Okay, so I got my hands on “Exploring Psychology, 12th Edition”. I’ve been meaning to brush up on my psych knowledge, and this seemed like a good place to start. I remember taking intro to psych way back when, but honestly, most of it is a blur.
First thing I did was just flip through the whole book. You know, get a feel for the layout, the chapters, all that. It’s a pretty hefty textbook, I gotta say! Lots of pictures and diagrams, which is good. I’m a visual learner, so that helps.
Then, I went back to the table of contents. I wanted to see what topics were covered and if any of them jumped out at me. I decided to start with the chapter on “Thinking, Language, and Intelligence”. Seemed interesting enough.
Diving into the chapter…
I started reading, just taking it slow. I didn’t try to memorize everything on the first go. Instead, I tried to get the general idea of each section.
- There was a part about problem-solving that I found pretty relatable. It talked about different strategies, like trial and error, and algorithms.
- Then it got into biases, like confirmation bias (where you only look for info that confirms what you already believe). I definitely see that in myself sometimes!
- Language development was next. The book talked a lot about how children learn to talk. The stages and everything.
As I read through the chapter, I would highlight some key terms and definitions. I also jotted down some notes in the margins, mostly questions I had or connections I was making to my own life.
After finishing the chapter, I went back and reviewed my highlights and notes. I also tried the little “Check Yourself” quizzes at the end of each section. Those were helpful for seeing if I actually understood what I just read.
It took me a couple of days to get through the whole thing, reading a little bit each day. I’m not gonna lie, some parts were dense, but overall, I felt like I learned something. I am thinking of what to explore next, it might be the “Motivation and Emotion” chapter. Seems like it could be useful for understanding myself, and others, better.
