©1999 prentice hall what is psychology?. ©1999 prentice hall what is psychology? thinking...
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©1999 Prentice Hall
What is Psychology?
©1999 Prentice Hall
What is Psychology? Thinking critically about Psychology Psychology’s past Psychology’s present What Psychologists do
©1999 Prentice Hall
Thinking Critically About Psychology
Can you distinguish between psychobabble and empirical psychology?
Critical thinking The ability and willingness to
assess claims and make judgments on the basis of well-supported reasons and evidence, rather than emotion or anecdote.
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Critical Thinking Guidelines Be willing to wonder Define your terms Examine the evidence Analyze assumptions and biases
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Critical Thinking Guidelines Avoid emotional reasoning Don’t oversimplify Consider other
interpretations Tolerate uncertainty
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Psychology’s Past Three early psychologies
Structuralism Functionalism Psychoanalysis
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Structuralism Early approach that emphasized the analysis of
immediate experience into basic elements. Interested in what happens. Trained introspection
Volunteers were taught to observe, analyze and describe their own sensations, mental images, and emotional reactions.
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Functionalism Early approach that emphasized the function or
purpose of behavior and consciousness. Interested in how and why something happens
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Psychoanalysis A theory of personality and a method of
psychotherapy, originally formulated by Sigmund Freud.
Emphasizes unconscious motives and conflicts.
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Psychology’s Present Major psychological perspectives Two influential movements
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Major Psychological Perspectives Biological Perspective Learning Perspective Cognitive Perspective Sociocultural perspective Psychodynamic Perspective
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The Biological Perspective
Psychological approach that emphasizes bodily events and changes associated with actions, feelings and thoughts.
This perspective involves: Hormones Brain chemistry Heredity Evolutionary influences
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The Learning Perspective
A psychological approach that emphasizes how the environment and experience affect a person’s or animal’s actions.
This perspective involves Behaviorism Social-cognitive learning theories
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The Cognitive Perspective A psychological approach that emphasizes
mental processes in perception, memory, language, problem solving and other areas of behavior.
This perspective involves: Computer models of human thinking Infant thinking Intelligence testing
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Sociocultural perspective
A psychological approach that emphasizes social and cultural influences on behavior
This perspective includes: Social psychology or the study of rules, roles
groups and relationships) Cultural psychology or the study of cultural
norms, values and expectations
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Psychodynamic Perspective
This perspective includes: Unconscious thoughts,
desires, conflicts.
A psychological approach that emphasizes unconscious dynamics within the individual, such as inner forces, conflicts or the movement of instinctual energy.
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Two Influential Movements in Psychology Humanist psychology Feminist psychology
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Humanist Psychology A psychological approach that emphasizes
personal growth and the achievement of human potential, rather than the scientific understanding an assessment of behavior.
This approach: Rejected behaviorism and psychoanalysis. Emphasized creativity and achieving
potential.
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Feminist Psychology A psychological approach that analyzes the
influence of social inequities on gender relations and on the behavior of the two sexes.
This approach: Recognized years of male bias in data collection
and psychotherapy. Questions the use of research in justifying
women’s lower status or elevating women’s status (female bias).
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What Psychologists Do Academic/research psychologists Psychological practitioners Psychologists in other settings
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Academic/Research Psychologists Research in areas of basic or applied
psychology. Examples include:
Experimental psychologists Educational psychologists Developmental psychologists Industrial/Organizational psychologists Psychometric psychologists
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Psychological Practitioners Counseling psychologists help people deal
with problems associated with everyday life.
School psychologists work with parents, teachers and students to enhance student performance.
Clinical psychologists diagnose, treat, and study mental or emotional problems.
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Clinical Psychologists are not: Psychotherapists Psychoanalysts Psychiatrists
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Psychologists in Other Settings
Sports Consumer Issues Advertising Organizational Problems Environmental Issues
Public policy Opinion polls Military training Animal behavior Legal Issues
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What Areas do Psychology Undergraduates Pursue?
Psychology Other Counseling Education Social work Medicine Law Health Sciences Business Sociology