The Case Study Assignment

BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR THE ASSIGNMENT:

Chances are you have made a lot of casual observations of human behavior in your lifetime. You have probably also speculated about the causes of many of those behaviors (i.e., asked yourself “why did so-and-so behave that way?”). Psychologists are also keen observers of human behavior. However, in contrast to the average person, psychologists are interested in determining the causes of behavior using the scientific method and using what they learn to explain other instances of similar behavior. When we say psychology is an “applied” science, we are highlighting how psychologists use scientific inquiry to understand behavior and then apply what they have learned to solve problems in the real world. This assignment will teach you how to adopt the mindset of a psychologist and form specific, functional connections between the course material (i.e., the science of human behavior) and your own personal experience.