Welcome to Psychology! In this course we will begin to explore the social science of psychology. Psychology is different than most of the social studies in that it is less concerned with who, what, where, and when of the human experience. In psychology the basic question is, Why? Psychology is the systematic study of human behavior and mental processes. In the study of psychology social scientists look at human behavior through two lenses – the physical reasons that we do what we do, and the environmental reasons that we do what we do. (Nature v. Nurture). This is, do we act the way we do because we are genetically or chemically programmed (nature) to do, or do we act the way we do because of our environment. (nurture) The course is a broad, general introduction to psychology, examining patterns and variations of human behavior and the process of human development. The course will emphasize the basic subject matter of psychology and the scientific methods by which the study was developed. Students will study how psychological knowledge can be applied to improve our quality of life