Psychology 101 GRAND ISSUES OF PSYCHOLOGY THE GRAND ISSUES OF PSYCHOLOGY These are large scale questions or themes of psychology that are part of all aspects of the field Stability vs. Change Nature vs. Nurture Rationality vs. Irrationality STABILITY VS. CHANGE How do we change over time? Changes involved in many aspects of psychology Thinking Physical functioning Personality Many other aspects of behavior NATURE VS. NURTURE What things do we inherit from our family and what things do we learn? Where does aggression come from? Attractiveness? Can be called evolutionary psychology? What are we born with and what do we develop? RATIONALITY VS. IRRATIONALITY RATIONALITY VS. IRRATIONALITY Why would you hesitate eating a chocolate cockroach? Reason overridden by two factors: Emotions Gut feelings Other examples – procrastination, lashing out because you are in a bad mood, stick with bad decision even though you know you are wrong