. A hypothesis is a specific, testable prediction about what you expect to happen in your study. For example, a study designed to look at the relationship between sleep deprivation and test performance might have a hypothesis that states, "This study is designed to assess the hypothesis that sleep deprived people will perform worse on a test than individuals who are not sleep deprived.

" Unless you are creating a study that is exploratory in nature, your hypothesis should always explain what you expect to happen during the course of your experiment or research. Remember, a hypothesis does not have to be correct. In many cases, researchers may find that the results of an experiment do not support the original hypothesis.